Greater Harford Committee: Harford County's Advocate

Education

A strong and diverse educational infrastructure is essential to the continued economic growth of Harford County. The Greater Harford Committee is actively engaged in advocating for expanding access to educational opportunities at all levels for Harford Countians.A strong and diverse educational infrastructure is essential to the continued economic growth of Harford County. The Greater Harford Committee is actively engaged in advocating for expanding access to educational opportunities at all levels for Harford Countians.

The Greater Harford Committee takes a three-pronged approach to its education advocacy – expanded university-level training, enhanced K-12 STEM Education, and improved technology access.

Expanded University-level Education

There are three projects endorsed by the Greater Harford Committee that would directly expand access to university-level education. First the “2+2” initiative at Harford Community College (HCC) would allow students to earn a four-year degree at an accredited university without leaving the county, completing the first two years at HCC and the second two at a facility adjacent to HCC. Here is a link to the facility description: http://www.harford.edu/projects/towson%20center.asp. Second, the Greater Harford Committee supports the expansion of the Higher Education And Training (HEAT) Center in Aberdeen with the expansion of facilities and the addition of more programs. For more information about the HEAT Center, please visit the Higher Education & Conference Center @HEAT. Third, the Greater Harford Committee supports the development of a university research park in Harford County. This would provide the county much-needed science and technology research capabilities and facilities to support its growing technical economy. An article in the Baltimore Sun describes this project.

Enhanced STEM programs in grades K-12

In K-12 education, the Greater Harford Committee supported enhanced STEM education through its participation in a STEM Education Advisory Board that provides the system information and projections related to the STEM workforce in the region. GHC also coordinates with other organizations in the region in support of increasing the number of “STEM ready” students in the region. For more information on regional STEM initiatives, please visit www.nemdstem.org or www.hcps.org.

Connect the Schools Through Technology

Harford County needs improved bandwidth for public and private sector organizations, particularly schools. Currently, the County’s internet infrastructure requires improvement in order to support a 21st Century economy. Greater Harford Committee is actively engaged in this issue.