County Partnership Opens IgnITe Hub for Innovation and Technology at MC

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice, Montgomery College President Jermaine F. Williams, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Interim Superintendent Monifa B. McKnight, and representatives from Apple Inc. were joined by MCPS students, business leaders, and community members to celebrate the grand opening of the ignITe Hub on Saturday, May 14.

The brand-new facility located on Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus provides a physical and virtual space where students, lifelong learners, faculty, local business owners, and community members can grow their technology and coding skills, learn to create apps, collaborate to solve problems, and create or improve existing products and services. The ignITe Hub was made possible through a partnership with Montgomery County government, Montgomery College, MCPS, the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), and Apple.  

The new space features learning pods, state-of-the-art Apple technology, and instructional classes on technology skills such as app coding and design. The hub space and its programming will equip community members with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the 21st century. 

The ignITe Hub is an extension of the Montgomery Can Code program, formed in 2019 by Montgomery College, MCPS, and MCEDC with Apple to offer local middle school students an enriching and educational summer camp experience to learn computer coding. The grand opening event featured a tour of the new space and live coding demonstrations by MCPS middle and high school students, who showcased apps they developed through the Montgomery Can Code program.

“Serving the needs of business start-ups as well as residents seeking in-demand skills and good jobs, the ignITe Hub will extend the work of Montgomery Can Code to the entire county,” Dr. Williams said. “The College is proud to be a workforce anchor and catalyst for innovation in our community.” 

“This grand opening would not have been possible without a shared vision for a more technologically advanced workforce,” said Councilmember Rice, one of the leaders in bringing the county partnership together. “The Hub welcomes all county residents who seek to advance their career and educational aspirations.”