FCC Stories - Frederick Community College

Frederick Community College (FCC) is empowering students to make a tangible impact on their community through its Difference Makers initiative. Launched in fall 2024, the program encourages students to identify and address pressing community issues. The work from last semester shaped meaningful initiatives for 2025.

Students from four FCC classes tackled mental health challenges identified in Frederick Health’s 2022 Readiness Assessment. Their contributions included:

• SOCY 102H “Social Problems”- Developed a suicide prevention curriculum and applied for grant funding to share it with educators.
• COMM 105H “Group Communication”- Designed a communication plan to reduce stigma around mental health support.
• HONR 101 “Academic Engagement Seminar”- Focused on stress management during transitions into and out of community college, identifying coping mechanisms for students.
• SOCY 212 “Criminology”- Explored Frederick City’s initiative of embedding mental health professionals with police units.

These projects demonstrated how FCC students could address mental health needs- and help shape the future of their communities- while learning to collaborate across disciplines.

The Difference Makers initiative has evolved into actionable plans for spring and fall 2025:

• Stress Mitigation and Resilience Building- Inspired by HONR 101’s recommendations, FCC Counseling & Wellness Services has now introduced Mindful Mondays and is exploring a stress-management app for students. Data collection from social science classes is underway to evaluate these interventions.
• Suicide Prevention Module- SOCY 102H’s proposal for a suicide prevention module is moving forward. If funded, this module will include workshops, training sessions, and resource materials aimed at educating students and faculty about recognizing and addressing suicidal ideation. This work is slated for fall 2025.
• Conference Presentations- To amplify awareness, FCC students are presenting their mental health projects at regional conferences, including the AFACCT Conference and Northeast Regional Honors Council. These opportunities aim to spark broader discussions about mental health in higher education.

Through the Difference Makers initiative, FCC students are addressing critical mental health challenges while fostering awareness and resilience within their community. By turning classroom learning into actionable solutions, they are proving that they can shape a healthier future for Frederick County.