We increasingly read about today’s newest technologies (Artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, virtual reality, autonomous vehicles). But living in Wisconsin, we often ask the following questions:

• What are these technologies?

• Isn’t this technology 5 years away?

• Aren’t the companies and industries using this technology just in New York, Chicago, or Silicon Valley?

• How can I get skills in Northeast Wisconsin to be involved with these technologies?

Oliver Buechse, co-Founder and Executive Director of Advancing AI Wisconsin, will present at Moraine Park Technical College on Tuesday, April 30th at 4:00pm.

Campus Location: 235 N National Avenue, Fond du Lac, WI. The event will be held in room A109 (Cafeteria). Get Campus and Visitor Information here.

Register for this free event at the NEW IT Alliance Events page. Refreshments will be provided.

On March 28, Fond du Lac and Tri- County Boys and Girls Club teens in grades 5-11 were excited to meet and learn with Moraine Park Criminal Justice students!

Tri-County Boys and Girls Club Teen Futures Coordinator Carrie Govek said, “Our teens were given this great opportunity to participate in an interactive presentation done by the Criminal Justice students and their instructors at Moraine Park. They learned about criminal justice careers and professionalism.  They even got to try handcuffs, fingerprinting, and searching for contraband in a jail cell! What a fun learning experience for all those who participated!  A big thank you to the Moraine Park Criminal Justice students and their Instructors Joan Barfield and Jeff Gruss for providing our teens with a chance to learn about this important career.”

The Dream Big project started last year with Boys and Girls Club of Fond du Lac teens learning more about the over 100 careers available through MPTC.  This year, Dream Big is expanding throughout the MPTC district to include Boys and Girls Club of the Tri-County Area (Berlin, Green Lake County) and Boys and Girls Club of Washington County (West Bend).  This is a great community partnership opportunity for Moraine Park students to showcase their careers and practice service learning  and for Boys and Girls Club members to get excited about career choices!

2019 HIGH SCHOOL ART CONTEST
Enter by April 20, 2019

High School artists are invited to submit digital images of their work in the following categories:

1. Painting
2. Drawing
3. Digital Photography (minimal photo editing allowed-adjustments of color or conversion to grayscale that do not alter content are permitted.)
4. Digital Photo Creation and Illustration
5. Sculpture
6. Illustration-traditional medium
7. Publication Design (Including newsletters, invitations, and event posters)
8. T-shirt Design

All art must be submitted in electronic format as JPEG files no more than 4×7 at 200 PPI with a file size not to exceed 5 megabytes. All art must be submitted by APRIL 20, 2019 via email to: artsubmission@morainepark.edu
The following information must be provided for your submission to be considered:

• Student Name
• Student Contact Information (email) Student Grade
• High School Attending
• Title of Art
• Category

Limit of two entries per person, per category.

Prizes are:

• 1st place: MPTC apparel and gift certificate ($50)
• 2nd place: MPTC apparel and gift certificate ($25)
• 3rd place: MPTC apparel

Winners will be selected by a panel of Art/Design professionals and the winning entries will be featured online and in a digital art show at the Moraine Park Portfolio Showcase on May 15, 2019.

For more information please contact artsubmission@morainepark.edu .

Congratulations to Moraine Park students and staff on a huge accomplishment!

As of today, a total of 4,000 community impact hours have been logged by Moraine Park students and employees. This amounts to approximately $97,000 in economic impact throughout the MPTC District and surrounding areas. Needless to say, Moraine Park is giving back, in big ways!

For more information on service learning, or how you can become involved, visit morainepark.edu/service-learning.

Getting engaged in their community, all while having fun, was what some Moraine Park employees recently did, as they took part in the 2019 FDL Literacy Services Team Trivia fundraising event.

Melissa Koppenhaver, Erika Lloyd, Kristine Buchanan and Sarah Nett, aka the Moraine Park Quad Squad, earned a strong 3^rd place overall finish. The Quad Squad answered questions ranging from movies, sports, Wisconsin trivia, history, and more. What put the team over the edge was answering the bonus question:  Which Impressionist painter’s grandson was an academy-award nominated film director? The answer:  Pierre Auguste Renoir.  A big “Woot! Woot!” on getting that one correct!

“We had so much fun supporting FDL Literacy and MPTC,” said Lloyd, who brought along a little extra team support with a stuffed Maximus mascot.

MPTC’s Basic Ed area also took part in the fun. The Moraine Park Trivia Crushers team was made up of Kathy Mueller, Deb Schuh, Jamie Russell and Pete Snyder.

Moraine Park Technical College and Marian University student veteran organizations will hold their third annual 22 No More ruck march/walk for veterans on Saturday, April 20. This event is intended to raise awareness of the 20-22 suicides committed by veterans every day and form a strong community around those who have served or currently serving. The event begins at 9:00 a.m. with registration in the B parking lot of MPTC’s Fond du Lac campus, located off Campus Drive across from the VUE housing, followed by a 2.2 mile walk around the Fond du Lac Soccer Complex at 10 a.m. The walk ends with an opportunity to meet with area veteran resource providers, National Guard, and ROTC service members and enjoy a free lunch provided by the student veteran groups of both college.

A backpack is not required to participate, but everyone who attends is encouraged to honor a service member by carrying a photo of them during the walk. The first 100 individuals who register and take part in the event will receive a free water bottle or small nylon backpack while supplies last and “22 No More” t-shirts from last year’s event will be available for a small donation.

The event is free, but donations are encouraged, with proceeds going to support the Student Veteran Organizations of both colleges and Salute the Troops. To pre-register, please click here and for more information on the 22 No More ruck march/walk please contact Steve Pepper, Student Veteran Specialist for Moraine Park Technical College at 920-924-3489 or Maranda Abitz, Coordinator of Veteran Services at Marian University, at 920-923-8641.

Moraine Park Technical College is holding its 14th Annual Toolin’ It!, a Nuts, Bolts, & Thingamajigs manufacturing summer camp at the West Bend campus June 10-14.

Registration is open and underway for middle and high school students ages 13-16. This high-tech, hands-on experience provides an introduction to 21st-century manufacturing technology. Participants have the chance to learn about computer-aided design, computer-controlled manufacturing operations, basic electrical systems, machining, welding and fabrication, and so much more. Students will also experience the start-to-finish satisfaction of designing and manufacturing a product and using high-tech machinery under the close supervision of expert manufacturing trainers.

The registration fee is $100 and includes all materials, lunches and field trips. Space is limited. Register today by visiting www.morainepark.edu/toolin-it, or by contacting Cindy Wolf at (262) 306-5321 or email at cwolf@morainepark.edu.

Toolin’ It! is part of a national manufacturing summer camp program designed and sponsored by Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association.

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

I’ve been working in Culinary Arts at MPTC since 2014 as an Instructional Aide. In my position I order food and supplies for the students and the department, in general. From the very beginning I have been considering our ‘single use’ containers; so many were going out the door as we sold our Culinary Creations or when Community Classes took their food home!

I kept thinking:

• Are the containers safe to microwave? We know people are going home and reheating the food in that plastic container.
• Are the containers being disposed of properly?  We actually had complaints that our labeled containers were blowing around someone’s yard! 
• Are the containers reusable, compostable, recyclable?

Since 2006, MPTC has been composting food scraps; first in the MPTC Garden and currently, an area chicken farmer picks up the scraps to feed his brood.

In 2015 MPTC earned the designation (and distinction) of becoming the first Fair Trade Technical College in America thanks, in large part, to the work and determination of Anne Lemke, MPTC Experiential Learning Coordinator.

I was inspired to work toward a Diversity Certificate by Anne’s commitment and all of the Fair Trade Principles, in particular the 10^th Fair Trade Principle of Respecting the Environment, incorporating our disposable containers.

All of these thoughts churned in my brain so finally I made the move! I said to the instructors, “We’re going to make a change in our packaging.” I started ordering paper (recyclable and compostable) take-out containers instead of the plastic, hinged containers.  I ordered paper bags to carry items home versus the plastic “Thank You” bags that are not compostable. I verified that the plastic containers that we use are microwave oven safe.

Along the way I’ve realized a willingness by staff and the public to get on board with the changes. In addition, there’s been a cost savings to the department. We have seen a 15% drop in the money spent on these items. The money saved goes toward needed supplies for our students and instructors and all because of the Fair Trade Principle of Respecting the Environment!

This past March Anne attended a Fair Trade Conference in Chicago and shared her favorite quote from the Conference. It’s important to share and the quote imparts how I feel about the changes in the Culinary Department: “…at the heart of Fair Trade is the dignity of all people. How are we living our values? How are we showing up? …Be curious. Find out. Do something.”

I hope that we all consider, share, and show up when it comes to choices as they affect our environment. We don’t have to start a movement but we can all take and learn little bits of information to participate in respecting each other and our world.

Please take a look at the websites that provide area recycling programs and Fair Trade information.

World Fair Trade Organization
One Plastic Bag, Earth Day Facts
Fond du Lac Extension Area Recycling
Waste Management Recycling Services

Come to our displays at each campus cafeteria between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Beaver Dam – April 8, West Bend – April 15 and Fond du Lac – April 22nd – EARTH DAY! Be Inspired!

morainepark.edu

From March 1-3, Moraine Park Fair Trade College Experiential Learning Coordinator, Anne Lemke,  and Moraine Park Communications Manager, Judy Urben, together with Kathy Strong Langolf and Gil Castaneda from UW Fond du Lac Fair Trade University Team, and Julia Cartwright from Just Fare Market  and FDL Fair Trade Town had the privilege to attend the 2019 Fair Trade Campaigns National Conference in Chicago

The energy, the passion, the experiences, and learning together with over 450 students and staff from across the U.S. was truly inspiring!  We are so proud to be a Fair Trade College and part of the team leading these change agent efforts and helping improve lives!  Click here to see all the conference photos.

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