Change touched every corner of DTP this past year—and 2026 is shaping up to be not just a new year, but a whole new kind of year. From technology to staffing, students to fundraising, here are some standout moments from 2025 and a preview of what’s ahead in 2026:
A Stronger, Smarter Student Journey
This year we overhauled our student intake and application process, streamlining timelines, automating key steps, and dramatically reducing abandonment rates. The result: significantly more students completing the process and enrolling in our program. It’s a major step forward—and just the start of the growth we’re building toward.
A New Home on the Web
We launched our new website—dtpnow.org—a brighter, more informative hub for current and future donors, nonprofit partners, and the communities we all collectively serve. It showcases our programs and full suite of services while supporting our broader push to automate operations and strengthen our mission delivery. And stay tuned: Phase 2 rolls out in 2026. Visit us in the new year to see what’s next!
A Bigger, Bolder Team
Our staff didn’t just evolve—they expanded. Alongside dynamic new leadership, we added a dedicated role focused on data management, service evaluation, program performance, and student/tutor outcomes. Welcome, Josaiah Bonwell! With this addition, DTP now stands at 6 FTE. This increased capacity and sharpened focus will help us elevate our service delivery, assess every aspect of our program, and ensure maximum impact, meaningful student gains, and rich, rewarding experiences for every volunteer.
Expanded Tutoring Capacity
Tutors are DTP’s most essential resource; without them, we can’t impact even one learner, let alone the thousands who need us across Greater Baltimore. Recognizing this, we made tutor recruitment, training, development, and retention our top priorities for 2025 and 2026. In 2025 we held a total of 8 tutor training courses, and have onboarded 6 additional structured literacy instructors to expand our capacity for producing new tutors in 2026.
We’ve planned a multi-channel recruitment strategy for the coming year to bring our volunteer opportunities to a much wider audience. Highlights include a new partnership with Morgan State University (MSU) that offers MSU education majors training and hands-on experience launching in January 2026; leveraging community-service requirements for high school students to plant seeds for a new generation of educators, and rolling out an incentivized grassroots referral program to grow our tutor pipeline. We’re also exploring new models—such as small-group tutoring —and investing in stronger support services and professional development opportunities to ensure every tutor feels equipped, confident, and valued.
What’s Next…
We look forward to the year ahead with excitement as we build a foundation for growth through literacy. Growth that will allow us—with your support—to exponentially expand the options available to thousands of bright young minds. The only thing standing between them and their potential is equitable access to literacy. Together, we can create that possibility.
By Robin Murphy, Director of Programs & Impact