Human Rights Commission

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is an 11-member group of volunteers, appointed by the Mayor and Council, that is charged with minimizing the effects of conflict and promoting an appreciation of diversity within the city. To meet these goals, the HRC provides a variety of services and educational and cultural programs that promote global thinking, encourage civic awareness, and/or reflect the rich diversity found in the city. Some of these services and programs include voter registration and education, community outreach, the Diversity & Inclusion Initiative, the Student Ambassador Program, the Multimedia Scholarship Competition, and community celebrations such as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration and Rockville Pride. The HRC also advises the Mayor and Council on human rights issues that may affect residents.

To promote diversity and to improve human relations, it is important for the HRC to know and understand the issues that the city’s various communities face. To that end, the HRC engages in community outreach activities throughout the city and invites residents to attend its monthly meetings. To encourage community involvement, the HRC also invites residents to participate in its programs and to apply for commissioner positions as vacancies occur.

Multimedia Scholarship Competition

The Human Rights Commission's annual Multimedia Scholarship Competition is an opportunity for students who live in and/or attend high school in Rockville to compete for scholarships by responding to one of several prompts focused on human rights.

Students may choose their desired medium, e.g., an essay, poem, song, painting, etc., through which to respond to the prompts. Submissions will be judged by a panel of HRC members, a community leader and a high school faculty member. Judging will be based on creativity, work quality and relevance.
First-, second- and third-place winners will be announced at a Mayor and Council meeting and will be awarded up to $2,500 in scholarships.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 29.

To enter, please complete and submit the following required documents:

A completed Multimedia Scholarship Competition cover sheet.

Download Cover Sheet

A signed copy of the Multimedia Scholarship Competition Guidelines and Official Rules and Participation Agreement.

Download Official Rules and Participation Agreement