Montgomery College announced on Apr. 17 that its MC Votes initiative has received the Highly Established Action Plan Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for the 2026 election cycle, an honor given to only 129 colleges and universities nationwide.
The recognition highlights Montgomery College’s efforts to promote nonpartisan civic engagement, encourage student voter participation, and foster a culture of civic responsibility among students. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge awards this seal to institutions with robust, data-driven action plans that advance civic learning and political engagement.
“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. Ficca also said, “Our goal is to ensure students see civic engagement as both accessible and essential. This recognition reflects a shared commitment across the College to preparing students to contribute meaningfully to their communities.”
The MC Votes initiative is supported by Montgomery College’s Office of Community Engagement. As part of the ALL IN Challenge, participating institutions develop comprehensive democratic engagement action plans every two years that include strategies such as expanding voter registration and education efforts tailored to their campus populations.
To receive the Highly Established Action Plan Seal, colleges must demonstrate institutional commitment; engage broad leadership teams; implement multiple voter registration initiatives; set short- and long-term goals; use data like participation in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE); and share results transparently with their communities.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is an initiative of Civic Nation working with higher education institutions across the country. The challenge remains strictly nonpartisan: it does not support or oppose political candidates or parties but instead focuses on strengthening democratic participation through neutral and inclusive efforts.
