In celebration of Fair trade Month and Global Climate Change Week, a community wide Empowering the Conversation event will be held in the Moraine Park Technical Fair Trade College Fond du Lac Campus Commons on October 29. A Global Market will be open starting at 11 am throughout the day and evening. At 5:00 pm displays by area environmental groups and sales by Fair Trade businesses as well as Fair Trade refreshments prepared by the MPTC culinary arts students will begin.

At 6:00 pm, Miranda Paul will be the featured speaker with ” “Think Globally, Act Locally: Two Stories, Two Heroes, Many Ways to Help,”
Miranda has been a teacher in Gambia as well as the owner of a Fair Trade store in Green Bay. Her presentation will focus on two of her books, “One Plastic Bag” and “I am Farmer.”   One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia tells the inspiring story of five women who creatively dealt with their village’s plastic trash problem. Despite limited resources and ridicule, Isatou and her friends persevered for more than a decade, eventually realizing economic empowerment through their recycled plastic purse project. 

I am Farmer, written in collaboration with Baptiste Paul, is the true story of how environmentalist Farmer Tantoh is transforming the landscape in his home country of Cameroon. When Tantoh Nforba was a child, his fellow students mocked him for his interest in gardening. Today he’s an environmental hero, and bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to the central African nation of Cameroon.

Several of Miranda’s books will be available for sale and autographs.  Displays and the Fair Trade sale will be open until 8:00 pm.

From September 12 – 23, 2019, Moraine Park hosted 14 students and 2 instructors from the Peter Behrens Schule in Darmstadt, Germany.

This was a wonderful cultural opportunity for German and Wisconsin students, staff and volunteers to learn and have fun together! German students were hosted by MPTC families or stayed at the VUE Campus apartments. The students and instructors experienced a whirlwind of WI culture including Lambeau Field Tour, Lake Winnebago Tour, Just Fare Market, Harley Museum, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Bucks, WI Badgers, farmers markets, WI Dells, Trek Bike races, Culvers, Friday fish fries, WI supper clubs and more! Students also attended MPTC classes related to their fields of study at both Fond du Lac and West Bend Campuses.

A big thank you to our Culinary Instructor James Simmers for hosting this awesome opportunity, and all of our volunteers, Rachel Tease, Eric Ludwig, Heidi Sternig, Kevin Rodriquez, David Mulder, Kevin Niedfeldt, Jill Stiemsma, Bobbi Fields, Tina Cordell, Lisa Dougherty, Jim Daniels, Melissa Schmidt and Chris Frederick; and also to Tinesha Smith at the VUE for helping make this a tremendous experience for all!

Are you looking to jump-start your education and career?

If so, Moraine Park has a great opportunity for you!

232 years ago, on September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by the founding fathers.

Trivia: How many men signed the constitution?

If you guessed 39, you guessed correct. At the time, 12 of the 13 states sent representatives to the Constitutional Convention. A total of 74 were named, 55 attended, 39 signed.

This day not only recognizes the formation and signing, but also all who are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens.

Who were the 39 signatures?

• Baldwin, Abraham, GA
• Bassett, Richard, DE
• Bedford, Gunning, Jr., DE
• Blair, John, VA
• Blount, William, NC
• Brearley, David, NJ
• Broom, Jacob, DE
• Butler, Pierce, SC
• Carroll, Daniel, MD
• Clymer, George, PA
• Dayton, Jonathan, NJ
• Dickinson, John, DE
• Few, William, GA
• Fitzsimons, Thomas, PA
• Franklin, Benjamin, PA
• Gilman, Nicholas, NH
• Gorham, Nathaniel, MA
• Hamilton, Alexander, NY
• Ingersoll, Jared, PA
• Jefferson, Thomas, VA
• Jenifer, Daniel St Thomas, MD
• Johnson, William Samuel, CT
• King, Rufus, MA
• Langdon, John, NH
• Livingston, William, NJ
• Madison, James, VA
• McHenry, James, MD
• Mifflin, Thomas, PA
• Morris, Gouverneur, PA
• Morris, Robert, PA
• Paterson, William, NJ
• Pinckney, C. Cotesworth, SC
• Pinckney, Charles, SC
• Read, George, DE
• Rutledge, John, SC
• Sherman, Roger, CT
• Spaight, Richard Dobbs, NC
• Washington, George, VA
• Williamson, Hugh, NCWilson, James, PA

Happy Constitution Day!

Learn more at https://www.constitutionday.com/

Growing up in a small town, going to the county fair was something my friends and I always looked forward to! It was the place nearly everyone from the community gathered to check out a child, friend or neighbor’s 4-H project, listened to music or visited the barns to see animals.  

This year, Moraine Park was proud to be a fair sponsor at three of the counties that make up the MPTC District. Moraine Park Day at the Washington County Fair was a lot of fun and gave us a chance to engage with young and old alike. Visitors were able to spin the Diversity Wheel for prizes, (Did you know more than 22 different languages are spoken at our three campuses?), talk to our Veterans Specialist, try their skills on our virtual welder, play a game of bags or share a high five with MPTC mascot, Maximus!  

We were thrilled that Alex Prunty, 2018 Slinger Speedway Super Late Model Champion, and MPTC alumnus, hung out with us for the day with his #11 race car. Visitors were able get Alex’s autograph, collect some APR swag and even get inside his car! Alex was a big hit!  

We also were pleased to sponsor the tractor and demo derby at the Green Lake County Free Fair and the Pig, Duck and Goat races at one of three Family Stages at the Dodge County Fair. That’s the best thing about a county fair – there’s fun for everyone! If you were at any of these three fairs, I hope you were able to stop by our booth and say hello, or enjoy the great entertainment these community events have to offer. We were glad to be able to be a part of it!

Congratulations to the winners of our Spring 2019 Next magazine trivia contest!

• Tom Otte, Family 4 Pack of Field Level Tickets to a Brewer game, donated by Magnum Radio (WMBZ)
• Heidi Christensen, 2 Brewer tickets, donated by WBEV/WXRO
• Sandy Schmitz, 2 tickets to Dock Spiders Baseball, donated by KFIZ/WFON
• Jane Best, 2 Brewer tickets , donated by AFFIRM
• Diane Simon, Fond du Lac DockSpiders Prize Package, donated by DockSpiders
• Joan Mayer, 4 tickets to the Washington County Fair, July 23-28, donated by the Washington County Fair Park & Conference Center

CORRECT ANSWERS ARE:

• What program is Janine Williams enrolled in? Substance Abuse Counseling
• What award did Renee receive? Newman Civic Fellow
• Who are the paramedic instructors? Drew Novak and Andy Baus
• What program is Isaac enrolled in? CNC Tool & Die
• What community outreach organization is utilizing Beaver Dam’s Energy Education Center? Second Harvest Food Bank
• Who is the 2019 Student of the Year? Ashley Martin

Stay tuned for the Fall/Winter 2019 NEXT magazine, set to release in November 2019.

Moraine Park has been all over the district this summer, from DockSpider games to festivals and fairs. Needless to say, our Maximus knows how to have fun in the sun!

Enjoy the photos below, taken at the Fond du Lac DockSpiders games, Fiesta Latina in Beaver Dam, and the Washington County Fair!

morainepark.edu

Starting a small business is no small decision. If you’re thinking about taking the plunge and starting a business of your own, there are some key steps you need to take first.

Step One:  Understand Your Own Strengths and Skills.

Take a look inside of yourself and ask the following questions. What is your prior work experience? What are your personal interests and hobbies?  What education or courses have you taken? What skills and talents do you have? What are you an expert in?

Norman Vincent Peale said it best, “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”

Looking closely at your strengths and skills can help you identify specific expertise that may lend themselves to starting your own business.

Step Two:  Ask yourself, “Is My Idea Feasible?”

I know this one sounds obvious. Aren’t all things possible to those who believe? Certainly, but quite a few great ideas didn’t make it either because the service or product was not timely or too expensive.

Ask yourself the following questions. Will your product or service serve an existing market in which there is a demand? Will your product or service be competitive in the market based on its price and quality? If you answered yes to these questions, you are on the right track.  If you answered no, you need to carefully assess your business idea before moving forward. A feasible idea has to be right for you and for the market.

Step Three: Seek Support and Guidance.

As you receive the proper support and guidance your confidence will grow. Let those with experience guide you through the steps of business development. Returning to school and taking part in professional development coursework can help you learn more about entrepreneurship, how to create a business plan, marketing and financing a business.

Having the right strengths and skills and matching them with a feasible idea is a good place to start. At Moraine Park, we support your journey  by offering workshops that help you accomplish your goals. Get started today by enrolling in a face to face class in September in Green Lake or take a class in November in Fond du Lac. 

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2ZAvoZz.

Did you know that Moraine Park offers free services to the entire community?

• Career assessment
• Basic education instruction
• College entrance exam prep
• Resume help
• Help with college coursework
• GED/HSED courses
• Career center resources/job search
• English Language Learners (ELL) classes

Learn more today at morainepark.edu/student-resources