Learning Continues Outside the Classroom

By Diane Van Dyke

Through their programs and professors, Montgomery County Community College students have opportunities to enjoy learning beyond the classroom where they can use their skills and network with others in their fields.

Education Conference

Several of our Early Childhood Education students, including Kimberly Lesher, Diego Taylor, Ariel Gareria-Medina, Belrina Vadaris, Chelsea Weinert and Jacquie Weaver, along with Assistant Professor Elizabeth Latanzi, attended a professional education development conference on Saturday, Jan. 20, at our Central Campus at Blue Bell.

The conference, “Educating the Heart 6th Annual Social Emotional Conference” opened with keynote speaker Barb O’Neill, Ed.D., the founder of Transform Challenging Behavior, who discussed transforming challenging behavior in the classroom. The conference provided resources, tools and strategies for meeting the social and emotional needs of every child in the classroom.

Hatfield Township Fire & Ice Festival – Cook-Off

Our Culinary Arts Institute student Chris Ferrigno, along with Chef Ben Vozzo, participated in Hatfield Township’s “Chilly” and Soup Cook-Off as part of its annual Fire & Ice Festival on Jan. 20. Ferrigno placed second in the contest with his Smoked Chili recipe. All proceeds from the event helped to support the Hatfield Aquatic Center.

Participating in community competitions helps our students use their recipe development and cooking skills outside the school’s kitchens and gain invaluable feedback.

PennApps Hackathon

Several of our IT students, including Dennis Trate, Sebastian Hollabaugh and Melirni An, attended PennApps hackathon held at the University of Pennsylvania during Jan. 19-20. During the weekend-long event, teams of four people spent the weekend working on innovative software and hardware solutions to real-world problems. The projects included web development, mobile applications and drones, among others. Students also had the opportunity to learn new skills and network with others in the IT field.