NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Registration for MCPS Head Start/PreK Begins March 5 !
Walk-in registration: 4910 Macon Road, Rockville, Monday - Friday from 9am - 4pm. Additional registration sites are located throughout the County. Please click here to learn more. Registration information available in: Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese & Amharic. Please call 301-230-0676 for more information or click here.
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Registration Open for County's Office of Human Rights Civil Rights Educational Freedom Experience
This annual historic civil-rights bus tour retraces the Freedom Trail, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Greensboro sit-ins, voting rights, and other significant events of the Civil Rights Movement. The nine-day bus tour will leave Rockville on April 7 and return on April 15. The tour will travel to Greensboro, NC; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, AL; Memphis and Nashville, TN; Little Rock, AR and Jackson, MS to retrace the steps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and many other civil-rights heroes.
Payment is due by March 16. Click here for event details, including registration form, itinerary and general information. For more information contact Beverly Marshall in the Office of Human Rights at gov or 240-777-8479.
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Montgomery Parks Launches Marye Wells-Harley Dream Camp Scholarship to Help Send Kids to Summer Camp
In honor of former Montgomery County Planning Board member Marye Wells-Harley, through this new initiative, young people, ages 6 - 14 will be provided scholarships to attend Montgomery Parks summer camps. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, and will be given to as many applicants as funding permits. Over $5,000 has been donated to the scholarship program so far.
Details of Application here. Read more about the program. Information also available on Montgomery Parks website. Scholarships are administered through the Montgomery Parks Foundation. Information about how to make a donation is available online. Click here for information about the various summer camps.
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Women's History Month Series by MCPL
Montgomery County Public Libraries will celebrate Women's History Month at several library branches throughout March. The series of programs will celebrate social, cultural and political achievements of women.
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The Commission on Aging 2018 Public Forum. What Does Age-Friendly Mean for You?
Wednesday, March 28 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring. Light refreshments served. R.S.V.P. to Tremayne Jones by email or (240) 777-1120
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Interactive Website Launched to Understand Demographics of Self-Sufficiency
A new interactive website will help government agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates and policy makers understand the demographics of county residents living below the self-sufficiency standard threshold. Learn more about Montgomery's Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard here. To view the interactive website, click here.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Builders Contest by AARP for Volunteers
On January 15th, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. day, AARP announced the Create the Good's (CTG) Dream Builders Contest. This initiative, in its third year, builds on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" message as well as AARP's commitment to livable communities and service. This contest invites individuals to share a "dream" volunteer project they are currently working on - or want to carry out - in collaboration with a community nonprofit.
Click here to learn more.
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Montgomery College Lifelong Learning Institute: Boost Your Brain Power and Memory:
Friday, March 9, 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at the Gaithersburg Business Training Center, 12 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, Room 402/403. $20.00 fee only.
Course #: LLI200 CRN #: 35952. Explore strategies on how to boost your brain power and memory presented by Dr. Dana Plude, Deputy Director, Division of Behavioral and Social Research, National Institute on Aging at the National Institute of Health. Join other students in hands-on brain and memory workshops. Space is limited, please register early. For registration questions, please contact Customer Service at (240) 567-5188.
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Applications Open for The Bernie Scholarship Awards Program:
Deadline is Tuesday, March 20. This is a scholarship fund for individuals who seek college or vocational training including undocumented students who qualify as Dreamers. This scholarship is for the residents who live in subsidized housing in Montgomery County from: Housing Opportunities
Commission, Edgewood Management Corporation, Scotland Community, Rockville Housing Enterprises, or Forest Park Apartments. The application is online. For assistance with the application,
contact your housing provider's counselor, Montgomery College's Educational Opportunity Center 240-567-5644 or email .
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11th Annual Regional Community Partnership Forum:
Wednesday, March 21 from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the George Mason University - Arlington Campus, Founders Hall, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22201. Fee: Single Ticket - $60.00; includes continental breakfast and lunch, Two Tickets - $100.00; includes breakfast and lunch. Business, nonprofit and government leaders are invited to learn about cutting-edge practices in cross-sector collaboration. Click here for more information.
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Nominate the next MC Philanthropist of the Year:
Know a resident of Montgomery County who has a track record of charitable giving to one or more Montgomery County based nonprofit organizations or has made a positive impact in the lives of county residents through their giving? Nominate them to be the next Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year. Deadline is March 23.
Click here for nomination guidelines, criteria and form details.
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Save the Date: Refugee Housing Forum:
March 28, 11-1pm, LSS/NCA presents Refugee Housing Forum at Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring. Learn about renting to refugee families and supporting resettlement efforts in our community. Meet with local refugee landlord partners as we address your questions. Lunch will be provided. Register here.
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Get Involved: Join a Board or Commission
County Executive Ike Leggett seeks applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability, and ethnicity to serve on the county's boards and commissions. Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Applications of individuals selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.
Access complete list of vacancy announcements for boards, committees, and commissions
here
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Statement by County Executive Ike Leggett
Creating Social Cohesion & Ensuring Public Safety
In these difficult times of increased tension in the nation, County Executive Ike Leggett recently issued an important statement that I recommend you read in full. As national political figures pit different ethnic and religious groups against each other, our County Executive's "Affirming Our Approach to Creating Social Cohesion and Ensuring Public Safety" is a positive and hopeful statement of our ability to bring people together. Noting the highly collaborative ways elected and appointed officials in Montgomery County are working with our faith communities and community leaders should help all of us feel more hopeful and secure. In the face of forces that divide and cause anxiety, we are uniting and working hard every day toward Dr. King's Beloved Community.
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County Executive meets with leadership of his Faith Community Advisory Council
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Referencing the wonderful work of his Faith Community Advisory Council most ably led by Rev. Kasey Kaseman, County Executive Leggett explained the Montgomery Way: "At a time when too many relationships of trust between our residents and our public safety officers are broken, we are building relationships. As some appeal to others' fears and prejudices, we are appealing to the dignity of every individual."
"The key to our success, that is drawing praise across the world, can be found in the dignity and integrity of our governmental leaders working collaboratively with our community for the security and wellbeing of every resident in Montgomery County. We welcome people from every religious, ethnic and racial background. We treat every resident with dignity and respect. People of good will can disagree about politics. What should unite us all, however, is getting at the roots of hate, violence, and terrorism. That is why what we are doing in Montgomery Country is so critical."
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
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The Latin American Advisory Group Community Meeting, Tuesday, March 13 from 6:00PM-8:00PM at the Executive Office Building - 101 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Rockville. Contact: claudia.canales@montgomerycountymd.gov
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African Affairs Advisory Group Community Meeting, Thursday, March 8 from 7:00PM-8:30PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building - One Veterans Place Silver Spring. Contact: daniel.koroma@montgomerycountymd.gov
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The Asian Pacific American Advisory Group has not set a date for the March meeting. For more information and updates, contact Diane Vu, Asian Liaison at diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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The Middle Eastern American Advisory Group will not be meeting in March due to the March 4th heritage event. They will resume monthly meetings from Monday, April 9th, at the Rockville Library, 3d floor, Mediation Room, 7 - 9 pm. Contact: Debbie Trent at
dtrent@civilstrategies.net
for more information.
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Register Today for Montgomery Serves Awards Gala
The 2018 Montgomery Serves Awards, our county's highest
h
onor for volunteers, will be presented at a ceremony attended by county and state dignitaries on Monday, April 23, 6:30 pm, at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Join us that evening to help celebrate some of the most superb volunteers in our region. The event is free, but reservations are required as seating is limited.
Register here
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Find Ways to Volunteer at the Click of a Mouse
Looking for opportunities to volunteer in our community, but not sure where to begin? Make the Volunteer Center website your first step.
With nearly 1,000 volunteer needs currently posted online, the hardest part of finding ways to help is narrowing the list down. Start by using the red search box at the top of the home page, where you can sort service opportunities based on a keyword and/or distance from a particular zip code.
For instance, if you wanted to find ways to serve people experiencing homelessness, you could search for the keyword "homeless" to see all listings with that keyword in the title or description. Then, if you wanted to narrow that down to opportunities to help the homeless in or near 20910, you'd also enter the zip code and choose to find opportunities within that zip or within a certain number of miles.
For additional search functions, follow the links at the bottom of the red search box. Clicking Calendar will show you date-specific opportunities, which tend to be volunteer needs at festivals, fundraisers, outdoor cleanups, and similar one-time events. The SSL Pre-approved link brings you to a list of all volunteer opportunities that have been reviewed and approved by Montgomery County Public Schools for student service learning hours. And All Opportunities reveals every active need for volunteers within the database. SSL Preapproved and All Opportunities links can be further refined to filter service opportunities based on factors such as whether it's good for groups, appropriate for families to volunteer together, takes place outdoors, and/or accepting of a particular age. You can even combine these filters to really narrow the list.
To learn more about any of the volunteer opportunities that come up in your search, click on the title for a full description and a link to the sponsoring organization's page. Then, if you decide you want to volunteer, click the respond button to send a message of interest directly through the website; alternatively, you can visit the sponsoring organization's page to find its phone number and email address.
If you need more help sorting through the many ways to serve, call the Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600.
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NEW 50+ Volunteer Network Connects Skilled Volunteers with Nonprofits in Need
The Montgomery County 50+ Volunteer Network is a unique, new county initiative housed at the Montgomery County Volunteer Center. It focuses on leveraging the professional and personal skills of the rapidly growing 50+ population as a valuable resource for nonprofits and government agencies. Through personal consultations, the program effectively matches agencies needing specific assistance with skilled volunteers seeking purposeful opportunities.
The 50+ Volunteer Network actively recruits professionals who are retired or considering retirement, empty nesters, and others aged 50 and older who want to make a significant contribution of time and talent to serve the community. Volunteer Center advisors will help them find an opportunity consistent with the individual volunteer's skills, interests, and availability. Staff will also work directly with nonprofit and government agencies to ascertain the types of volunteers and assignments that are the most valuable, as well as provide follow-up services.
Opportunities may include:
- Ongoing, program management and support - possibly editing a newsletter, providing administrative and client intake services, managing an event or program, or as a member of a board of directors
- Short-term consulting projects, such as grant-writing, accounting, strategic planning, marketing, web design, or IT help
- Direct services to clients in need, including tutoring or mentoring programs, teaching adult literacy, or providing career counseling to those in transition.
Unlike other programs and web-based services, the 50+ Volunteer Network is unique in its personal matching services, the broad range of opportunities, targeted recruiting and outreach, and the free cost to any nonprofit or government agency that is registered with the Volunteer Center.
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Immigration Legal Services in Montgomery County and Vicinity
Stay up-to-date with legal immigration announcements and workshops by visiting our Legal Immigration Webpage. Also learn more about the upcoming immigration-related workshops, clinics and frequently asked questions.
In light of recent developments in immigration policy, we have updated our FAQ resource to include Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and DACA information. Access it HERE.
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Upcoming Immigration-related Workshops and Clinics
Free Immigration Consultation Clinic, 2 pm, March 4, Silver Spring, MD English, Espanol, Francais
Free Immigration Consultation Clinic, 10am-12pm, March 16, Consulate of Honduras, Washington, DC - English, Espanol, Francais
Citizenship Application Workshop, 10am-2pm, March 10, 2018, Rockville Library, Rockville, MD - English, Espanol, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese
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Save The Date: Game Changer Conference for Young Males
The Game Changer Conference for Young Males will be held Saturday, April 14 at The Universities at Shady Grove. The conference, including a Parent Academy Roundtable, will start at 12:30 pm. To show our young males that they are valued and that we do care about them doing the work required to succeed, this one-day conference is geared towards African-American and Hispanic young males: elementary (4th & 5th), middle and high school students in Montgomery County and the nearby communities. For Elementary, Middle and High School Young Males on April 14,. Registration closes on Monday, April 9th. Click here for registration and read details here.
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African Americans in Times of War
On Thursday, February 8, at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater, the Montgomery County Black Employees held their annual Black History Celebration. The theme of this year was: "African Americans in Times of War". There was a celebration of freedom while honoring the men and women who served to protect and uphold our beliefs.
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"Rayness the Encourager" - Founding Co-Chair of the CAAG Given Last Respects by Members of Community
On Saturday, February 24, members of the community said their goodbyes to a great community leader. Ms. Rayness Mayne was a member of the Committee on Ethnic Affairs and the co-founding member of the County Executive's Caribbean American Advisory Group.
In his eulogy, Pastor Gareth Murray of the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring described Ms. Rayness as an encourager who gave her time, talents, and treasures to her church and her community. In his recognition of Ms. Rayness's work with the County, Bruce Adams talked about Ms. Rayness's steadfastness to speaking truth to power and her advocacy for community inclusion in County policies. Bruce presented a certificate signed by County Executive Leggett to the family. The American Foundation for the University of West Indies has setup a Rayness Mayne Scholarship Fund to support girls at the University of West Indies, which is Ms. Rayness's almamater. To make a donation, please contact Professor Sha-Shana Crichton at scrichton@law.howard.edu
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Lunar New Year Celebrations in Montgomery County
County Executive Ike Leggett welcomed in the Year of the Dog with Governor Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan at the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center's ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lakeforest Mall on February 17. The opening ceremony kicked off a two-week long celebration of the 2018 Lunar New Year which included performances, displays and workshops and ended on February 25.
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Save the Date: Launch of Interfaith Network of Montgomery County (INMC) This April
The Executive Committee of the Faith Community Advisory Council (FCAC) met recently with County Executive, Ike Leggett, to report on the needs and concerns of faith communities, and plan for the launch of the Interfaith Network of Montgomery County (INMC). The INMC is a member-based, public-private
partnership between FCAC and Interfaith Works. Its purpose is to bring hundreds of faith communities together to build a healthy, resilient community in which all residents feel respected, valued and supported.
You are encouraged to hold the date of Monday, April 9, at 6:30 pm in the Great Hall of the Civil Building in Silver Spring for the launch of INMC. It will feature County Executive Ike Leggett addressing its value and there will be other elected and appointed public officials together with subject experts from nonprofits and faith communities. It is designed to demonstrate how working collaboratively on such issues as public safety, healthcare, hunger, refugees and immigrants will make us stronger and happier. Read more on faith community website.
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4th Annual Middle Eastern Heritage Celebration
On Sunday March 4th, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Executive Office Building Cafeteria, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville. The Middle Eastern American Advisory Group (MEAAG) is proud to present a myriad of Middle Eastern countries through informative table displays along with guest presenter Nadia Hassan, founder Young leaders Institute, and the Persian Arts and Cultural Communities.
MEAAG hopes you join the celebrations to experience the diverse and rich culture of the Middle East ! The event offers something for everyone, including remarks by elected officials, resource opportunities to connect our community with yours, and light regional fare. We hope that you and your family will join us at this free, public celebration. For more information and to RSVP email : mimi.hassanein@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 301-379-7868.
Event is open to public and free parking is available at the County Office Building parking lot at E. Jefferson and Monroe Streets. The Rockville Metro Station is a five-minute walk.
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Save the Date for Sister Cities Annual Meeting
We are all anticipating the arrival of Tekeba Tebabal, Mayor of our Sister City of Gondar, Ethiopia in early March. Mr. Tebabal is coming to Montgomery County on a World Bank sponsored information gathering mission about operational issues for utilities and civic services. In addition to meeting with County Executive Ike Leggett, he will visit mayors of Rockville and Gaithersburg. We are especially happy that he will join us at our Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 29 from 6 to 8 pm at the Silver Spring Civic Building on Veterans Plaza.
Please click here for our Winter/Spring newsletter.
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Global Humanities Institute's Very First "Sabbaticals Abroad" Recipient: Successful Completion of Our First Sabbatical Abroad Program with Partner Institutions Abroad
The Global Humanities Institute announces a great new development in our work with our partner institutions abroad-- the successful completion of our first Sabbatical Abroad! Professor Dan Jenkins, who teaches Philosophy in the Takoma Campus and who has long facilitated an ethics essay competition during Humanities Days, recently returned from a short residency at Xi'an University in China.
The presentation will take place on March 29, 12:30-2:00 In Health Sciences, HC222, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. In Fall of 2017, Daniel G. Jenkins served as Visiting Professor at Xi'an University of Arts and Sciences in Xi'an, China. As part of ongoing cultural and academic exchange with Xi'an University, Professor Jenkins co-taught classes in the Foreign Studies and Marxism Schools, delivered guest lectures on global issues in applied ethics, and researched the influence of ancient Western philosophy on contemporary Chinese higher education.
Professor Jenkins has a special interest in China that stems from the Global Humanities Institute's very productive "Seminars Abroad" trip to China in March 2016. Our meetings with colleagues and their students proved to us that we have a common agenda, similar global concerns, and a great deal of collaboration to look forward to. Xi'an University was the very first academic partner for the GHI, with an Memorandum of Understanding that dates back to 2015. Our other collaborations with the faculty and administrators of Xi'an University include an exhibit of faculty artwork [October 2014] and many virtual gatherings. Both sides are very interested in creating Global Classrooms, the vehicle for online co-teaching among MC faculty and our partners abroad.
We look forward to many more Sabbaticals Abroad, not only to China but also to India and El Salvador. Professor Jenkins is the designated GHI lead on Sabbaticals Abroad. Please feel free to contact Global Humanities Institute with any questions and look for event announcements for Sabbaticals Abroad.
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Have News to Share?
To submit your news and events of interest to those in and serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a press release to the OCP Newsletter.
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