Martha E. Church Center for Community & Civic Engagement

The Martha E. Church Center for Civic Engagement was established in the fall as part of Hood’s 125th anniversary celebration. Located just minutes from campus in the ROOT building at 118 N. Market St., the center serves as the face of the College in Downtown Frederick.

Facilitating connections with government, businesses, nonprofits and other community organizations, the Martha Church Center supports community-based learning to serve the public good of the Frederick community and provide enriching educational opportunities for Hood students. The center will provide opportunities for Hood students, alumni, and affiliates to participate in internships, volunteer opportunities, and civic outreach.

The center is part of ROOT Frederick, a group of innovative leadership organizations dedicated to meeting the current and future needs of businesses and residents of the area. These partner organizations include the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc., the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and other education and economic development partners.

“Through the work of this center, we will better meet the educational and workforce needs of our community, expand internship and research opportunities for our students, and increase our civic and service participation,” said President Andrea E. Chapdelaine. “All institutions of higher education must be a force of hope, opportunity, obligation and democracy. Hood has been this for 125 years, and we are excited to do even more in the next 125 years.”

To date, the center has hosted Hood faculty, student organizations including Rotaract, community groups such as Community Living and the Frederick Children’s Chorus, educational entities including the Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic, and the Frederick County Commission for Women’s SheLEADS program.

The Martha Church Center was made possible by an endowed fund that had been established by the Board of Trustees of Farmers and Mechanics Bank in Martha Church’s name upon her retirement.

Church was Hood’s first woman president and seventh overall president, serving from 1975 to 1995. She was recognized as one of the 100 most effective college and university presidents in the nation. She had been a college professor and dean, as well as an administrator of a higher education accrediting association, before coming to Hood.