Montgomery College’s MC Votes Initiative Earns National Recognition for Civic Engagement

Montgomery College’s MC Votes initiative has earned the Highly Established Action Plan Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for the 2026 election cycle—an honor awarded to just 129 colleges and universities nationwide.

The seal recognizes higher education institutions with robust, data-driven action plans that advance nonpartisan civic engagement by promoting civic learning, political engagement, and student voter participation. Through MC Votes new window, Montgomery College continues to build a culture of civic responsibility—preparing students to be informed voters, engaged community members, and thoughtful leaders.

“This recognition reflects the intentional, collegewide effort to ensure our students are prepared not only for academic and career success, but for active participation in a democratic society,” said Dillon Ficca, Community Engagement manager at Montgomery College.

The MC Votes initiative is supported by Montgomery College’s Office of Community Engagement, which helps lead the College’s efforts to expand civic participation and community-connected learning.

“Our goal is to ensure students see civic engagement as both accessible and essential,” Ficca continued. “This recognition reflects a shared commitment across the College to preparing students to contribute meaningfully to their communities.”

As part of the Challenge, participating institutions develop and implement comprehensive democratic engagement action plans every two years. Montgomery College’s plan demonstrates a strong understanding of its student population and campus climate, and outlines coordinated strategies to expand voter registration, education, and turnout efforts.

Criteria for receiving the Highly Established Action Plan Seal include:

• Demonstrating institutional commitment that is visible and widely communicated
• Engaging a broad leadership team representing academic affairs, student affairs, students, and community stakeholders
• Implementing multiple voter registration, education, and turnout initiatives
• Establishing both short- and long-term goals for civic engagement
• Using data, including participation in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), to inform strategies and measure impact
• Sharing action plans and results transparently with the campus community and the public

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, an initiative of Civic Nation, new window works with colleges and universities nationwide to institutionalize democratic engagement and make voter participation a defining feature of campus life.

Montgomery College’s participation in ALL IN reflects its ongoing commitment to increasing student voting rates, fostering informed civic participation, and embedding democratic engagement into the student experience. These efforts directly support the College’s Transformational Aspirations, including its focus on student completion and post-completion success.

The Challenge is strictly nonpartisan and does not support or oppose political candidates or parties. All participating institutions commit to ensuring that civic engagement efforts remain neutral, inclusive, and focused on strengthening democratic participation.