The Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s (MCDOT) Ride On buses are helping a local nonprofit expand opportunities for underrepresented students by providing reliable access to its life sciences career training program.
Learning Undefeated’s Emerging Leaders program provides advanced scientific coursework, hands-on lab experience, and career counseling to high school and college students interested in science careers. The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s High-Impact Grants program has provided Learning Undefeated with more than $250,000 in grant funding since 2021.
With a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, workforce training, and support for underserved communities, Learning Undefeated has been a valuable partner in the County’s mission to grow its life sciences industry, support equitable growth, and expand its workforce.
“For too many students, especially those from lower-income families, the biggest barrier to education and career training is access,” said County Executive Elrich. “Fare-free Ride On service and strong transit connections mean students can get to labs, classrooms, and job sites without worrying about cost or logistics. If we want to grow our life sciences economy and build a strong local workforce, we have to make sure young people can actually reach the opportunities we’re creating. This is a practical step toward equity, mobility, and a more inclusive future for Montgomery County.”
In June 2025, the County eliminated fare payments for all riders on its Ride On bus system. Students ages five-18 in Montgomery County can also ride Metrobus and Metrorail for free with a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card. The cards are provided free of cost at County libraries and many public-school main offices.
Because many students enrolled in the program do not have a private vehicle, Learning Undefeated prioritized access to public transportation.
“We want to reach students who may not have reliable transportation,” said Alejandro Cardemil, chief development officer at Learning Undefeated. “Many participants rely exclusively on public transit to get to the program, while others use it as a secondary option. We plan around transit schedules and design our programming to be accessible by public transportation, ensuring these opportunities are available to everyone.”
The program has been a lifeline to opportunity for more than 200 Montgomery County students who have participated in Learning Undefeated’s Emerging Leaders program since 2021.
The County’s Ride On bus service offers students a reliable transportation option to the research laboratory facilities at the Montgomery College Rockville campus, where they received hands-on technical training, as well as to employers in the biotechnology industry, which hosted student mentoring and networking events.
The program works closely with AstraZeneca and Regenexbio, both of which are located in the heart of the Life Sciences Corridor and served by the Great Seneca Transit Network (GSTN) Ride On extRa buses’ Pink and Lime bus routes.
Grace Chi, a sophomore in Global Ecology Magnet Program at Poolesville High School, relied on Ride On bus service as a member of the 2025 Emerging Leaders program.
“I used Ride On every day to go to the lab facility at Montgomery College,” said Chi. “My mom uses the car to get to her job during the day, and I needed another mode of transport. I took two buses, the 56 Lakeforest, and then I transferred to the 55 Rockville, and that bus took me to Montgomery College in Rockville. The timing, it might sound like a while, but it was convenient because the buses come so frequently.”
For Chi, the local bus routes offered access to Emerging Leader’s networking and mentorship opportunities with employers in the County’s growing life sciences sector.
“When we had events at Regenex, I was able to take the bus, and there was a stop directly in front of the facility,” said Chi. “I found the bus very convenient, and it helped me out a lot that it was free.”
GSTN launched in 2024, offering access with frequent buses to the more than 9,000 private sector life sciences jobs and to the Universities at Shady Grove, and Adventist Medical Park. The GSTN currently operates two express bus routes, the “Pink” and “Lime” with signal priority, access to Metrorail and some portions of dedicated bus lanes.
“By eliminating bus fare, building out our transit network, and implementing bus lanes, we are offering more and better access to vital services,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “Projects such as the GSTN extRa routes offer fast, frequent, express bus service to our County’s science, education, and research facilities. By offering these critical links, we are able to connect students to the education and employment opportunities they need to embark on their STEM careers.”
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