An ELL Collaboration between Moraine Park and Fond du Lac School District

Written by Amy Jacobson, ELL Instructor on Moraine Park’s FDL Campus

This spring, Amy Jacobson, a Moraine Park ELL Instructor, enjoyed a beautiful cultural celebration at her student’s daughter’s quinceañera. While there, she connected with the daughter’s K-12 English Language Learner (ELL) teacher. As the two instructors watched their students celebrate together, they recognized an opportunity for collaboration.

In June, staff from Moraine Park Technical College and the Fond du Lac School District began meeting regularly to identify needs that could be met by working together. The goal was set to build collaborative partnerships between Moraine Park and the Fond du Lac School District ELL programs to provide education and support to our growing population of English language learners in the community.

One of the needs initially defined by the Fond du Lac School District was to increase parent involvement at the K-12 level. ELL families in the district were surveyed, and an ELL class for parents of K-12 students was developed. The content of the class would include the English vocabulary needed to better understand the school experience and increase participation in school events—such as open houses, parent conferences, etc.   

Based on the survey results, the class is being offered at Chegwin Elementary School in Fond du Lac on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 – 3:00 pm. The class is open to all MPTC ELL students, though the content is most useful for K-12 parents. The class will run from September through December. 

The next steps for the collaborative group include defining additional goals, including the expansion of this program into additional schools and school districts within the Moraine Park Technical College District. 

For more information, visit morainepark.edu/academics/ged-and-adult-education/english-language-learners/.