Since 2012, the College has partnered with the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg by offering assessments, college coursework, counseling, and classes in digital literacy and building trades.
Through a pilot program started in 2015, the College began offering classes to give inmates the opportunity to earn a certificate of proficiency in information technology. Several students will be completing their coursework during the spring 2016 semester.
The courses that compose the IT certificate are the first credit-bearing courses to be offered through the Bridge to College program. They are setting the stage for an extended inventory of courses and programs.
In 2014, former Attorney General Eric Holder and current Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, toured the Clarksburg facility to learn about this unique partnership between the College and the correctional facility. Inmates use custom-designed electronic tablets to complement coursework provided in face-to-face settings.
As a result of this collaboration, MC’s president, Dr. DeRionne Pollard was the recipient of a White House Champion of Change award in 2014.
The College is currently assessing the program, and plans for an expansion to reach additional potential students at the correctional facility are in the works.