Did you know that many times, the barrier to education is financial?

A student who wants to earn their GED/HSED diploma can come to Moraine Park for free adult education instruction. However, the testing, required by the state, costs approximately $150.

The instructors in the adult education department wanted to help break this financial barrier. So, they started a scholarship through the Moraine Park Foundation in 2011. This funding helps not only with the testing fees, but students who enroll in a program at Moraine Park can also apply for a $500 scholarship to help with application fees, textbooks, or tuition. To date, 16 of those scholarships have been awarded, and one of the previous recipients recently earned their Master’s Degree!

As you begin to determine your year-end giving, know that a contribution to the Moraine Park Foundations Basic Education Fund could help change the lives of individuals right in your community.

For more information, visit morainepark.edu/foundation.

Thanks to MPTC Beta Mu Kappa Academic Honor Society students, 55 area kids will have warm winter mittens this winter season. Students hosted a Mitten Tree drive at all 3 campuses over the past month, and delivered the donated mittens to Boys & Girls Club of Fond du Lac and Boys & Girls Club of Washington County Jackson site this past week.

Karissa Schneider, Operations Director at Fond du Lac Club said, “We are so thankful for our partnerships with Moraine Park Technical College and this is no different!  Thank you to Phi Theta Kappa for holding a mitten drive to help keep our members hands cozy and warm.”  

Beta Mu Kappa is our local MPTC chapter for the international Phi Theta Kappa Academic Honor Society. Students who maintain a 3.5 GPA or above after obtaining at least 12 college credits are invited to join the honor society. Check out our web page for more information on PTK plus our leadership and community service opportunities.

Hey, 2020 Grads!

We know COVID-19 canceled our celebrations last spring, but we haven’t forgotten about you- and we still need to celebrate your huge academic milestone!

We are beginning to plan our 2021 Commencement Ceremony.

Mark your calendars for May 22, 2021 (time and location TBD).

While many of the details are still in the works- here are a few changes you should know about:

• Guests may not be permitted.
• Tickets will be required.
• Virtual viewing will be available. 

If you are planning to attend, please let us know by filling out the commencement form by January 8, 2021.

Please note: This step is required if you are wanting to participate in the 2021 ceremony.

Class of 2021- no need to fill out this form yet- we will connect with you soon!

Way to go Amanda Leslie! For her Leadership Development Capstone service learning project, Amanda put together a virtual pet show fundraiser to support the FDL Humane Society and was able to raise $725! “Join me to support a good cause and possibly win a prize without ever having to leave the house! Donate $5 or more and message me a photo of your pet to enter into our virtual pet show and help raise money for FDL Humane Society Inc. Your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps. Winners of the pet show were announced on October 25th, 2020 on a virtual event! Thank you for your support!

Amanda’s instructor, Mary Vogl-Rauscher said, “Very Impressive Amanda!! You are a Rock Star!!” Associate Dean of Business, Bobbi Fields, said, “Amanda – I want to congratulate you on the success of your project and to thank you for your contributions to the community. I am very supportive of service learning and greatly enjoy hearing stories of how students effectively leverage the projects to enhance their education and their community. Undoubtedly, you have promoted your own professional profile; however, I see the benefits of your altruistic project yet another amazing outcome of your project. Again,  thank you applying the leadership skills you have gained in Mary’s program to promote your community. “

Amanda said, “The reason I chose this project is because I have always been passionate about animal welfare and rescue. Animals are precious to me and I want to help any way I can to aid in their protection.  We are in unprecedented times with this pandemic and many non-profit organizations, such as the Humane Society, have had to close their doors to the public and cancel upcoming public fundraising events.  This has deeply impacted them financially.  Therefore, my project was a fun alternative means to engage the community and help provide financial aid to an organization that does amazing work providing humane care and protection to animals in need, while keeping supporters safe in their own homes. The virtual pet show had an element of convenience and engagement for my supporters by having them share photos of their beloved companions in the contest, rather than simply asking for a donation.  There was 5 different categories they could enroll their pet into, which allowed for creative freedom and 5 chances to win. It was an encouraging experience interacting with so many individuals who had a similar passion and love for animals as me. There was so many generous donations from supporters resulting in a total of $725 and I can’t thank them enough!” 

Congratulations on your Bronze Award for Student Community Impact Amanda!

STEM in Early Childhood?

Yes, STEM is being taught to young children to set the foundation for learning Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This was the first semester that early childhood students learned how to incorporate STEM into classrooms for preschool children. The students from the Fond du Lac and West Bend Campuses took part in a STEM challenge to build a sturdy graham cracker house with frosting.

Here is what students are saying about the new STEM course.

“To be completely honest, I was kind of dreading STEM when I read the class description, but I really did learn a lot. This class not only helped me with my time management skills with the specific due dates for the Unit of Study project, but it also taught me things I will be bringing into my own personal classroom.  I learned what STEM is and how to incorporate it into my classroom. I also learned that in order for the activity to be considered stem it has to incorporate 2 of the subjects.”- Rebecca

“I really liked all of the hands on activities we did, as it gave me ideas of activities to add into my classroom for the kiddos.” – Allison

“I loved the STEM class. I enjoyed searching for activities that could be incorporated into the daily routine with children. I also learned that STEM doesn’t have to be difficult. Good teachers are already doing it without realizing it! I love the “Hands on- Minds on questions.” – Tammie

https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/programs/early-childhood-education/

Moraine Park Technical College is committed to community engagement and student success.  The College supports these commitments through the opportunity for students to participate in student community impact and apply their classroom knowledge to an applicable, real world environment. 

MPTC encourages students to participate in our community impact awards program where students can track their service learning or volunteer hours, submit their reflections, and earn a Bronze Award for 25 hours, Silver Award for 50 hours, Gold Award for 100 hours, or Presidents Award for 200 hours!

In the 2020 fall semester, despite all the Covid-19 challenges, 16 students earned awards and logged over 900 hours of service!

Congratulations to our Fall, 2020 award winners!

Bronze Award Winners

Completing 25-49 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Megan Andrew, Medical Assistant
• Corrine Chalker, Medical Assistant
• Courtney Dickow, Medical Assistant
• Alexis Erickson, Medical Assistant
• Tanya Johnson, Medical Assistant
• Cindy Krueger, Medical Assistant
• Maggie Landowski, Leadership Development
• Amanda Leslie, Leadership Development
• Emily Lewis, Medical Assistant
• Whitney Liegl, Medical Assistant
• Kelly Pike, Medical Assistant
• Megan Ryals, Medical Assistant
• Barbara Turner, Leadership Development
• Rachael Wagner, Medical Assistant
• Allexis Wegner, Medical Assistant

Silver Award Winners

Completing 50-99 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Megan Andrew, Medical Assistant
• Corrine Chalker, Medical Assistant
• Courtney Dickow, Medical Assistant
• Cathryn Kuslits, Medical Assistant
• Barbara Turner, Leadership Development
• Allexis Wegner, Medical Assistant

Gold Award Winner

Completing 100-199 hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Barbara Turner, Leadership Development

President’s Award Winner

Completing 200+ hours of service learning or volunteering.

• Barbara Turner, Leadership Development

Moraine Park Technical College has extended both their public access restrictions and mask-wearing requirements for all campuses- which will remain in effect indefinitely – but, at least through June 30, 2021. The College will remain closed to the general public, and masks will continue to be required on all campuses- even if the statewide mandate ends.

“COVID-19 exposures remain low on our campuses,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “We hope by continuing to limit the number of people on our campuses, we can ensure a successful spring 2021 semester for our students and staff- including the ability to continue in-person classes and hold our annual commencement ceremony.”

As of now, the spring 2021 semester will begin as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 25, and classes will continue to be offered in face-to-face, virtual, and online formats.

Additionally, the College plans to host their 2021 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 22- if conditions remain as they are or improve. The ceremony will be held outdoors at the Fond du Lac campus, there will be guest limitations to allow for social distancing, and a backup date will be selected in case of inclement weather.

“We are moving forward with our spring semester and planning our 2021 commencement ceremony,” Baerwald said. “While the ceremony will undoubtedly look different, we are confident that we can find a way to celebrate together safely.” 

While the College will continue to remain closed to the public, this will not affect Moraine Park’s classes, events, and activities. College leadership will continue to follow recommendations from local public health departments, as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) when making decisions for the spring 2021 semester and beyond. 

For more information, visit morainepark.edu/coronavirus.

Moraine Park Technical College’s Criminal Justice and Paramedic students collaborated with the Dodge County SWAT Team last month to offer a live emergency simulation.

The simulation was in response to the major remodel at the Beaver Dam campus last summer. The new layout required the Dodge County SWAT team to do a walkthrough and reassess the building- as a way to be prepared in the event of an emergency on campus. 

Moraine Park’s Criminal Justice and Paramedic instructors worked with the SWAT team to host and lead a simulation event featuring three different scenarios- as a learning opportunity for the students. 

“I am grateful for our partnership with the Dodge County SWAT team and the time they spent with our students.” Lisa Pollard, Moraine Park’s Beaver Dam campus dean, said. 

Throughout the simulations, students assisted the SWAT Team in the live emergency scenarios and were able to ask questions regarding their responses to different emergencies. 

“This simulation offered a valuable, real-world experience to our students,” Pollard said. “The SWAT team utilized our Moraine Park classroom spaces, including our built-in apartment and ambulance- used for hands-on classroom training. How they work in that environment, with their equipment, providing an emergency response is how Moraine Park prepares the students for their future careers.”

The SWAT Team, students, and faculty received valuable knowledge from the simulations that will help prepare them for emergency situations in the future, and the partnership between Moraine Park and Dodge County will help ensure a safer campus and community.

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

MPTC’s Dean of the West Bend Campus, Pete Rettler, began running daily after making a bet with a friend on New Year’s Eve in 1993. The bet was to run every day for that year. 27 years later, he hasn’t missed a single day – and averages about 2.5 miles each run. 

A few years back, he started using this daily running streak to generate community involvement and giving by hosting a New Year’s Eve 5k run event. The money raised was donated a local non-profit.

At year 25, Pete held a 25 day event, selecting a different non-profit each day- and gathering over $25,000 in donations. 

This year, he has had to do things differently- as we all have- and is hosting a virtual 5k- where participants will select their own route. While this doesn’t have the togetherness of his typical events, this does open up the opportunity for participation anywhere.

This year, his donations will be given to the Wisconsin Remembers 9-11 Memorial in Kewaskum to assist their efforts to bring awareness, and honor and remember local victims.  https://www.wisconsin911memorial.com/about.html

As an added heartfelt, Pete’s children (now adults) have never known a day that their Dad didn’t run. When they were little Pete would push them in the stroller on his daily runs. This year, Pete will be carrying on that tradition while pushing his granddaughter Reagan in the stroller on his run. 

Through it all, Pete remains a humble- community centered man- grateful for his health and the ability to utilize what was once a silly bet- as a way to bring good to his community.  

Do you want to run “with” Pete on New Years Eve? Registration is $27 and there will also be 27 prizes. Information can be found at rettlerrun.com.

*Photo courtesy of Washington County Insider-2018.