Baltimore— The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is excited to announce the 2nd annual CIAA & Congregations for Community Success initiative. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the CIAA and Baltimore churches to support unhoused youth by providing scholarships, career opportunities, mentorship, mental health resources, and a strong community network to help students thrive. Working with the Baltimore City Public Schools’ Mckinney-Vento Program and the CIAA, pastors will provide students facing housing insecurities tickets to the 2025 Food Lion CIAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournament, access to CIAA High School Education Day and a chance to receive a special scholarship to attend a CIAA member institution. CIAA Institution Acceptance announcements will occur on Wednesday, February 26, 2024, at the 2025 US Army ROTC CIAA High School Education Day. The CIAA and Congregations for Success initiative seeks to make a difference in the lives of those in need, offering an opportunity to experience the rich history, culture, and excitement of the CIAA Tournament.
In addition to tickets and scholarships, the CIAA and participating churches will host a special Mental Wealth Day in May 2025, offering mental health services, job training, and mentorship to ensure participating students have a support network as they transition to college. Spearheaded by CIAA Chaplain Pastor Jerome Barber of the Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Temple Church in Hampton, Virginia, the program also invites Baltimoreans and out-of-town fans to celebrate the power of community at CIAA “Church Night,” Tuesday, February 25, 2025. The members of the church congregations, fans, and the community can enjoy $10 off their tickets to Tuesday night’s games, and tournament games throughout the week by using the CHURCH10 promotional code.
Participating Baltimore churches this year include:
The New Bethlehem Baptist Church
Southern Baptist Church
Greater Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church
Greater Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church
Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church
Morning Star Baptist Church
New Psalmist Baptist Church
About The CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first and longest running African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 13 member institutions: Bowie State University; Bluefield State University; Claflin University; Elizabeth City State University; Fayetteville State University; Johnson C. Smith University; Lincoln University of Pennsylvania; Livingstone College; Saint Augustine’s University; Shaw University; Virginia State University; Virginia Union University; and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.