Per Montgomery County: The 18th Montgomery County History Conference will return as an in-person event for the first time since 2020, with the full day of activities on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Montgomery College in Rockville including a keynote address on “Black Chevy Chase” and breakout sessions “The Du-Drop Inn of Emory Grove” and the “Historic Homes and Barns of the Agricultural Reserve.”

In addition to breakout sessions on the Du-Drop Inn and the historic homes and barns of the Ag Reserve, breakout sessions will focus on the families of the Agricultural History Farm Park, Sentinel publisher Rebecca Fields, a history of enslavement in Kensington, the County’s Poor Farm, the seven enslavers who have public schools named for them and new techniques for indigenous archaeological research.


Per Montgomery College: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced five winners of the Make a Market Tech Challenge. The five student teams received a total of $15,000 for their innovative market assessments for new technologies developed by EPA researchers. Four of the five winners are Montgomery College students. The 2023 winners of the Make a Market Tech Challenge: Esther Soon, first place ($6,000);  Rasheevan Nair, second place ($3,000); and third place was shared by two MC students: Miguel Granados and Sena Hordoffa ($1,500 each).

When EPA researchers invent new technologies, EPA’s Federal Technology Transfer Act program assists with patenting these new technologies and finding companies that are interested in licensing EPA’s products to put federally funded technology to use in real-word applications. EPA launched the Make a Market Tech Challenge to solicit innovative strategies for market assessments of patented and unlicensed EPA-developed technologies.


Montgomery College (MC) was honored this week as a 2023-2026 FamilyU Seal recipient and the “Exemplar” institution by Generation Hope. In its first year, the FamilyU Seal recognizes higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations that have made significant strides in supporting student parents. One of 13 higher education institutions chosen from a competitive field of candidates, MC was also selected as the group’s exemplary institution, which means the College will receive $25,000 to continue advancing its student parent work.

With an estimated 15% of MC students parenting while they study, the College is committed to helping support their journey to successful completion and post-completion success. This national certification celebrates their outstanding efforts in serving parenting students and achieving outcomes for student parents across the country.


Montgomery College (MC) welcomed three new Board of Trustees members in July. The Board of Trustees of Montgomery College is the institution’s legal governing body and is comprised of 10 community individuals who are appointed by the governor. The new Trustees are Dr. Sheryl Brissett Chapman, Dr. Judith Docca, and MC student Rishi Nixon.

Trustee Sheryl Brissett Chapman: For 30 years, Dr. Brissett Chapman has served as the executive director of the National Center for Children and Families. Trustee Brissett Chapman, an expert on child and family welfare issues, publishes and presents on a wide range of topics. She has been involved in numerous organizations including Maryland’s Council for the Procurement of Health, Educational & Social Services, the Maryland Procurement Improvement Council, the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence’s Fatality Committee, the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work Policy Board, Maryland Nonprofit, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Maryland Association of Resources for Families and Youth. Governor Wes Moore appointed Dr. Brissett Chapman to a six-year term on the Board of Trustees.


Per Montgomery College: Starting this year, a new Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) scholarship will assist 50 to 60 students with job training and certification expenses. In July, the Montgomery College Foundation announced the establishment of the Robert I. Schattner (RIS) Job Training and Certification Scholarship, a $500,000 gift to establish the scholarship.   

Award recipients are students pursuing eligible career path courses with the intention to obtain employment (and ready to work by June 30, 2024). They receive up to $4,000 to be used to cover training tuition, fees, and required books, plus career navigation, certification exam fees, and/or emergency assistance, if needed. 


Per Montgomery College: The Nominating Committee for the Montgomery College Board of Trustees (BOT) is accepting applications to serve a six-year term beginning July 1, 2024. Montgomery College is a public, open-admissions community college, with campuses in Rockville, Germantown, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Workforce Development & Continuing Education centers throughout the county. The College serves nearly 60,000 students yearly and offers a broad range of academic and training programs and support services with state-of-the-art technology through its 130 degree and certificate programs.

The Board of Trustees, as the fiduciary institutional governance body, has the essential responsibilities and obligations to:


With Americans struggling financially due to high inflation and a year of community college nearly three times less expensive than a year at a public four-year college, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst Community Colleges, with Montgomery College coming in #10 in the country out of over 650 schools included. Last year, Montgomery College was ranked 7th in the country.

Montgomery College was officially founded in 1946 as Montgomery Junior College. The earliest start date that can be contributed to Montgomery College is October 15, 1893, when the Bliss Electrical School began. Bliss was absorbed by the current college in 1950 and became the electrical program for the school. The college has three campuses; Germantown, Rockville (largest campus), and Takoma Park/Silver Spring.


Per Montgomery College: A new WDCE scholarship for financially-eligible job seekers, ready to get to work by June 30, 2024, is currently accepting applicants. The Montgomery College Foundation announced the establishment of the Robert I. Schattner Job Training and Certification Scholarship, a one-year opportunity for job training and certification. Scholarships are available for applicants pursuing eligible career path courses with the intention to obtain employment.

The Robert I. Schattner Job Training and Certification Scholarship will receive applications now through Wednesday, August 4, 2023. Information about the scholarship, eligibility requirements, a list of qualified courses, the application and more are now on the WDCE Career Path Scholarship webpage.


The Blair Witch Project was released on this day in 1999, 24 years ago– the first installment of the Blair Witch franchise.  Did you know The Blair Witch Project was primarily filmed right here in Montgomery County?

In the indie supernatural horror, three film students camp in the fictional Black Hills Forest of Burkittsville, Maryland in October of 1994 to film a documentary on the local legend of the Blair Witch. Mysteriously, the trio vanishes, leaving behind hours of footage to be discovered a year later by University of Maryland anthropology students. What the viewer witnesses is this purportedly real home video style footage.


The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that Montgomery College, Takoma/Silver Spring Campus, has entered into a resolution agreement to resolve a sexual harassment complaint. OCR’s investigation established that a College professor, who was not named, engaged in sexual harassment of female students during a class he taught by requiring the students to remove their shirts and wear only their bras – and then commenting on their bodies – ostensibly to demonstrate a medical assessment despite the fact that the assessment did not require the clothing removal, or the bodily commentary.

Within approximately three months of the initial report of the professor’s harassment, the College’s investigation confirmed that the professor’s conduct created a hostile environment on the basis of sex. The College terminated the professor’s employment and the College provided written notice of the outcome of its investigation to the student in the class who initially reported experiencing sexual harassment, and also offered supportive services to affected students. However, the College did not notify all affected students regarding the conclusion of its investigation, raising a concern that the College may not have taken necessary steps to ensure that a hostile environment did not persist for affected students.


Per Montgomery College: The Montgomery College Foundation announced the establishment of the Islamic Community Building Opportunities Scholarship. Four donors from the Islamic community have pledged $34,000 over five years to establish the scholarship. Any Montgomery College student who meets the criteria is eligible for the scholarship, regardless of religion or background.

This scholarship will support students of all backgrounds who:


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