In 1992, the University of Maryland School of Nursing distinguished itself as one of the first schools of nursing in the U.S. to offer a course dedicated exclusively to gerontologic nursing within its baccalaureate curriculum. Gerontologic nursing is now presented along a continuum of care and fully merged within the School’s baccalaureate education structure - a model featuring concentric circles that indicate the learner’s progress. Students begin with a focus on healthy aging and recognition of the older adult as a person. Then, select principles related to care of the elderly are established as the student moves into acute, long term and community-based care. Current research is introduced with clinical implications in the areas of incontinence, fall prevention, exercise for health maintenance and rehabilitation.. Capitalizing on the technologically rich environment of the new School of Nursing building opened in January 1999, didactic learning is supplemented by computer simulation and experiential opportunities for students. Today, our baccalaureate students have an unprecedented opportunity to declare gerontology as an Emphasis Area, which allows them to develop this clinical focus. In addition, students may select gerontology electives enabling them to work with masters level nursing students and interdisciplinary colleagues. These opportunities offer the baccalaureate students an in-depth analysis of concepts related to fluctuations in the health of frail older adults. Particularly noteworthy are the interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching and learning options available through the Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research (GGEAR) program. This state-supported university initiative among the schools of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, social work and law, mandates the imperative to strengthen and improve care for the elderly citizens of Maryland. The School is well endowed with five doctorally prepared gerontology nursing faculty who are directly involved in the instruction of over 220 new baccalaureate students each year. Distance learning technology is employed to share the School’s gerontologic nursing expertise and curriculum with faculty and students statewide, and has vast potential for regional and national expansion. Upon graduation, regardless of their chosen employment or pursuit of higher education, our baccalaureate nursing students are well prepared with comprehensive knowledge about the aged population that is increasingly dominating all care settings.