Summer Staff Professional Development | Montgomery College, Maryland

New Tracks, More Learning, Bigger Impact!

Get Ready to Level Up Your Skills This Summer!

This year, we’re redefining professional development with brand-new learning tracks designed to help you build essential workplace skills, explore cutting-edge technology, and strengthen your leadership abilities. Whether you want to deep dive into a specialized area or broaden your expertise across multiple topics, we’ve got you covered!

What’s New for 2025?

Five-Themed Tracks – Choose from carefully curated learning tracks designed to target high-impact workplace skills:

Soft Skills & Workplace Effectiveness – Master adaptability, communication, collaboration, and more.
Accessibility & Inclusive Workplace Practices – Learn how to make your workplace and materials more inclusive.
AI & Technology in the Workplace – Discover how AI can streamline work while ensuring ethical and responsible use.
Practical Applications & Productivity Tools – Boost efficiency with smart strategies and digital tools.
Leadership & Career Development – Gain the skills to lead from any role and advance your career.

How to Earn Your Summer Staff PD Days Certificate

Track-Specific Certificate – Complete three out of five sessions in a single track and earn a specialized certificate in that area. Perfect for those looking to build expertise in a key professional skill.

Career & Skills Enrichment Certificate – Prefer to mix it up? Take one session from each of the five tracks and earn the Workplace Excellence Certificate, recognizing your commitment to being a well-rounded, forward-thinking professional!

Why Join?

Expert-Led Sessions – Learn from experienced facilitators and industry professionals.
Hands-On, Practical Learning – Walk away with real-world skills you can apply immediately.
Networking Opportunities – Connect with colleagues across the College and expand your professional circle.
Flexibility & Choice – Choose the sessions that fit your interests and schedule.

Ready to Learn, Grow, and Lead? Mark your calendar and join us for Summer Staff PD Days 2025!

Soft Skills & Workplace Effectiveness

Agility in the Workplace: Thriving in Times of Change
Effective Listening Skills: Becoming a Better Communicator
Building Workplace Relationships: Collaboration & Teamwork
Mastering Work-Life Balance: Strategies for Managing Stress & Burnout
Navigating Difficult Conversations with Confidence

Accessibility & Inclusive Workplace Practices

Making Emails & Reports Accessible for All Readers
Accessible Social Media & Marketing: Best Practices for Inclusion
Closed Captioning, Transcripts & Other Multimedia Accessibility Tools
Disability Inclusion & Workplace Accommodations: What Every Employee Should Know
Creating Inclusive Hybrid & Remote Work Environments

AI & Technology in the Workplace

AI for Productivity: Tools to Streamline Your Daily Work
Introduction to ChatGPT, Bard & Other AI Assistants for Workplace Tasks
Digital Literacy in the AI Era: Keeping Up with Emerging Technologies
Smart Automation: How to Use AI to Reduce Repetitive Tasks
AI & Ethics: Navigating Bias, Privacy & Transparency in AI Usage

Practical Applications & Productivity Tools

Email & Calendar Management: Inbox Zero & Smart Scheduling Tips
Mastering OneNote for Better Organization
PowerPoint Like a Pro: Creating Engaging & Accessible Presentations
Intro to Data Visualization: Making Sense of Workplace Data
Task Management Tools (Trello, Asana, ClickUp): Choosing the Best Fit for You

Leadership & Career Development

From Individual Contributor to Leader: Transitioning with Confidence
Coaching & Mentorship: Helping Others Grow While Advancing Your Own Career
Building Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership
The Art of Giving & Receiving Feedback in the Workplace

Schedule & Registration

Please see the list of classes, dates and times below and follow the links to register!

Soft Skills & Workplace Effectiveness

Agility in the Workplace: Thriving in Times of Change
Dates: June 17, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 21, 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Facilitator: Dr. Tracey Smith Bryant

In today’s fast-paced work environment, adaptability is key. This session explores strategies for staying flexible, embracing change, and building resilience to thrive in uncertain situations.

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Effective Listening Skills: Becoming a Better Communicator
Dates: June 23, 11:00 a.m.-Noon | July 21, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Phil Bonner

Active listening is a critical skill that enhances communication and strengthens relationships. This interactive session will help participants refine their listening abilities to improve workplace collaboration and effectiveness.

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Building Workplace Relationships: Collaboration & Teamwork
Dates: June 25, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 31, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Dr. Christine Crefton

Strong teams don’t just happen—they’re built. In this fast-paced, interactive session, you’ll learn how to create stronger, more trusting relationships at work. We’ll explore how intentional collaboration and trust-building can enhance productivity, spark innovation, and create a more supportive work environment. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to strengthen team dynamics and foster a culture of mutual respect and shared success. Whether you work with a large team or just want to improve daily interactions, this session offers simple, actionable strategies you can use right away.

Mastering Work-Life Balance: Strategies for Managing Stress & Burnout
Dates: June 25, 9:45-10:45 a.m. | July 31, 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Facilitator: Megan Cooperman

Balancing professional and personal responsibilities is essential for well-being. This session explores effective techniques for managing stress, setting boundaries, and prioritizing self-care.

Navigating Difficult Conversations with Confidence
Dates: June 25, 11:00 a.m.-Noon | July 31, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Billy Struemke

Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of the workplace. This session provides tools to approach these discussions with confidence, professionalism, and emotional intelligence.

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Accessibility & Inclusive Workplace Practices

Creating Accessible Documents
Dates: June 3, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | July 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Megan Calvert

In this hands-on workshop, we will walk through basic steps to ensure documents are accessible and inclusive for all. Focusing on Microsoft Word, participants will learn to format documents using accessibility best practices, such as headings, alt text, meaningful links and proper contrast. We’ll also learn common pitfalls to avoid and use Word’s Accessibility Checker to identify and resolve issues. You will also learn to convert a Word document to a PDF and ensure that the accessibility features are properly preserved.

Accessible Social Media & Marketing: Best Practices for Inclusion
Dates: June 3, 11:00 a.m-12:00 p.m.| July 7, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Stephanie Krasnoff

Digital communication should be accessible to everyone. This session explores how to create inclusive social media and marketing content that aligns with accessibility standard

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Closed Captioning, Transcripts & Other Multimedia Accessibility Tools
Dates: June 3, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 7, 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Facilitator: Gloria Barron

Want to make sure all your students can engage with your videos and lectures, whether they're watching in a busy environment, using assistive technology, or just need a little extra support?

In this practical, hands-on session, you’ll learn simple ways to make your multimedia content more accessible and inclusive using tools you already have, like Zoom, YouTube, and Microsoft Teams or Stream. We’ll show you how to add captions, create transcripts, and follow a few easy best practices that can make a big difference for students. No technical background needed; just bring your curiosity and your questions!

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Disability Inclusion & Workplace Accommodations: What Every Employee Should Know
Dates: June 5, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | July 9, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Kristen Roe and Rowena D’Souza

Fostering an inclusive work environment benefits everyone. This session provides an overview of disability inclusion, legal requirements, and best practices for workplace accommodations.

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AI & Technology in the Workplace

Using AI to Assist with Workplace Tasks
Dates: June 5, 11:00 a.m.-Noon | July 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m
Facilitator: Dr. Angela Lanier

AI tools such as chat assistants are transforming how we work. In this workshop, we will explore a few AI examples and consider the different ways these tools can support workplace tasks.

Digital Literacy in the AI Era: Keeping Up with Emerging Technologies
Dates: June 5, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 9, 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Facilitator: Abi Sogunro and Grace Gu

Digital literacy is important for every person in the modern world. Anyone who uses a computer or searches online needs the skills covered in this workshop. This workshop will uncover the fundamentals of what digital literacy is, navigate a framework to better understand your digital information needs, and work through scenarios to apply digital literacy skills.

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Smart Automation: How to Use AI to Reduce Repetitive Tasks
Dates: June 9, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | July 15, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Evelyn Cordova

Automating routine tasks can save time, reduce workload, and enhance efficiency. Discover AI and automation tools that streamline workflows, enhance communication, and eliminate repetitive tasks – all without needing advanced tech skills. This beginner-friendly session will show you how simple, practical tools can boost productivity and help you work smarter with ease and confidence

AI & Ethics: Navigating Bias, Privacy & Transparency in AI Usage
Dates: June 9, 11:00-Noon | July 15, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Dr. Paul Miller

Ethical AI use is critical for fairness and transparency. This session covers AI bias, privacy concerns, and responsible usage guidelines.

Practical Applications & Productivity Tools

Email & Calendar Management: Inbox Zero & Smart Scheduling Tips
Dates: June 9, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 15, 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Facilitator: Fariha Alam

Managing emails and schedules efficiently can improve productivity. This session provides strategies for decluttering inboxes and optimizing calendar management.

Microsoft OneNote Essentials
Dates: June 11, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | July 17, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Megan Calvert

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook designed for capturing, organizing, and sharing information. Whether you’re taking lecture notes, planning a project, or brainstorming ideas, OneNote offers a flexible workspace that mimics a paper notebook without many of the limitations.

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll follow along step by step as we explore how to create structured notebooks, take and search handwritten, typed or audio notes, add content from the web, and collaborate with others in real time. Through guided exercises, you will practice setting up a notebook, adding different types of content, and working collaboratively.

Introduction to Adobe Cloud
Dates: June 11, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 17, 11:00 a..m.-Noon
Facilitator: Megan Calvert

Adobe Creative Cloud is a collection of college-sponsored software applications and services that anyone at MC can use to create visual content. The software is used for graphic design, video editing, web development, and photography. This introductory workshop will provide a high-level introduction to the range of tools available in Adobe Creative Cloud.

The workshop will be conducted via Zoom. To fully participate, it is best to join from a device with two screens or from two side-by-side devices so that you can follow the instructor’s demonstrations. See the Microsoft Essentials website new windowfor more details on technology requirements.

Smart Visuals: Making Data Speak with Excel and PowerPoint
Dates: June 23, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 29, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Arlene Blaylock

Data visualization helps make complex information easier to understand. This session demonstrates different Excel and PowerPoint tools and techniques for effective data presentation.

Collaborate and Brainstorm with Microsoft Whiteboard
Dates: June 16, 2:00-3:00 p.m. | July 22, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Nghi Nguyen

Microsoft Whiteboard is a versatile collaboration tool designed to enhance teamwork, brainstorming, and project planning. Available to all MC employees, it offers a digital canvas similar to Padlet and the discontinued Google Jamboard. This workshop will introduce you to Whiteboard’s key features and demonstrate how to integrate it with Microsoft 365 applications like Teams. Learn how to streamline idea-sharing, improve collaboration, and boost productivity within your unit. This session is ideal for employees looking to enhance team meetings and explore visually engaging ways to organize and present ideas.

Leadership & Career Development

From Individual Contributor to Leader: Transitioning with Confidence
Dates: June 17, 11:00 a.m.-Noon| July 29, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Elysse Meredith

Moving from an individual contributor role to leadership requires new skills, mindset shifts, and the ability to inspire others. This session will help participants prepare for leadership responsibilities and navigate the transition successfully.

Coaching & Mentorship: Helping Others Grow While Advancing Your Own Career
Dates: June 17, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | July 21, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Vincent Briley

Want to support your colleagues and boost your career? This virtual will show you how. We'll explore coaching and mentoring basics, learn the easy-to-use GROW model, and learn how to build relationships that benefit everyone. You'll walk away with practical tips to help you and your team "Lift as you climb".

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Building Emotional Intelligence for Effective Leadership
Dates: June 16, 11:00 a.m.-Noon | July 22, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Facilitator: Shawn Sanders

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a critical leadership skill that enhances communication, teamwork, and decision-making. This session explores how to develop self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal effectiveness to become a more impactful leader.

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The Art of Giving & Receiving Feedback in the Workplace
Dates: June 16, 9:30-10:30 a.m. | July 22, 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Facilitator: Richard Forrest

Constructive feedback is essential for professional growth, yet it can be challenging to give and receive. This session provides a framework for delivering feedback with clarity and receiving it with openness to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Special Events

Learning to See

Please join us for a 2-day immersive art class that is designed to demystify art/drawing and explore how those concepts can be applied to leadership. There will be hands-on activities but there will also be articulate visual demonstrations to better explain the concepts to the participants. No artist skills required. All supplies will be provided. The goal of this class is to begin to learn to see like an artist and then applying those lessons to learnership.

Dates: June 23, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. | June 25, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Location: Rockville Campus, Arts building

Contact

If you have questions, please reach out to Richard Forrest.

Updated 5/6/2025