Moraine Park Technical College will be hosting its annual community event, Discover Moraine Park, to help attendees jump-start their education and career. High school students, displaced workers, and individuals looking for a career change are encouraged to attend.

Discover Moraine Park event is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Beaver Dam campus. Space is limited, and those interested in attending must pre-register at morainepark.edu/discover. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to explore different programs of study offered at the College and tour the campus, labs, and classrooms. Program instructors and staff will be available to explain program details, admissions requirements, and more.

The event is also designed to familiarize attendees with resources outside the classroom, including diversity relations, student life, veteran resources, tutoring, and counseling. One-on-one assistance from Financial Aid specialists will be available to help attendees submit their FAFSA. 

Face coverings are required for participation in the Discover Moraine Park event. As a reminder, Moraine Park requires face coverings on all of its campuses.

A virtual option is available on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. Registration is also required. 

For more information on Discover Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu/discover. 

The Moraine Park Foundation has received support from its community partner, Countryside Auto Group, with a $4,100 donation to the Countryside Auto Group Scholarship. Over the past two years, Countryside has donated more than $18,500 to help support the educational goals of Moraine Park students.

“We are grateful to Keith and Countryside Auto for their continued generosity toward Moraine Park students and for being a champion of education,” Dana Bourland, director of college advancement at Moraine Park, said. “Their gift will open the doors of opportunity for aspiring students who want a better life for themselves and their families.”

The Countryside Auto Group scholarship will benefit full-time students enrolled in either marketing or automotive programs at the College. 

“At Countryside, we strongly believe in serving our local community,” Keith Ghanian, president at Countryside said. “We are proud to support Moraine Park students and recognize the power of education to transform the lives of individuals, families and communities.”

Countryside Auto Group is a Chevrolet, Buick and GMC dealer located in Beaver Dam. Their strong community connections, family-like atmosphere, and excellent customer services are the core of their business. Each month, Countryside donates proceeds to a different local organization to drive awareness and provide funding for the organizations in the community who are making a difference.

For more information on the Moraine Park Foundation, visit morainepark.edu/foundation.

This morning, AT&T expierenced a failure which is currently affecting all high capacity telephone circutes- including incoming and outbound phone calls at MPTC.

AT&T crews are working to rectify the situation, and we will provide you with updates as we receive them.

Moraine Park Technical College has extended their limited campus accessibility restrictions until at least Jan. 4, 2021.

In early June, Moraine Park announced its five-phased Reopening Plan and has safely and successfully transitioned through each phase. The College is still expecting to enter phase five as planned, on Oct. 1, with this revision.

 “Currently, COVID-19-related illnesses and exposures remain low on our campuses,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president said. “While we all know this could change quickly, our leadership team is hopeful the safety measures implemented, as well as our students and staff’s continued accountability for personal health and hygiene, will help these efforts.” 

While the College will remain closed to the general public, this change will not affect MPTC classes, events and activities. As this date gets closer, college leaderships will reevaluate the opening date following the health department’s metrics and guidelines. 

For up to date COVID-19 information, including the College’s full reopening plan, visit morainepark.edu/coronavirus.

**GREAT NEWS! Moraine Park was given the all clear on Monday afternoon. All Tuesday classes will run as scheduled!**

Earlier today—Monday, Sept.14— a gas leak was discovered on Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus. The area impacted, which was the Fond du Lac campus E wing, was immediately evacuated, and the College is working with the Fond du Lac Fire Department as well as contractors to repair the leak and decrease gas levels.  

To ensure the safety of our students and employees, E wing-scheduled classes at the Fond du Lac campus are canceled for the remainder of Monday, Sept. 14. This includes evening classes. Employees were appropriately relocated for the remainder of the workday. At this time, it is unknown how long crews will need to remedy the situation. However, there is no risk to those in the area or other parts of the Moraine Park campus. Classes outside of the E wing will continue run as scheduled. If you are on campus, please do your best to navigate around the area.  

Students should expect further communication from their instructors regarding location changes to classes on Tuesday, Sept. 15. 

Thank you for your understanding. 

Moraine Park Technical College’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student chapter has received a 2019-2020 Merit Award from SHRM, a global professional Human Resources organization, for providing superior growth and development opportunities to its student members.

The SHRM student chapter merit award program encourages the development of more effective student chapters and distinguishes outstanding activities and projects. Chapters are recognized based on chapter operations and programming, as well as the professional development of members, support of the human resource profession, and SHRM engagement.

“Today’s members of our student chapters are the HR leaders of tomorrow. They are the movers and shakers of the future, and we cannot understate the vital role they play in SHRM’s success,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, SHRM president and CEO. “The Moraine Park student chapter is evidence that the future of HR is, indeed, in good hands. I applaud their accomplishments and ability to fiercely move forward during a time of such change and uncertainty in the workplace.”

SHRM student chapters have the opportunity to earn an award based on the number of activities they complete during the merit award cycle, the most recent one of which lasted from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020.

The Moraine Park 2019-20 SHRM chapter, co-lead by instructors Mary Vogl-Rauscher and Cynthia Collins, consists of 14 active members; Brent Fassbender of Fredonia, Edward Gbordzi of Fond du Lac, Jamie Haas of Beaver Dam, Hannah Hansen of Fond du Lac, Starla Hiemstra of Rosendale, Shannon Netland of Green Lake, Heather Petrin of West Bend, Alley Perez of Eldorado, Leah Pietrangelo of West Bend, Alicia Redman of Winneconne, Michael Redman of Oshkosh, Tieraney Swangstu of Fond du Lac, Barbara Turner of Beaver Dam, and Laine West of Allenton.

“I am proud of these student leaders and their many accomplishments,” Vogl-Rauscher said. “We revived the Moraine Park SHRM club in 2019 after it had been inactive for several years. Through this group, our students have access to many resources and even had the opportunity to attend a 3-day conference and learn about many different topics related to Human Resources. Overall, this organization helps students grow personally and professionally. I look forward to helping this chapter continue to develop and utilize the many benefits at hand.”

For more information, visit morainepark.edu.

Moraine Park Technical College is celebrating over 100 students who earned their General Education Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) certificate during the 2019-20 school year.

Like other celebrates at the College and around the district, this year’s ceremony had to be canceled, and while celebration details are still being finalized, the College’s Basic Education department is planning to celebrate when conditions allow.

“This is a big accomplishment, and for many, it’s a stepping stone to other educational opportunities,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “It’s important that our students feel supported and valued as they work to achieve their educational goals, and that they know we are here every step of the way.”

Students who earned their GED/HSED certificate for the 2019-20 year are Austing Albright of Pickett, David Almeda of West Bend, Idaliah Appel of Beaver Dam, Dominque Balistreri of Hartford, Steven Barlow of Carlisle, Jennifer Bateman of Jackson, Alexander Baum of Beaver Dam, Steven Beckman of Kewaskum, Nathan Bermudez of West Bend, De’Shawn Bolden-Washington of Manitowoc, Jantzen Bond of Milwaukee, Veronica Borja of Theresa, Kendall Bragg of Fond du Lac, Steven Bulawa of Cedarburg, James Carlisle of Oostburg, Aaryn Carlson of Fond du Lac, Victor Carr of Colgate, Amy Ciborosky of Randolph, Thomas Cooley of Waukesha, Alaura Copeland of Waupun, Zachariah Counsell of Juneau, Caiden Crumer-Barry of West Bend, Charmane Cruz of Beaver Dam, Erin Daley of West Bend, Ronald Dexter of Horicon, Austin Drozok of West Bend, Austin Droz of Columbus, Kristine Ellenbeck of Fond du Lac, Destinee Ellenbecker of North Fond du Lac, Brandon Ellis of Milwaukee, Michelyn Estrada of Beaver Dam, Erica Feuerhammer of Fox Lake, Nathan Gibbs of Reeseville, Jacob Gill of North Fond du Lac, Cameron Guerra of Beaver Dam, Joshua Hagenstein of Jacakson, Diana Haseltine of Milwaukee, John Hennessey of Beaver Dam, Keri Henrickson of Beaver Dam, Eva Herringa of Hartford, McKenzie Holtz of Green Bay, Lori Howe of West Bend, Alexandria Hubred of Columbus, Kylie Hurkmans of Hartford, Josheph Hutchings of Mayville, Clarissa Hynes of Columbus, Joshua Jacobs of Brandon, Kayleigh Javoroski of West Bend, Mason Karoses of Dundee, Dylan Kelsey of Hartford, Tracy Kienzle of Jackson, Justin Koconis of Hartford, Caitlin Krueger of Green Lake, Mariah Lacky of Fond du Lac, Whitley Laird of Campbellsport, Abraham Lange of Fond du Lac, Cassandra Leon of Lowell, Paige Lloyd of Omro, Richard Mantz III of Fond du Lac, Tamerik Marshall of Columbus, Branden Mayer of West Bend, Danairis Melendez of West Bend, Dakota Mickel of West Bend, Scott Mielke of Rosendale, Samantha Mills of Beaver Dam, Edward Mills of West Bend, Katrina Munro of Oakfield, Amber Murphy of Fond du Lac, Adolfo Narez Orozco of Cambria, Emma Navas of Fond du Lac, Kathryn Neibauer of Horicon, Jose Ortegon of Berlin, Miguel Perez of Fond du Lac, Dylan Pocius of Juneau, Daniel Pokrzywinski of Wauwatosa, Jerome Rahn of Mayville, Devin Ramirez of Beaver Dam, Kaleb Reardon of Clyman, Molly Reuter of West Bend, Nathan Rosbeck of West Bend, Seth Rose of West Bend, Fanny Salas of Fond du Lac, Ivan Salazar of Iron Ridge, Gloria Sandberg of Hartford, Danielle Schaeffer of West Bend, Michael Schallock of West Bend, Nicoli Scheuers of Princeton, Michael Scott of West Bend, Nicholas Serrato of Beaver Dam, Kimberly Sheffield of Beaver Dam, Brian Speake of Beaver Dam, Skylar Stamper-DeQuardo of Jackson, Adrianna Stromberg of West Bend, Cody Strong of Fond du Lac, Summer Stuker of Green Lake, Melissa Thiel of West Bend, Alex Tuveson of Fond du Lac, Lorena Vannocker of Fox Lake, Zoila Volkmann of West Bend, Samantha Warren of Theresa, Trent Webster of Kewaskum, Kayla Wetzel of West Bend, Aislynn Wiedmeyer of West Bend, Hunter Winter of Fall River, Nathan York of West Bend, Kaija Yule of Oshkosh, Alejandro Zamora of Fond du Lac, and Melanie Zander of Beaver Dam.

The GED/HSED students had to pass all four subject portions of the nationally recognized GED tests to receive their diploma. They also had to meet requirements in employability, digital literacy, health, and civics. Moraine Park’s GED/HSED instruction is available year-round and is one of the many services at the College that is offered for free to the community. For more information about Moraine Park’s GED/HSED classes, visit morainepark.edu/GED.

Moraine Park Technical College awarded its first business and industry partnership awards, recognizing valued partners of 2019. The College’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) team has implemented five separate partnership awards to be presented each fiscal year; Excellence in Partnership, Employer of the Year, Innovation, New Partner of the Year, and Workforce Development Champion.

The Excellence in Partnership award is given to an organization involved in several areas of the college including advisory committees, Foundation donations, TechConnect, EWD contracts, and boot camp internships. The 2019 award recipient is Mayville Engineering Co. (MEC). As a longtime partner, MEC has supported its employees serving on Moraine Park advisory committees; welding fabrication, IT applications developer, and mechanical design technology. Their generous contributions to the Promise program were vital in meeting fundraising goals, ultimately helping fund tuition for students who otherwise couldn’t afford it. MEC has been utilizing TechConnect and partnering with EWD both in contracted services and as a boot camp internship site for several years. All of these reasons, and more, earned them the inaugural Excellence in Partnership award.  The College presented the award to MEC representatives Alex Crimmings, Charles Francis, and Kevin Smith, during a small, private gathering.

The Employer of the Year award is given to an employer who has made a significant investment in their staff through a partnership with Moraine Park Technical College. The 2019 award recipient is Mercury Marine, for being a valued and consistent partner with Moraine Park. Mercury Marine has partnered with the College to launch the following development programs: Basic Shop Math, CNC Machining Fundamentals, CNC Machining Level 2, Core Skills, Forklift Train the Trainer, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Inspire Supervisor Series, Intro to Engine Fundamentals, Nims Review, and Dealer Training. The College presented the award virtually to Andres Gonzalez, vice president of human resources at Mercury Marine.

The Innovation Award is given to an organization that implemented an innovative solution to a workforce challenge. The 2019 award recipient is Bike Friendly West Bend, for their work and collaboration that surrounded the implementation of bike racks around the city of West Bend. The racks were created by students in the mechanical design and welding programs at Moraine Park. As a result of this project, the students gained valuable real-life experience and earned service learning hours.  As well, the City of West Bend was positively impacted and can move forward in their bike-friendly efforts. The College recognized Bike Friendly West Bend and representatives Andrew Schumacher and Jeff Puetz with a virtual recognition. 

The New Partner of the Year award is given to an organization that supports Moraine Park through contributions, sponsorships, or involvement for the first time. The 2019 award recipient is Envision Greater Fond du Lac for their collaboration and engagement in the development and delivery of the new Leading Through People and Processes (LPP) program. Envision began working with Moraine Park in the winter of 2018 to create an innovative approach to leadership development within the Fond du Lac community. Their existing program had been in direct competition with the College’s offerings, and the goal was to show the community the value of collaboration and partnership while creating a new best practice opportunity. The Leading Through People and Processes (LPP) program, launched in summer 2019, was the first training program developed and delivered collaboratively with Moraine Park. The College presented the award to Envision Fond du Lac representatives Holly Brenner, Allen Buechel, James Cleveland, Sadie Parafiniuk, and Paul Reetz at a small, private gathering.

The Workforce Development Champion award is given to an individual focused on improving the skills and retention of personnel in the region and has positively impacted workforce issues around recruitment, training, and career development. The 2019 award recipient is Harley Lemkuil from Specialty Cheese. Specialty Cheese Inc. first partnered with Moraine Park, as a boot camp internship site, in 2019. Since then, under the leadership of Lemkuil, they have created additional partnerships with the College including machining onsite training and participation in the EWD’s podcast. Lemkuil is always looking for ways to help provide resources to improve the lives of employees including a rideshare program, training in Spanish and English, and child care services. Additionally, Lemkuil is exploring having onsite English Language Learner (ELL) classes. The College recognized Harley in a virtual setting.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

*In person photos were taken prior to the statewide mandate.*

Moraine Park Technical College is one of five Wisconsin Technical College System colleges to receive a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its Student Support Services (SSS) program.

The SSS program, also known as EDGE at Moraine Park, seeks to help students who are low-income, first-generation to college and/or have a learning disability, with a purpose to help students meet their goals and graduate from college. The EDGE program offers many services to help students stay on track, including academic advising, financial aid, and scholarship resources, cultural events, skills development, and tutoring. All services are provided to eligible students at no cost. This is the third consecutive grant received for Moraine Park’s EDGE program. 

Since the program began in 2010, it has served over 430 students. Currently, the program serves 140 active students at the College and has proven to be a gateway to success for eligible students.

“First-generation to college, low income, and disabled students face unique challenges to completing college degrees, and SSS TRIO programs like EDGE help students overcome those obstacles to be successful,” Kristina Buchanan, director of EDGE at Moraine Park, said. “I am honored to be able to help our students each year – their stories of courageous persistence and success in the face of incredible odds is inspiring.”

In the 2018-19 academic year, EDGE students achieved a 94% persistence rate, 91% good academic standing rate, 54% degree completion rate, and 20% of students transferred on to higher education opportunities after earning their degree.

“When I first joined EDGE, I had no idea how amazing this program would be,” Jessica Reinke, Moraine Park student, said. “College is hard, but EDGE has made my college experience more attainable, achievable, and less worrisome. I’m going to school for nursing and have many classes to study for. I wish everyone could have and know the value of this program that MPTC offers. It is truly amazing.”

For more information on the Edge program, visit morainepark.edu/trio.