On Friday, Nov. 10, CCBC hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a major renovation to the CCBC Essex Wellness and Athletics Center. CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis was joined by Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr., Baltimore County Council Chair Julian Jones and other local and State elected officials.
The newly renovated Wellness and Athletics Center houses programs in the Schools of Wellness, Education, Behavioral and Social Science, Arts and Communication, and Continuing Education and Economic Development. Renovations to this 50-year-old facility began in the summer of 2022, constructing a 7,500-square-foot addition for a new fitness center and renovating approximately 6,500 square feet on the existing mezzanine level to create two large dance studios with changing space, faculty offices and a restroom. Approximately 7,000 square feet on the main level was also reconfigured to better support the needs of the Athletic program.
The $16.8M project, which was funded by the state of Maryland and Baltimore County government, provides a state-of-the-art facility for CCBC dance students, a vastly improved and expanded fitness center for the entire campus community as well as reorganized and efficient training and equipment storage spaces that support educational, recreational and competitive athletics programs.
Immediately following the ribbon-cutting, President Kurtinitis joined renowned choreographer and CCBC alum Peter Pucci for the naming of the dance studios located on the upper level of the Wellness and Athletics Center. The dance studios were named after Carole Drake Cascio, founding CCBC Dance program director and department chairperson. Pucci, who also serves as executive director of the Carole Cascio Fund for Mind Movement Dance Connections, recently presented the college with a donation to establish a scholarship in Cascio’s honor.
Cascio inspired hundreds of dancers, and to her credit, CCBC’s Dance program now offers nationally accredited degrees in dance. In 2018, the CCBC Dance program was officially recognized and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance. CCBC is one of only three community colleges in the country to have earned this distinction.
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, nearly 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction, and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2023 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.