SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, March 12, TPP/ANA/MCAA Panel. Registration opens on Monday, February 23^rd, with title & panel details.

The 4^th Annual SPARK! Student Career Awareness Fair at the USMSM SMART Building.

Thursday, February 26^th, 2026, | 8 am – 1:30 pm The Charles County Spark! Fair, at North Point High School, 2500 Davis Rd, Waldorf, MD 20603. a TPP-Charles County Public Schools collaboration

SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, March 26, 8 am-1 pm- SoMD Forum: Growing Our Own Workforce- Help identify next steps to cultivate and retain local talent for Southern Maryland. Join us at USMSM SMART Building for a morning of information and action! Continental breakfast and lunch provided. FREE. Registration opens February 16th

2026 Functional Areas of Business Summer Workshop offered by NAWCAD for rising high school juniors, seniors, and 2026 high school graduates. June 22 to June 25. Application window February 2 to 27^th, 2026

St. Mary’s County Library needs literacy volunteers to use the Story Champs curriculum to work with small groups of children on reading comprehension in an after-school program.

· Commit to six months of leading small group tutoring sessions with the provided curriculum (January to June 2026)

Your commitment would include one weekday per week, 3 – 5:30p.m. Grade levels will range from kindergarten to 8th grade. For questions or additional information, contact Amy Ford, Branch Manager of Lexington Park Library at 301-863-8188 or aford@stmalib.org.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM), The National Public Honors College. https://www.smcm.edu/

The general SMCM Events link. The Community Hub website lists events and opportunities of interest to the public.

March 24, 2026| 10:00 am-1:00 pm- St. Mary's College of Maryland's Spring 2026 Career & Internship Fair - This event is a fantastic opportunity to hire interns, graduating seniors, and current students, as well as to inspire students exploring your industry by showcasing the incredible work you do. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: SMCM SPRING 2026 CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIR

NEWS: CSM hosted a virtual program last month for federal employees and military veterans to explore opportunities and local resources available to help begin a career in the private sector.

More than 70 residents from across the region registered for ‘Private Sector Pivot,’ organized by CSM and local partnerships. Together, they offered a comprehensive guide of resources to help workers move into new professional fields. Ellen Flower-Fields, VP of Continuing Education and Workforce Education at CSM, told attendees at the event that they recognize many people in the region are experiencing a career transition or are looking to make one.

Applications may be submitted now through April 15 via e-mail at ndtahq@ndtahq.com for our four academic scholarship programs for members and their children:

NDTA offers all scholarship winners a unique opportunity to join our Industry Connect Program (ICP). The ICP links interested students with an industry mentor to help them bridge to the future. More information found here.
To learn about scholarship qualification details and how to apply, go to www.ndtahq.com/foundation/, call us at 703-751-5011 or send us an email at ndtahq@ndtahq.com. Read student testimonials from previous scholarship recipients to learn about the impact it has had on their studies and their career paths.

Tactical Missile Innovation Challenge -The US military needs tactical missiles that are affordable, scalable, adaptable, and operationally relevant.

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) have announced the first-ever Tactical Missile Innovation Challenge — a $200,000 prize competition for industry to rethink tactical missile capabilities and how they can be rapidly developed and acquired.
“The Tactical Missile Innovation Challenge addresses not only technical requirements but accelerates the speed for how critical capabilities get to the fleet,” said Kaitie Penry, NPS Director, Emerging Tech & Innovation. "As threats evolve faster than traditional development timelines, we need new ways to rapidly design, test, and transition concepts to capabilities.”
This challenge focuses on innovative development methodologies and executable plans, not a completed missile design or hardware prototype.
The winning team will receive $200,000, and an opportunity to partner with NPS experts for continued development and further collaboration for proposed approaches that could underpin a future all-up-round concept that is affordable, adaptable and scalable, and operationally relevant will be prioritized.
Who should apply? Open to for-profit U.S. businesses, with priority given to teams with a credible path to production. Academic institutions, FFRDCs, and UARCs may also participate.
What’s next?
• (register here)
• Phase I Submissions Due: Feb. 26, 2026
• Finalist Pitches: March 25-26, 2026
• Winner Announced: By April 3, 2026
Learn more and access the full challenge details via the submission portal.

Flight Simulators open Tuesday to Sunday, 12-4 pm, and 10-4 pm on Saturdays. The museum is seeking adults (18+) to supervise the simulators on weekends. Email dan.dickey@paxmuseum.org for more information!

Greenwell Foundation is seeking Nature Volunteers to provide support for PreK to 1st grade environmental education field trips, guided hikes and kayaking programs, tabling at outreach events, and more! Learn more and apply here.

COSMIC Symphony is delighted to present “Symphonic Journeys,” a musical voyage that will take you through the works of Lalo, Rachmaninoff, and Dvořák! This concert will feature COSMIC’s 2025 Young Artist Competition winners Henry Horst, piano (senior division) and Elizabeth Tober, violin (junior division).

February, 21, 2026 | 3:00 PM at Huntingtown High School -4125 North Solomons Island Rd. Huntingtown, MD 20639- FREE CONCERT
February, 22, 2026 | 3:00 PM at Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center St. Mary’s College of Maryland- FREE CONCERT

Historic Sotterley - Information & to register for events here:

https://www.sotterley.org/events/

Docents and Visitor Center Assistants Needed!

Volunteer form: https://sotterley.org/?ff_landing=6

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and we're taking a closer look at an incredibly accomplished scientist in Sotterley's history: Dr. Mabel Satterlee Ingalls. Learn with us about her long career as a bacteriologist and the beliefs that sent her to the global medical stage. Read more here:

https://sotterley.org/bridging-science-and-humanity-dr-mabel-satterlee-ingalls/

March 26, 2026 |7:30 pm - 9:00 pm- David Brown unfolds the story of this largely unknown patriot. George Plater was born and raised at Sotterley Plantation and is counted among the earliest of Maryland's St. Mary's College of Maryland Daugherty-Palmer Commons. Registration is recommended: https://www.stmaryshistory.org/content.aspx?page_id=4092&club_id=706426&item_id=2802220

Historic St. Mary’s City (HSMC) - Events here: https://www.hsmcdigshistory.org/events/.

Email: hsmcc.groups@maryland.gov; 301-994-4371 / 301-994-4372

St. Mary’s County Library Newsletter sign-up: 

https://www.stmalib.org/newsletter-sign-up/

Please see their customer survey results here: https://paxpartnership.org/st-marys-county-library-customer-satisfaction-survey-results/

Planning a Conference or meeting? St Mary’s County is a prime location with venues to fit small, medium and large events. Partner with organizations to highlight local lodging options and 'things to do' for conference attendees. Check out the Visit St. Mary’s website for planning resources: Visit St. Mary's MD. For the latest tourism and hospitality news, grant opportunities and event updates, join the Visit St. Mary's MD mailing list: Click here

St. Mary’s County Recreation & Parks is launching a new online registration platform! CivicPlus provides improved access to activities, classes, leagues, memberships, and facility reservations with seamless online registration and secure payment processing. Create a household account here: https://secure.rec1.com/MD/st-marys-county-md/catalog

· Summer Camps, Sports Camps and Sports Academies will be here before you know it! Stay tuned for The Scoop — R&P's official summer camp catalog guide — coming in February. Info here: https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/Recreate/Camps/

For text alerts: https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/Recreate/RPText/

St. Mary’s County Museum Division - Please visit:

https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/recreate/Museums/

Free admission for the Military!

NOTE! Clement’s Island Museum is closed for reconstruction.

Announcing extended Fall Water Taxi Service to St. Clement’s Island & Winter Operations for All Locations.

Please continue to drop off much-needed food supplies to St. Mary's Caring Soup Kitchen, 20331 Point Lookout Road, Great Mills, MD 20634. Drop-off Monday-Saturday between 8:30 am and 1:00 pm Rear door call: 301-863-5700. Community needs are at an all-time high over winter! § Chunky Soup §Hot Chocolate Packets § Ketchup Bottles § Olive Oil § Vienna Sausages § Peanut Butter § Instant Oatmeal Packets § Parmesan Cheese § Canned Tuna and chicken § Canola Oil (48 oz) § Chicken, Beef and Vegetable Broth § Chili seasoning packets § Canned soups § Crackers (Saltines, Ritz, etc...) § Graham Crackers § Juices - 64oz bottles § Mayonnaise (30oz) § Microwave Popcorn § Pepperoni § Shredded Cheddar/Mexican Cheese § String Cheese § Chili seasoning packets § Hamburger and tuna Helper § Cheese slices § Lunch meats. Or send a check if it’s easier to P.O. Box 144, Lexington Park, MD 20653-0144 –Thank you for caring.