For the fifth consecutive year, the Corporation for National and Community Service named Montgomery County Community College to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll—the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

Last year, 3,366 students engaged in more than 15,252 hours of curricular and co-curricular service-learning initiatives, supporting partnership opportunities with more than 30 local organizations.

Some of the projects included National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week food collections and awareness activities; Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service painting and cleanup at the Greater Norristown Police Athletic League; an Alternative Spring Break trip to Michigan to work with Habitat for Humanity; and the College’s first ever Relay for Life, which raised more than $26,000 for the American Cancer Society and set the record for the most successful first-year community college Relay in the country.

Innovation of the Year Award

The College’s 2012 Innovation of the Year Award was presented to the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (CES) in collaboration with the Woman-Owned Business (WOB) Program.

Each year, the College recognizes one outstanding program or project as its Innovation of the Year award recipient. Criteria include quality, efficiency, cost effectiveness, replication, creativity and timeliness.

Officially opened in August 2010, the CES plays an active role in economic development by creating leadership, innovation, inspiration and enrichment for the greater community through a full range of business services for entrepreneurs at every stage of business growth.

The Woman-Owned Business program, launched in 2005, seeded the early thinking about the need for the CES to support the local development of entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and in all industry sectors. The WOB program is still going strong and now includes an on-going support group, the Montgomery County Woman-Owned Business Network.

Campus Shuttle Reaches 10,000 Passenger Mark

Only 18 months after its premiere, the College’s Campus Shuttle reached the milestone of transporting 10,000 passengers between the two campuses.

On Feb. 13, College representatives surprised Alysa Murray of Pottstown—the 10,000th passenger—with a tray of baked goods, five CulinArt meal cards, and a blanket when she arrived at Central Campus early in the morning.

The Campus Shuttle program was launched to support the College’s Student Success and Sustainability initiatives. Free of charge to students, faculty and staff, the Shuttle makes 10 trips daily, Monday through Friday, starting and ending at the West Campus in Pottstown. To meet increasing student demand, the College recently expanded to a 20-passenger vehicle, equipped with Wi-Fi.

The Shuttle program is managed by the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association in coordination with TransNet Suburban Transit Network, Inc.

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Alysa Murray (center) is greeted by (from left) Director of College Services George Shal, Vice President of Information Technology and College Services Dr. Celeste Schwartz, Vice President of Enrollment Management Dr. Kathrine Swanson, and Executive Assistant to the President Joshua Schwartz.

Photo by Alana J. Mauger '97