Howard Community College Awarded $550K for Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurship

https://howardcommunitycollege.substack.com/p/howard-community-college-awarded-dea

Publish Date: 2026-02-19 20:45:00

Source Domain: howardcommunitycollege.substack.com

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Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. Howard Community College (HCC) has been selected for two state grant awards that position the college as a regional leader in innovation, entrepreneurship, and cybersecurity workforce development. The awards — from TEDCO’s inaugural Baltimore Innovation Initiative (BII) and the Moore-Miller Administration’s Cyber Maryland Program — underscore HCC’s expanding role as an engine of economic mobility and technology access in Howard County and Central Maryland.HCC is the only community college among 13 institutions selected for TEDCO’s BII Pilot Program, receiving $50,000 through the Center for Entrepreneurial and Business Excellence (CEBE) to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also named HCC one of three statewide awardees for the Cyber Maryland Program’s new Cyber and AI Clinic initiative, awarding $500,000 to expand a successful cyber clinic model HCC developed in partnership with Cyber Ready Clinic to Frederick Community College and Carroll Community College — that delivers low-cost or free cybersecurity services to nonprofits across the state.“These two awards affirm what our students and faculty demonstrate every day — that community colleges are engines of entrepreneurship, economic mobility, and community transformation,” said HCC President Daria J. Willis. “We are proud to be among Maryland’s leading colleges and universities in collaboration with respected cybersecurity organizations in building prosperity through innovation.”The TEDCO BII grant supports CEBE’s initiative, “Building an Ecosystem for Innovation, Training & Community Impact,” led by Co-Director Helen Rose. The Center offers degree and certificate programs, business coaching, and signature events, including the annual Rocket Pitch Entrepreneurial Celebration. HCC joins Johns Hopkins University and Loyola University Maryland in sharing $647,000 in total BII funding.The Cyber Maryland Clinic award builds on HCC’s established track record in cybersecurity access, including a $200,000 NIST RAMPS grant awarded in 2024 to establish the original Howard County clinic. The tri-college coalition with Frederick and Carroll expands that model statewide, placing current and prospective cybersecurity professionals in supervised, hands-on training environments delivering real services to under-resourced community institutions in health, youth services, disability services, and workforce development. HCC’s clinic is expected to train at least 200 cyber professionals while protecting dozens of client organizations across the state.“This funding reflects how HCC is at the intersection of access, innovation, and workforce readiness — serving students, small businesses, and community organizations across the Baltimore-Washington corridor,” said Rose.