This year, MPTC Academic Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa students have decided on a Spring Project to benefit area homeless shelters in their quest to help those in need of services. These shelters are often only thought of by the general population during cold weather, but homelessness sadly knows no season. Help us to provide some critically needed supplies and other items to these facilities so that they can continue to provide shelter and hope for some of our most vulnerable residents in their time of need.

Beginning April 4, we’ll be collecting donations on all three campuses and need YOUR help to make this a success by April 29! The requested needs are small, but the impact of giving will be huge. The donated items we collect will be delivered to the Solutions Center of Fond du Lac,  the Promise Housing Program of West Bend, and to the New Beginnings Homeless Shelter of Beaver Dam. Each MPTC location will have a laundry basket for donations placed at the near school entrances, in front of the libraries, and at the cafeterias for a total of nine collection baskets. Whether you donate a few or many items, each will touch a heart in a lasting way!  Let’s do this!!

Critical Needs are as follows:

In addition to Phi Theta Kappa, Moraine Park has a NEW Academic Honor Society. Students who maintain a 3.5 GPA or above after obtaining at least 12 college credits towards an associate degree are invited to join the honor society. Check out our web page for more information on PTK and AHS.

— Written by Linda Huckaby

Moraine Park Technical College can now offer Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Sciences (AS) liberal arts degrees, as part of a historic decision made by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents today.

The new Liberal Arts program approval today has been long desired by Moraine Park and other technical colleges in the Wisconsin Tech College System (WTCS), as it offers a clearer pathway for those with associate degrees to seamlessly continue their education at a four-year partner institution with a confirmed junior status.

“By starting an education at Moraine Park, students can get their general studies completed for a fraction of the cost, with smaller class sizes, extensive student support, and guaranteed transfer credits to one of our partner schools,” Dr. Fred Rice, associate vice president of academics at Moraine Park, said. “The College currently offers a wide variety of other Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS) degrees, Technical Diplomas and certificate opportunities. Adding the liberal arts degree programs will offer a more robust slate of offerings to Moraine Park students and will help guide students who are still undecided on their program of study to simply achieve an associate degree without a specified area of focus.”

Moraine Park is finalizing their agreement with Lakeland University and is working with regional University of Wisconsin institutions within the Northeast Wisconsin Educational Resource Alliance (NEWERA) on pre-major pathway agreements. College leaders will continue to add partnerships with other local universities, giving district students more options and control when it comes to their education and making the future transfer process easier and more streamlined.

“Congratulations to Moraine Park Technical College and their stakeholders who supported this effort,” Dr. Morna K. Foy, WTCS president, said. “In response to the needs of local employers, K-12 partners, and economic and workforce development organizations, Moraine Park will provide expanded educational opportunities for students in their communities.”

The College will offer AA and AS liberal arts degrees beginning this fall. Students who elect to pursue an associate degree at Moraine Park as the first step of their education will save thousands annually compared to a private or public 4-year college.

Individuals interested in exploring this opportunity at Moraine Park are encouraged to start conversations early by connecting with admissions@morainepark.edu.

Whether you decide that you want to hang out, go for walks, snuggle, or get involved in doing canine sports, Black Dog Training is a pet training service for you.  Black Dog Training provides home based obedience activities and more.  Cindy concentrates on teaching your dog and the owner basic behaviors or can involve group training with others for competition.  Owner, Cindy Hanish began this training as her own dog, Chester motivated her to want to help others.

Cindy Hanish attended the five week Start Your Own Business series through Moraine Park Technical College in the Fall of 2021.  Her goal was to open her business by January of 2022.  Instructor Jeff Stueber worked with Cindy to provide simple ideas to generate business and sales. Since then, Cindy has developed many programs to suit the needs of the canines and their owners.

It doesn’t matter what age or breed your dog is, Cindy will help you teach your dog how to behave appropriately at home or on-the-go, while at the same time, building a positive and happy relationship together.

For more information, visit Cindy’s website at www.blackdogtrainingllc.com

For more information on the Five Week Business Series, visit https://catalog.morainepark.edu/programs/small-business-entrepreneurship/

Moraine Park Technical College will again offer Tech Knowledge College (TKC) from August 9-11 at the Fond du Lac Campus. TKC is a three-day summer camp at the Fond du Lac Campus for students entering grades 6 to 8. This hands-on event gives participants an interactive look at the skills and careers needed today and in the future.

About 2022 TKC:

• Registration Open May 2.
• Camp will run from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. each day.
• The registration is $115.
• The participants will select two sessions.
• There will be a family open-house from 2:15-3:15 p.m. on Thursday, Aug.11.

Important:

• All TKC campers will need to be dropped off at the Fond du Lac Campus C-1 entrance. Bussing is not available this year.
• Lunches and snacks will be provided.
• Registrations are final. Refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For more information, including a full list of sessions, visit morainepark.edu/tkc.

Moraine Park Technical College will survey a random sampling of homes in the district starting April 8. The goal of the survey is to help the College obtain input on future business and industry needs within the district, and the growth and improvements that are required to help meet those needs.

The Moraine Park district includes Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake and Washington counties, and small portions of surrounding counties. The College, with campus locations in Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, and West Bend, plays a critical role in training more than 12,000 students each year for industry-critical jobs. Moraine Park students pursue degrees in many high-demand areas, including information technology, cybersecurity, accounting, nursing, respiratory therapy, advanced manufacturing, and website and graphic design.

“Our focus will always be on educating our students. However, we also need to develop a plan to update our programs and facilities to continue to fuel the growing business and industry sector,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “Our programs are dependent on our facilities to offer hands-on training and real-world learning opportunities. To help in our planning, we formed the Capital Expansion Visioning Team and developed a survey to gather the input from our communities; their feedback and support are vital to the success of this future planning.”

Those who are randomly selected should reply by April 25.

Final survey results will be reported at Moraine Park Technical College board meeting on May 18.

For more information, visit morainepark.edu/future.

For questions on the survey, call 920-929-2127.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It’s time to draw attention to the prevalence of sexual assault and educate ourselves and our communities about how to prevent it.

Did you know that 1 in 5 women in the U.S. experience sexual assault in their lifetime? Nearly 25% of men in the U.S. also experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Nationwide, 81% of women and 43% of men report experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault.

For more information and statistics at the NSVRC.

The movement to end sexual violence in the United States, and around the world, relies on people who have made a choice to do something. Sexual violence often seems inevitable, but the choice to do something and get involved has made incredible changes in national and global conversations about sexual violence. In recent decades, these changing conversations have expanded support for survivors and led to substantial innovation in the work of preventing sexual violence.

There are many ways you can become involved in the work of changing conversations about sexual violence, supporting survivors, and preventing sexual violence before it ever happens.

• Wear DENIM for Denim Day on April 27, 2022, when millions of people across the world will wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate themselves and others about all forms of sexual violence.
• Print and share the April Sexual Assault Awareness poster at your office, business, school or church
• Stay connected at the WI Coalition Against Sexual Assault
• Follow and Volunteer for FDL Says No More

MPTC Area Sexual Assault Resources

Fond du Lac – ASTOP

West Bend – Friends, Inc.

Beaver Dam – PAVE

Green Lake – ASTOP

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Every April, Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the necessity of communities working together to promote the social and emotional well-being of all children and their families. 

In Fond du Lac County alone, 552 cases of child abuse were reported in 2021, according to Nicole Mann, FDL County Social Worker. Children are the foundation of our society, our community and our future. Children raised in loving and supportive environments are more likely to prosper academically and
financially, becoming successful contributing members of society. Wisconsin must be a leader and
champion for all of our children. Research has shown the most effective way to prevent child abuse & neglect is to provide support to families so children can grow up in an environment that supports their well-being. Preventing child abuse and neglect results in better childhoods, ultimately saving millions of dollars currently needed for the services that address the short and long-term effects of abuse on children, their families, and our communities.

Find out more info at Prevent Child Abuse WI.

What can YOU do?

• Wear BLUE on April 1 in support and recognition of Child Abuse Prevention month
• Put a blue pinwheel in your yard
• Print and Share the CAP poster at your office, business, school or church
• Stay connected at Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin and Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board

Resources for Child Abuse Prevention in MPTC District:

FDL County Social Services

Washington County Social Services

Green Lake County Social Services

Dodge County Social Services

The Moraine Park Technical College Foundation is offering Summer Start Scholarships to support students who start courses in the summer. Typically, Moraine Park scholarships are awarded in the fall semester. The Moraine Park Summer Start Scholarship was created to help ease the financial burden for students who start in the summer.

The scholarship, which awards $400, is available to new students that are enrolled in four Moraine Park summer programs: Gas Utility Construction and Service, Accounting, Business Management, and Leadership and Organizational Development.

To qualify for the Summer Start Scholarship, students must have a high school GPA of 2.75 or higher, be admitted for the summer term, enroll in at least 6 credits within their program, and submit their scholarship application with a reference by May 1.

The scholarship application link is emailed to students after they apply to one of the four qualifying programs. Scholarship recipients will be notified around May 17.

If you are interested in one of these summer programs and would like more information, please reach out to our recruiters at recruitment@morainepark.edu.

Moraine Park has partnered with the Study Abroad Association to offer virtual global education opportunities for our staff, faculty and students. The Global Perspectives virtual world travel program offers fabulous locations and topics to explore in Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland.

You can move around in the 3D world and/or watch travel guide videos for every location. It’s great fun to share with family and friends too!

To use:

1. Go to 360discovered.studyabroadassociation.com/register/, and sign-up with your school email address.
2. Check your school email for your login information.
3. Log in and explore!

Find out more about MPTC Cultural Connections and in-person travel opportunities.