Gaithersburg-Based Adventist HealthCare and the Montgomery College Foundation are partnering to provide enhanced opportunities for nursing students in our community over the next eight years. The alliance is designed to grow a local workforce of qualified nurses by offering expanded educational pathways to gain experience.
Montgomery College has received a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grant under Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services. The College will provide at least 500 lawful permanent residents with citizenship preparation classes, activities to support integration into American civic life, and naturalization application services.
USCIS announced $22 million in FY2023 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program awards to 65 public and private non-profit organizations across the country that prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for naturalization. Montgomery College, Maryland, was awarded $450,000 over two years to serve 500 learners.
Per Montgomery College: Learners will have beginning to intermediate levels of English proficiency and will come from 80 different countries including, but not limited to, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Iran, India, and Ethiopia.
The College’s Citizenship Preparation Program uses the Enhanced Integration Tasks (EIT) model to help learners integrate into the receiving community. The program also works with local libraries and community-based organizations to enhance LPRs knowledge of available naturalization services.
Montgomery College will continue to partner with Immigration Legal Services (ILS) of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. ILS will provide naturalization application assistance to approximately 500 LPRs and will help at least 240 LPRs apply for naturalization over the next two years.
“We are grateful that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services continues to support the Montgomery College Citizenship Preparation Program,” said Dr. Jermaine F. Williams, president of Montgomery College. “Since 2010, Montgomery College has served more than 3,300 learners through this grant-funded program, helping individuals increase their knowledge of English, as well as U.S. history and civics in preparation for becoming U.S. citizens. The College is proud to support these immigrants, who enrich the culture and communities of Montgomery County.”
The Washington, D.C. area is fourth in the nation of immigration destinations for LPRs, ranked only behind New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Maryland’s foreign-born population of 922,441 represents 15.3% of the total population of Maryland. Montgomery County is home to 346,586 foreign-born of these residents.
Since 2009, the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has awarded approximately $155 million through 644 competitive grants to immigrant-serving organizations in 41 states and the District of Columbia. The program has helped more than 300,000 lawful permanent residents (LPRs) prepare for U.S. citizenship.
The Citizenship Preparation Program is part of Montgomery College’s Workforce Development & Continuing Education unit. For more information, please contact Dean of Instruction Dr. Donna Kinerney at [email protected].
National Apprenticeship will be recognized the week of Nov. 13–19. MCPS in partnership with Montgomery College, Worksource Montgomery and the Maryland Department of Labor will host two events during the week geared towards students and the business community.
On Monday, Nov. 13 an information session will be held for employers interested in learning how to hire students. Then on Wednesday, Nov. 15, students are invited to an apprenticeship job fair to learn about the vocational apprenticeship opportunities available to MCPS students either during school or beyond. The fair is open to students in grades 11 and 12. Representatives from employers will be on hand to provide information.
Employer Fair:
November 13, 2023
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Montgomery College Rockville Campus
Theater Arts building, room TA156
51 Mannakee Street Rockville, Maryland
Student Fair:
November 15, 2023
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The Long Nguyen & Kimmy Duong Student Services Center Sv Building
51 Mannakee Street Rockville, Maryland
Parking Is Free! Please park in student parking sections indicated with white lines. The Youth Apprenticeship Program is designed to create compensated, high-quality youth apprenticeships that prepare students to enter employment in high-skilled, high-growth sectors. MCPS was approved to offer this Youth Apprenticeship Program in 2019. Students from all 25 comprehensive high schools may participate.
Participating students start the program in the summer or fall of their junior or senior year and must complete at least 450 hours of work-based training under the supervision of an eligible employer and at least one year of related instruction.
Courtesy of MCPS
Below are five free things to do in Montgomery County, MD this weekend:
1. “Boo-Vie” Night
Friday, October 27: 6:30pm
Fallsgrove Park, Rockville
“Get those costumes ready for a “spooktacular” night of fun as the Rockville City Police Department welcomes all to our first ever Halloween “Boo-Vie” Night with a double feature of the family friendly “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” followed by “Hocus Pocus” on the big movie screen. Join us this Fri, Oct 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Fallsgrove Park at Thomas Farm Community Center (700 Fallsgrove Drive, Rockville MD 20850). The lawn will open for seating at 6:00 p.m. bring a blanket or lawn chair. Enjoy complimentary pizza, popcorn, trunk or treat and more, while supplies last.”
2. Kentlands Fall Festival
Saturday, October 28: 10am-7pm
Kentlands Market Square, Gaithersburg
“KIMCO’s Kentlands Market Square (200 Kentlands Blvd) is hosting its Fall Festival– an all-day event with activities for the whole family. It takes place on Saturday, October 28th with activities beginning at 10am and going until 7pm.
The event will feature:
• Live Entertainment from 10 AM to 2 PM
• Crafts for Kids from 10 AM to 2 PM
• Trick or Treating at the Shops from 2 PM to 4:30 PM
• Adult Truck or Treating (Bar Crawl) from 5 PM to 7 PM”
3. Monster Bash
Saturday, October 28: 1-6pm
Takoma Park Middle School
“The City of Takoma Park Recreation Department will host its traditional Monster Bash on Saturday, October 28! Scheduled for the day’s event: The Kickoff for Monster Bash will be in the parking lot of Takoma Park Middle School from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. There will be a DJ and roving entertainment, Trunk-or-Treat and a magic show. (See below for information on our new Trunk-or-Treat component.)
The Costume Contest and Parade will begin lining up at 2:00 PM and wind down Piney Branch Road to Philadelphia Ave., traveling all the way to Maple Ave in front of the Community Center.
A local band will perform from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM along with announcing the Costume Contest winners, a selfie station, games and more roving entertainment. Walking is encouraged due to limited parking. In order to hold the event and ensure patron safety, we will have the following road blockages:
- Piney Branch Road, from Takoma Park Middle School to Philadelphia Avenue, from about 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm, there will be a rolling street closure. The roadway will reopen once all parade participants have cleared the roadway.
- The intersections of Chestnut Avenue/Grant Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Piney Branch Road, Philadelphia Avenue/Chestnut Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Holly Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Birch Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Cedar Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Old Philadelphia Avenue and will have rolling closures between 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm.
- Some residents will not be able to exit their neighborhoods while streets are closed for the parade (Hodges Lane, Chestnut Avenue, Holly Avenue, Darwin Avenue, and Grant Avenue) and during the culminating event on Maple (from Philadelphia to Lee)
- Once the parade concludes, all street closures on Philadelphia Avenue will be lifted.
- Maple Avenue from Philadelphia Avenue to Lee Avenue will be closed 1:30 pm – 6:00 pm through the event. Lee Avenue will still be open for vehicular traffic.
- Residents along Maple Avenue (Philadelphia Ave. to Lee Ave.) will not be able to exit along Maple through the event.
- Ahead of the event, detour signs will be placed on Maple Avenue and Piney Branch Road with expected closures and times.
- There will also be no parking signs in the Community Center back parking lot and along Maple Avenue between Philadelphia Avenue and Lee Avenue.
- Ride-On and Metro bus service (including Metro Access) will be interrupted on the aforementioned streets from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm.
- In the event of inclement weather, the Monster Bash will be moved inside Takoma Park Middle School, and there will not be any road closures.”
4. Harvest Fest
Saturday, October 28: 10am-2pm
Montgomery College Rockville Campus
“Montgomery College is hosting Harvest Fest, a free event for residents of all ages, this Saturday, October 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the Mannakee Building at the Rockville Campus. There will be fun for all ages such as an art show, dancing, a coding demonstration, a DJ, ice cream, and a raffle. Kids can also enjoy face painting, pumpkin decoration, games, and say hi to or pose for a photo with Monty, Montgomery College’s raptor mascot.
It will be a great opportunity to learn more about Montgomery College classes, offerings, scholarships and financial assistance programs. There will be information available about WDCE (Workforce Development and Continuing Education) offerings, such as information technology, cosmetology, real estate, youth programs, early childhood education, automotive technology and building trades, and more.
For residents seeking information in Spanish, the College’s Hispanic Business Institute and the Early Childhood Education program will have Spanish-speaking representatives on site to answer questions. The whole family is welcome at this free event. Held rain or shine.
When: This Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: Mannakee Building Parking Lot. 900 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD.”
5. Boo Bash
Sunday, October 29: 12-3pm
Wheaton Mall
Westfield Wheaton Mall (11160 Veirs Mill Rd) and Montgomery County Police will host their 2nd annual Boo Bash on Sunday, October 29 from 12-3pm. According to Westfield, “this free Halloween event offers festive fun for all ages including a safety stage show, costume contest and a card and candy donation design center (in partnership with the National Institute of Health) benefitting children who are unable to trick-or-treat this year. Attendees can get creative with cupcake decorating, pumpkin painting, and witnessing a “zombie apocalypse” via social media. After getting down at a family dance party, enjoy trick-or-treating throughout the mall until 4pm. All activities will take place in the lower level Macy’s Court.
- Safety Stage Show
- Costume Contest presented by Wheaton Police Department
- Card and Candy Donation Design Center – Benefitting children who can’t trick or treat this year in partnership with Seasoned Settlers.
- Cupcake creation and decorating
- Paint and decorate a pumpkin.
- Witness the “zombie apocalypse” (social media edition)
- We will have a fun dance party for all ages!
- Enjoy Trick or Treating throughout the property until 4pm (while supplies last).
Per Montgomery College: “Montgomery College is hosting Harvest Fest, a free event for residents of all ages, this Saturday, October 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the Mannakee Building at the Rockville Campus. There will be fun for all ages such as an art show, dancing, a coding demonstration, a DJ, ice cream, and a raffle. Kids can also enjoy face painting, pumpkin decoration, games, and say hi to or pose for a photo with Monty, Montgomery College’s raptor mascot.
It will be a great opportunity to learn more about Montgomery College classes, offerings, scholarships and financial assistance programs. There will be information available about WDCE (Workforce Development and Continuing Education) offerings, such as information technology, cosmetology, real estate, youth programs, early childhood education, automotive technology and building trades, and more.
For residents seeking information in Spanish, the College’s Hispanic Business Institute and the Early Childhood Education program will have Spanish-speaking representatives on site to answer questions.
The whole family is welcome at this free event. Held rain or shine.
When: This Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: Mannakee Building Parking Lot. 900 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD.”
Montgomery College will join a cohort of four community colleges across the country selected to partner with Ascend at the Aspen Institute’s Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund. Ascend’s new capacity-building fund provides financial support and expert technical assistance to selected community college campuses to accelerate institutional investment into expanding effective, equitable, and culturally-informed student parent supports.
Nationally, one in five college students – close to 4 million – is a parent. Almost half of all U.S. student parents attend community college, and 70% of these parents are mothers – making institutions like Montgomery College uniquely positioned to improve student parent outcomes, especially for single mothers.
Investing in student parents, and single mothers, postsecondary success immediately benefits families, communities, and the economy. Student parents, especially single mothers, are especially likely to benefit from the earning gains experienced by college graduates: parents who complete college degrees double their lifetime income. That is why Ascend, with support from ECMC Foundation, created the Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund.
“Montgomery College is proud to have been selected by Ascend for funding to further support our student parents, said Montgomery College President Jermaine F. Williams. “Collecting more meaningful data on student parents and training faculty and staff in support strategies for them will further help Montgomery College build and enhance equitable initiatives so students can discover their passions and unlock their potential to transform lives, enrich the community, and change the world. Parents are a vital part of our student community and MC is deeply committed to their success.”
Montgomery College will receive $75,000 to implement two strategies to advance student parent work at the institution. The first of these strategies is systematic identification of and data collection from student parents. The second strategy is the development of professional development modules for faculty and staff, with the aim of better supporting student parents in and out of the classroom. The College will also receive regular expert technical assistance from Ascend and opportunities to learn from a community of practice to support their work.
“Building pathways for every family to flourish across generations is central to Ascend’s mission, and we know that when student parents and single mothers succeed, their families and communities succeed as well,” said David Croom, associate director of Ascend’s Postsecondary Success for Student Parents (PSP) initiative. “Community colleges are key to increasing student persistence and attainment, and we are proud to partner with Montgomery College, a member of Ascend’s Postsecondary Leadership Circle and a leading institution innovating its practices to ensure that student parents are primed for success.”
Since 2018, Ascend’s Postsecondary Success for Parents (PSP) initiative has been a key driver in building a student parent movement – an expansive, nationally-coordinated effort to advance the development of innovative solutions that provide greater postsecondary access, affordability, and success for parents. Ascend focuses on the more than four million student parents enrolled in postsecondary pathways – a group that should inform and strengthen higher education’s equity agenda. The Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund is central to this effort. Learn more about the Postsecondary Leadership Circle Activation Fund from Ascend at the Aspen Institute.
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.”
The conference traditionally offers a myriad of opportunities to engage with local history. It is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Theatre Arts & Science Center of Montgomery College, which is located at 51 Mannakee Street in Rockville.
The morning keynote address about the “Black Chevy Chase” will discuss the wide variety of techniques, not just restrictive covenants, used to prevent homeownership and development by Blacks in the early 20th Century.
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.
The conference will conclude with “A Rockville Journal,” a peek back to 1850s Rockville with a portrayal of a local attorney by actor Steve LaRocque. After that presentation, the conference will have a happy hour reception.
Tickets for the event are $65, plus a $6.21 fee. To purchase tickets, click here. Student registration for $15 is available by emailing proof of student status to Matt Gagle at [email protected]. A full schedule, session descriptions, and more information can be found at the event’s website.
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.
Through this challenge, students expanded their scientific and marketing skills by working with EPA-developed technologies in a hands-on business environment to scope out the best partnering strategy. EPA will use results from the students’ research to find partnerships for each of its water technologies, which will lead to practical application of these technologies for environmental and public health protection.
Montgomery College Professor Hoa Nguyen, the business and economics department chair at the Rockville Campus, helped advise the students throughout the competition process as they took her Principles of Economics class last fall.
“Students got to apply economics concepts directly into business questions about market scope, commercial applications and competition evaluation, and we tied those questions with chapters we covered throughout the semester,” the professor said. “In this way, students tackled a big market analysis one step at a time, so they did not feel overwhelmed. To keep up with the pace of the competition, students have to write up their own research about potential markets for the EPA’s new technologies every week. I advised them regularly on the core theories but allowed them the freedom to be creative with their business solutions and ideas.”
According to the EPA’s Office of Research and Development, the challenge encouraged the next generation of entrepreneurs to develop new ideas for putting EPA research into the hands of its partners and community members and to ultimately help protect human health and the environment.
Added Prof. Nguyen, “This [honor] is solid proof that with the right guidance and support, our students have the commitment and skills to do high level business analysis… I hope they get more opportunities to grow and the recognition that they deserve.”
Below is the full list of winners:
First Place ($6,000)
- Esther Soon, Montgomery College-Rockville: Selected Technology to Market: Water Contamination Detection Kit
Second Place ($3,000 each)
- Rasheevan Nair, Montgomery College-Rockville: Selected Technology to Market: Water Contamination Detection Kit
- Nathan Sojourner, Nash Benton, Kolin Dhamelia, Serena Bauer, Daniel Powers, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, Selected Technology to Market: Carbon Traps to Deactivate Halogen Containing Pollutants
Third Place ($1,500 each)
- Miguel Granados, Montgomery College-Rockville: Selected Technology to Market: Water Contamination Detection Kit
Sena Hordoffa, Montgomery College-Rockville: Selected Technology to Market: Portable Cyanobacteria Detection Kit for Recreation and Drinking Water Supplies
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.
“It’s an incredible honor for the College to be recognized as an exemplary institution by Generation Hope,” said Ja’Bette Lozupone, director of Student Affairs at Montgomery College. “The FamilyU seal not only represents MC’s achievements to date by dedicated staff, faculty and engaged student parents, but it also signifies our ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion for all students at MC.”
Lozupone co-chaired the ASCEND Parent Initiative Taskforce and has been leading Montgomery College efforts to better serve student parents.
“We are truly proud to be acknowledged with this distinction as a destination family-friendly institution for parenting students,” Lozupone said. “With the monetary award, we will continue to invest in critical resources and 2Gen approaches that support the success of parenting students’ and their families while at the College, and beyond.”
Generation Hope has created the FamilyU Seal, a national certification for higher education institutions making significant strides in intentionally serving parenting students. In addition to certifying colleges and universities, the FamilyU Seal recognizes nonprofit organizations that are directly serving parenting students and in doing so are achieving outstanding outcomes.
Courtesy of Montgomery College
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.
Trustee Judith Docca: Dr. Judith Docca spent 38 years with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) as a teacher, human relations specialist, and principal. She also served four terms as an elected member of the Board of Education. Trustee Docca has worked with a number of community groups including the Montgomery County branch of the NAACP, the Multicultural Community Partnership, the Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators, the Hispanic Educators Association, and the Asian American Educators Association. Governor Wes Moore appointed Dr. Docca to a one-year term on the Board of Trustees.
Student Trustee Rishi G. Nixon: Mr. Rishi Nixon has been appointed by Governor Wes Moore for a one-year term as the Board‘s Student Trustee. Trustee Nixon, a homeschooled high school junior and dual enrollment student, is pursuing an associate of science in mathematics. Mr. Nixon has been elected twice as a student member of the College’s Operational Services Council, part of our participatory governance system. Trustee Nixon has served as vice chair of the Montgomery County Commission on Children & Youth, a youth advisor to Montgomery County Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Storytelling Network.
Montgomery College Seeks Board of Trustees Members: The Nominating Committee for the Montgomery College Board of Trustees is currently accepting applications to serve a six-year term beginning July 1, 2024. Applications are due on September 15, 2023. For more information on applying to be a Montgomery College BOT member, click here.
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.
Students choose from nearly 90 eligible WDCE courses, including: information technology, early childhood education, hospitality, health sciences/nursing, project management, income tax preparation, HVAC technician, and solar technician.
“We truly appreciate this partnership that enables students to move immediately from college training programs to well-paying jobs with the least number of social and economic barriers,” says RIS President and Chairman Sidney Bresler. “Our foundation believes this investment in a skilled and well-trained workforce that is supported in multiple ways toward success changes the trajectory for students, their families, and our community.”
The RIS gift also supports two staff positions: a workforce scholarship specialist and a program coordinator, who will provide specialized services to students, collect data, and report outcomes. It will also pay for nursing equipment for skills labs at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus and the future East County Education Center, among other MC locations.
The Robert I. Schattner Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1992 by Dr. Robert I. Schattner, who invented Chloraseptic and another line of products known as Sporicidin. The overriding goal of the Robert I. Schattner Foundation is simple and straight forward: “to make grants where they will do the most good and where our gifts will make a real difference.” This investment in the future of students in the community that Dr. Schattner called home helps ensure his legacy of impacting positive change continues.
For more information about this or other scholarship opportunities for WDCE students, visit the WDCE Career Path Scholarship webpage.
