A New Year’s Resolution

This was the image on Instagram that caught my eye:

For some reason it put me in mind of a certain lovable character from Disney/Pixar. I stopped my scrolling to see what it was all about.

I have to admit I was surprised to see it was on the Howard Community College account.

What’s it like being a engineering student at HCC? Well, last semester, engineering students participated in a semester-long project with projects ranging from campus game-room screen protectors, accessible drone piloting systems, to open-source COVID-19 pulmonary respirators. It all came together in December for Engineering Project Night. Take a look!

Here’s the link to the short video of the event:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZKTrbUFBwL/?utm_medium=copy_link

It’s pretty darned cool. There’s nothing in my background that’s even remotely engineering-related, but, after watching this video, I wished I could take that class. The projects are fascinating, the students knowledgable, and their engagement and enthusiasm is obvious.

As an early childhood educator I’ve always been a big fan of project based learning. So many topics benefit from taking a hands on, student directed approach. So many learners do better that way. You don’t have to be a preschooler to appreciate that building something yourself is superior to taking notes in a lecture.

Here’s a YouTube video about another Engineering Projects Night:

Engineering Projects Night, 2019

https://youtu.be/owmzi2eysxg

If this kind of stuff fascinates you, take a look at this one, too:

HCC students are building a Formula One style vehicle (April, 2021)

https://youtu.be/-wRgpX_153c

Why did this surprise me? Probably because my perception of what HCC does is either far too vague or far too narrow. I knew it was a great place to get pre-requisites out of the way before transferring to a four year institution. I knew they had professional certificate programs for things like computer science, culinary/hospitality, and early childhood/childcare. All of that is true but clearly that only scratches the surface.

How can community college be this up-to-date (dare I say “cutting edge”?) and this much fun? I feel pretty foolish. I mean, I’ve come to have a very high opinion of HCC over the years, but I haven’t exactly gone very deep in my understanding.

Anyway, if you knew all this, bear with me. I’m going to get to work becoming better informed about a place I guess I’ve been taking for granted. Finally! A New Year’s resolution I think I can keep: learn more about HCC.

If you are interested in learning more about engineering programs at HCC, click here. To learn more about HCC overall, visit their website, follow them on Facebook, Twitter @HowardCC, and Instagram @howardcommcollege. And TikTok - - who knew?

Now I want to go back to college.

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog