Charles County briefs

Digital gift cards available now

Charles County’s digital gift card program, “With Love From Charles,” launched on May 6 to kick off Charles County’s 2024 Business Appreciation Week.

Co-organized by the county’s economic development and the recreation, parks and tourism departments, “With Love From Charles” allows consumers to support participating local businesses using just one gift card. Once purchased, the gift cards will be emailed for immediate access. The digital gift card acts like a physical card, making it user-friendly for both consumers and businesses. Gift cards will only be redeemable at participating Charles County businesses.

To purchase a digital gift card or for more information, go to https://app.yiftee.com/gift-card/charles-county--md.

System seeks feedback on school name

In February 2024, representatives of the Charles County Branch of the NAACP asked the Charles school board to review the name of several schools named for individuals who owned enslaved people, including General Smallwood Middle School. The school system will host two meetings to hear from stakeholders in the Smallwood and feeder school communities. The meetings are open to the public.

An in-person meeting is set for 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, May 20, at Smallwood Middle, located at 4990 Indian Head Highway in Indian Head. RSVPs by May 17 are required, as food will be provided. A virtual meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. To join the meeting, attendees must have a Zoom account.

For registration and Zoom links, go to www.ccboe.com/about/public-info-media/press-releases.

Following the meetings, attendees will be asked to take a brief survey. The presentation and survey will be posted to the Smallwood website May 24. Additional feedback sessions have been coordinated specifically for Smallwood students and staff members. A summary of feedback will be shared with the Board at its June 11 meeting. For more, contact Sylvia Royster at sroyster@ccboe.com.

Fatherhood program available

The Charles County Department of Social Services, with the support of A Father’s Place, Prince George’s County, offers fatherhood program virtual cohort sessions for eligible fathers, expectant fathers, and male role models who live in Charles County. Instructors will assist fathers, expectant fathers and male role models with developing long-lasting relationships with their children, communicating better with the mother of their children and employment support services and other supportive services. Complete a referral form at https://forms.gle/eDuktEnzangLT1zP9/. For more, email ccdss@afppgc.org or call or text 240-391-8892.

Apply now for Maryland Corps/Service Year Option

Applications are open for the Maryland Corps and the Service Year Option Program, two options for public service for those 18 and older. The programs were launched last year when the state’s newly created Department of Service and Civic Innovation piloted the service pathway to education and career opportunities for community members who either recently completed high school or are looking for a career change.

Members, who must be 18 or older, are required to serve full-time at a sponsoring organization and participate in targeted professional development. The program requires a minimum 40 hours per week time commitment between the service at the host site partner and the required professional development.

Participants in the program will be matched with a partner organization that will provide job training, mentorship and other resources. Additionally, participants will earn at least $15 an hour and receive weekly focused professional development.

Recent graduates can apply online at https://serving.md.gov/auth/signup?role=CANDIDATE by Sept. 11. To learn more, go to dsci.maryland.gov.

Special education parent survey opened

Parents and guardians of children who receive special education services in Maryland recently received a copy of the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey in the mail from the Maryland State Department of Education. By completing the survey, parents and guardians can share how their children’s school can better partner with them.

The feedback helps guide efforts to improve special education and related services in school systems around Maryland. The hard copy of the survey should be returned in the postage-paid envelope to MSDE by May 24. The survey can also be completed online at www.mdparentsurvey.com.

Questions can be directed to the MSDE help desk at 800-287-1581 or mdparentsurvey@icfi.com.

School system updates volunteer process

Charles County Public Schools updated its volunteer processes to establish a network of community members interested in supporting schools. The new Community Volunteer Program provides an opportunity for community members who are not the parent/guardian of an enrolled Charles student to volunteer their time in supporting schools.

Community members interested in volunteering with the Charles public school system can visit www.ccboe.com/parents/volunteer-information to complete an interest form. All volunteers are required to complete a prescreening questionnaire, online training and required background check. For more information, contact Sylvia Royster, director of community engagement and equity, at sroyster@ccboe.com.

VanGo moves to tracking app

Charles County government recently announced that VanGO replaced its current app with TripShot. The app features a suite of tools including live bus tracking, real-time schedule updates and custom notifications. The app also features trip planning and other capabilities. TripShot is available on smartphones, as well as on the computer.

To access online, visit www.go-Vango.com, select your desired routes and choose a stop nearest you to view estimated time of arrival.

To access the app on your smartphone, search “TripShot” on your app store, and download it for free. Once downloaded, Type “VanGo” in the system selection tab. From the main screen you can plan your trip, view nearby stops, and add specific routes to your favorites tab. You can also set up custom notifications for your route from the trip planner screen.

Call 301-645-0642 for more information.

County accepting land preservation applications

The Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management is accepting applications from county landowners to participate in Maryland’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program and Rural Legacy Program. Completed applications must be filed with the department by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 24.

The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation and the Rural Legacy Program are designed to preserve farm and forest lands and other valuable natural resources by purchasing conservation easements from willing landowners. To learn more, visit www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/government/planning-and-growth-management/preservation-and-long-range-planning/agricultural-and-land-preservation.

Sheriff’s office implements program for records requests

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office recently announced the implementation of the NextRequest application, a solution designed to enhance and expedite the process of obtaining police records and Maryland’s Public Information Act requests. All requests for police records and PIAs can be done by accessing the NextRequest Portal on the agency’s website at www.ccso.us or directly at ccso-md.nextrequest.com.