East County Education Center
"The East County Education Center will be a portal for access and an anchor that enriches
the life of the community." Read Dr. Williams full remarks (PDF, 
) from the November 2, 2022 ECEC launch event.
This center will bring the College’s unique services and academic programs to the residents of the East County to expand access in this region and to serve as an anchor institution in the community.
FAQs
Why is the College opening an Education Center in the East County?
Many decision-makers have long thought that MC could serve as an anchor institution
in the East County. County Executive Elrich asked the College to pursue the idea
in earnest. Together with the members of the County Council, they provided the funds
to complete a feasibility study (PDF, ) . This center will bring the College’s unique services and academic programs to the
residents of the East County to expand access in this region and to serve as an anchor
institution in the community.
Where will the East County Education Center be located?
The address of the East County Education Center (ECEC) is 2221 Broadbirch Drive, Silver Spring, 20904.
How was the location chosen?
The College reviewed the real estate market in the East County through the lens of specifications, including size of the space, its availability for leasing, ample parking, proximity to public transportation, and nearby amenities. The site is served by public transportation with a Ride On stop at its front entrance and is approximately one third of a mile from a BRT stop on Route MD-29. It is near ample community serving restaurants and retail, close to Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center, FDA, the planned Viva White Oak with related amenities, and existing and planned multi-family communities, and convenient to many public resources.
How big is the facility?
Our preliminary plans include 11 classrooms and 7 labs as well as a Community Engagement Center; a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center; and student services, such as Raptor Central (a one-stop shop for admissions, enrollment, and visitor services), and more. The size of the space is over 55,000 square feet.
How can students and community members get to the center?
The location can be accessed via a Ride On bus, Route 10, which stops directly in front of the building. The Flash Orange line stops nearby as well. Driving to the center is an option with convenient onsite parking.
What classes will be offered at the center?
The College will offer both credit and noncredit classes at the ECEC in fields of interest to residents as we learned when conducting a feasibility study in 2020-2021—as well as targeting skill gaps in key industry sectors such as healthcare (nursing) and IT. These include small business/entrepreneurship, cybersecurity/IT, allied health, early childhood education, English for speakers of other languages, career starter series, and general education.
How many students do we expect?
We project 1,000 enrollments in the first year with growth after that.
Is the Center a full campus?
The ECEC will be the largest of the College’s three centers, the others being in Wheaton and Gaithersburg. The ECEC is nearly four times larger than the Gaithersburg site and will feature a broad array of classes and services. The Center is the first step in MC’s expansion into East County. The College is committed to developing a full campus in the East County.
Can this Center location be expanded to include a full-service campus?
The College will consider all possibilities for a new campus location in East County. The College currently has three campuses and two centers. When it opens, the East County center will be the largest of the College's centers. However, it is expected that the College will need a larger footprint to launch a campus than is available at this site. In addition, a new campus location must take into account proximity to existing campuses.
Proposed ECEC Program Offerings
KEY: C= Credit, NC= Noncredit, ICP=Industry Certification Preparation
- Allied Health (NC, ICP)
- Career Starter Series (NC, some ICP)
- Criminal Justice (C, NC, ICP)
- Culinary (C, NC, ICP)
- Customized Contract Training for Local Business/Government/Nonprofits (NC, ICP)
- Cybersecurity /IT (C, NC, ICP)
- Early Childhood Education (C, NC, ICP)
- ESOL/ESL (C, NC)
- General Education Distribution Courses (top 20 courses except lab sciences) (C)
- Industry Certification Preparation Courses (C, NC)
- Lifelong Learning (NC)
- Maryland Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (MiBEST) (NC, ICP)
- Small Business/Entrepreneurship (C, NC, ICP)
- Workforce Development and Continuing Education Offerings (NC, ICP)