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Riverdale-based Engaged University, which partners with the University of Maryland, College Park, to build relationships with the local community, will cease operations after Jan. 15 because of university budget cuts.

The program was funded for three years by the university, but its funds expired this year without being renewed. It houses projects like a bio-diesel co-op and runs a community garden and bike shop for youth, where they learn how to repair bicycles.

Margaret Morgan-Hubbard, program founder and director, and her staff of six will be eliminated after January. She said that the current economic climate made it difficult to make the program self-sufficient within just three years.

The Engaged University was under the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The college's dean, Cheng-i Wei, wrote in an e-mail that the extension project will be shuttered "because it cannot achieve the goal of becoming self-supported," and added "this organization is doing many wonderful programs valuable to the community and students."

Wei said current University of Maryland Extension faculty and student volunteers will continue programs that may have previously been run by Engaged University, such as the community garden.

Morgan-Hubbard said before January, staff will be spending the next few months figuring out ways to turn the garden and bike shop into self-sustaining businesses.

"Most of the things we have developed were intended to become businesses," she said. "The idea was to make them capable of being run by community people, or jointly run by them."

The community farm recently received a $75,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente to build an extension with a farm-to-school component.

Currently, residents lease plots of land to grow produce in the garden, and students from nearby schools visit the garden to learn about sustainability and organic foods. The farm also supports its efforts by selling produce at the Riverdale Park Farmer's Market.

William Wirt Middle School in Riverdale is right up the road from Engaged University, and Principal Prentice Christian has said that both his students and staff have benefited from its programs.

"The students walk right up the hill and participate in hands-on learning," he said.

He added students learning in the garden supports health initiatives in the school and aligns with the science curriculum.

Marty Newman, the president of the Riverdale Heights/Riverdale Hill/Crestwood Community Association, said Engaged University provided programs for youth, adults and senior citizens.

"It touches a good number of the residents in many different ways. If they're not actively participating in an event down there or a program, they're affected by the children who are given another avenue to expend their energies," she said.

Newman said the current Engaged University employees also play integral roles in issues outside of Engaged University, such as those in Templeton Knolls and revitalization projects along Kenilworth Avenue.

"You can just tell by listening to the way they speak about our community, and the [community] members and children know their hearts are in it," Newman said. "This is not just something they do so many hours a day and walk away from."

E-mail Elahe Izadi at eizadi@gazette.net.