This spring semester, Moraine Park’s Adult Education department started a new partnership with Hartford Union High School. Annette Meihack, a Moraine Park Adult Education Instructor, is spearheading this new partnership as part of our 5.09 program.
The 5.09 program offers classes to students to help them earn their GED and HSED credentials. It is different from the traditional GED test as the program is competency-based. Students are able to earn a high school credential without having to take the official tests. It is for students who have test anxiety or call another language their home language. Often, students with a different home language have to translate back and forth and the time factor is an issue.
The goal of our partnership with Hartford is to help students graduate after encountering some difficulties due to the Covid–19 pandemic. For example, some students struggled with remote learning. Some students were sick and fell behind in their classes. We want to help these students graduate on time.
Currently, there are five students from Hartford Union High School participating in the program. Students are bussed to the Moraine Park West Bend campus to work with our 5.09 instructor, Annette Meihack, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We hope that the program and partnership continue to grow and have great success throughout this semester and beyond.
“We want all of these students to earn a credential, work well in society, and obtain good jobs and skills,” said Meihack.
On Valentine’s Day, many of us take time to show extra love to the special people in our lives. Stop in at any MPTC Campus Library from Feb. 7 – 18 to pick up your take-home Valentine kit and include some delicious Fair Trade chocolate!
Wouldn’t it be great if you could share that love with the farmers that help make this holiday extra sweet? Sign the virtual valentine for Fair Trade cocoa and flower farmers!
70 percent of cocoa is produced by small holder farmers in West Africa, primarily Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. Indonesia, Brazil, and Ecuador are also major cocoa-producing countries.
Cocoa trees take about five years to reach peak production and can continue producing at that level for about ten years.
Chocolate is made from the seeds of cocoa pods, a tree-grown fruit. After harvesting, the seeds are removed from the pods and processed (fermented, dried, then roasted).
It takes about 500 cocoa beans to make one pound of chocolate. In an average year, a cocoa tree produces enough fruit to make about two pounds of chocolate.
An estimated two million children work on cocoa farms. Up to 40 percent of these children are not enrolled in school. Many Cocoa farmers are exposed to numerous hazards, including dangerous tools, dust, flames or smoke, hazardous chemicals, and physically demanding labor.
Fair Trade standards prohibit child labor, and community development premiums are often used to improve access to education. Fair Trade standards also prohibit harmful chemicals and provide a framework for environmental sustainability.
Moraine Park Technical College has partnered with Legal Action of Wisconsin and Ascendium Education Group to offer students and community members free, confidential legal assistance. Upcoming virtual legal clinics provide driver’s license recovery, bankruptcy, and criminal record expungement help. Other legal help is also provided at any time. Simply scan the QR code or call (920) 393-9352 and set up your time to discuss a legal issue!
Lawyers for Learners is also offering a free tax season tips learning session on February 10, 2022, at 11 a.m.
Tax season is quickly approaching. Lawyers for Learners wants to help ensure you have the information needed to prepare taxes and take advantage of any eligible benefits or credits. This Lawyers for Learners Learning Session is meant to do just that!
Attorneys Andrew Belter from Wisconsin Judicare and Jay Miller from Legal Action Wisconsin will provide information about taxes, tax credits, and self-help resources. They will also share information about how Lawyers for Learners can help with family law, immigration, or other issues that may arise during tax season (or anytime).
Written by Kathy Mueller, Moraine Park Adult Education Instructor
At this time of very low unemployment and a major shortage of workers, many adults who didn’t complete high school wonder why they would go back to earn a high school credential. They can often get a job pretty easily anywhere they want to work. That might be true for getting their foot in the door of a company. However, many are learning that if they want to earn more and move up in their companies, they still have to get a high school credential. One of my students did just that.
Time for a Change
Lester was my former student at the Beaver Dam Student Success Center at Moraine Park Technical College. He worked for about 30 years at his company, but without a high school diploma, he was never able to move to a higher-level position or substantially increase his pay. Lester was not only ready to earn his high school diploma to make an upward move at his company, but he also wanted to show his son that a high school diploma was important enough to be worth the hard work he would have to put in to earn it.
Heading Back to School
Lester was like so many other returning adults. He wasn’t very comfortable when he first started, and he was pretty unsure of his skills. One thing he had in his favor was his willingness to work as much as it took to understand the materials. Today we call that grit, and he is full of grit! Lester was able to get through Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies pretty quickly with relative ease. But math? That was a different story. Lester studied math for months. Months turned into years. Every spring, summer, and fall semester for three entire years! In May of 2018, he finished. I was so happy for him. We were all very excited when he and his son got their high school diplomas at the same time.
An Awesome New Opportunity
Lester has kept in touch with me since he graduated. He contacts me on every holiday and sometimes in between to update me about himself and his family. In the Spring of 2021, he told me a position opened up at his workplace. He was nervous but excited about the possibility of making a change at work. Lester knew his High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) made him eligible for this new opportunity. I was very excited when he notified me of his promotion to Warehouse Dock Lead Supervisor position. What great recognition of all the loyalty and hard work Lester gave his company for so many years!
The Diploma Changed His Life!
Last week Lester texted me between holidays. He wanted me to know that since he earned his diploma three and a half years ago, great things happened. He earned a promotion to Warehouse Dock Lead Supervisor. Because he just received a raise, he is now making over $5 an hour more than he had been making without his HSED. We joked about him using all the extra money he was making now to help pay for his son’s college tuition. Lester thanked me for my help in pushing him to keep going. I can’t help but think I should be thanking him for getting to work with an awesome student like him. All I can say is that Lester exemplifies all the reasons a person would want to earn a high school credential. Look at the success all the hard work and grit has brought him!
Moraine Park’s Adult Education opportunities serve adults ages 18-65+ who are seeking to improve their academic skills to obtain or improve their employment, earn a high school credential (GED/HSED), and prepare for college. Students may also work to improve their English language skills and get assistance with their college courses. Learn more about Moraine Park’s Adult Education programs at www.morainepark.edu/academics/ged-and-adult-education/.
Moraine Park scored in the top quartile of midsize employers who participated in Gallagher’s 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey. The College was recognized as an organization that provides innovative solutions for creating organizational structures, workplace policies, and total rewards, which inclusively engages and motivates its employees.
Moraine Park was assigned points based on performances in:
Planning horizons for the benefits and compensation strategies
Extent of their wellbeing strategy
Turnover rate for full-time equivalents (FTEs)
Completion of a workforce engagement survey
Use of an HR technology strategy and its level of sophistication
Health plan premium increases or decreases at the most recent renewal
Use of a communication strategy
“Moraine Park Technical College takes a proactive and structured approach to planning, developing and implementing comprehensive benefits and HR programs,” CEO of Gallagher’s Benefits & HR Consulting Division, William F. Ziebell, said. “In doing so, they are able to develop a winning formula to attract, reward and retain the right talent and position the company as a destination employer.”
About Gallagher
Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 68 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.
About the Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis
Gallagher’s Best-in-Class Benchmarking Analysis profiles statistically significant attributes of top-performing midsize (100-999 FTEs) and large employers (1,000 or more FTEs). Data from Gallagher’s 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey was interpreted to identify participants that excel in optimizing employee and organizational wellbeing.
Moraine Park Technical College hosted their third annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Literacy Week Project, donating more than 500 culturally responsive books to three local elementary schools.
In 2019, the College began exploring opportunities to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and developed strong partnerships with three area schools; Jefferson Elementary in Beaver Dam, Chegwin Elementary in Fond du Lac, and Green Tree Elementary in West Bend.
Each year, Moraine Park has donated culturally responsive books to the schools’ libraries, and employees of the College have spent time in the classroom or virtually reading books to the students.
“Engaging with our communities is a strategic priority for the College,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “We value the partnerships cultivated with these three district elementary schools and look forward to working with them to celebrate the important work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for years to come.”
The following was written by Brittany Hahn, a Moraine Park Interactive Media Design student who recently attended the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo.
Moraine Park’s Interactive Media Design Club (IMDC) and I, an IMDC member, are extremely thankful that we were able to attend the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) as a club outing. Due to expenses and transportation, I would not have been able to attend without the support of the IMDC. It was very important to all of us that we were able to make it to C2E2, not only because it is fun (It was a blast!) but also because it is a great opportunity to learn, grow, and expand as an individual looking to make a career in the industry.
One of my favorite things to do at C2E2 is visit the vendor hall and artists alley. This isn’t because I love shopping (though I do – and WOW did I find a lot of things to buy), but rather because it is an outstanding opportunity to see other artists’ current work. When viewing the countless pieces of work done by others, we can learn to better differentiate between their various styles, composition structures, and chosen display methods (print, clothing, accessories, etc.) Not only are we learning to deconstruct and recompose their work, but so too are we learning what is popular and selling, which is an important thing to understand in any work line.
Seeing the vendor hall and artists alley is motivational. After leaving the convention, everyone in our club found themselves inspired to get home and get to work on new compositions. As an artist or anyone working within media design, it can sometimes be a struggle to find inspiration or material that piques one’s interest – With that in mind, C2E2 was very refreshing, refilling our hearts and minds with enthusiasm and creativity towards our work!
The vendor hall and artists alley are just two of countless attractions that make C2E2 an academic hit! While C2E2 is filled with attractions that everyone loves, such as the Maid Café, Autograph signings, the gaming hub, and more – There is one thing that everyone comes for, PANELS!
Panels are the core of C2E2, and they are what truly make it a great academic experience. Multiple panels are always running at once, giving a large variety of choices and opportunities to those who attend. As for what the panels feature, the variety is nearly endless!
Some of my favorite panels I noticed that were listed and running were:
Script to Screen/Screen to Script – A panel run by Legendary professionals that teach attendees how to write and polish their scripts, getting them screen-ready – and vice versa!
Kubert School Portfolio reviews – Have your portfolio looked at and critiqued! For those finishing up their degree, this is an awesome opportunity to be accepted to a large art school, or create a solid portfolio for leaving school behind and stepping out into the work field to become hired.
Libraries & Nerds Blerds, Books, and Making Bank – This panel explains how to use your local library to help you host events and promote your product/book/work to ultimately make bank!
Anti-Hero Sip and Sketch – Learn to draw in the style of Anti-Hero with Melissa of Salsa Sharks, picking up a bunch of new techniques while you fill out your now provided sketchbook.
Education in the stacks – A program giving advice in programming, giving 1 on 1 time that allows you to hone ideas for viable programs, connect it to education, find a good space/fit, and find a price range you should be asking for.
Play and Sculpt with Clay – A panel that covers anatomy, color theory, texture, proportion, and composition – Teaching you how to make Character design art with clay!
The list of panels goes on and on. There are panels for learning to write, panels teaching how to draw, program, sculpt, voice act, animate, and even panels that go over what your school and classes should be teaching (That’s right, there are panels designed for teachers and colleges!).
While I was at C2E2, after spending the majority of my time in the vendor hall, I made it to the panel “Passion to Profession – Your skills pay the bills!” The panel was great! It had professionals who went over how to find a career you enjoy by mapping your hobbies and skills, how to get over common job market fears. While I already knew how to turn my hobbies into a career – I found the entire panel very motivational. The panelists really pushed for everyone to stop waiting and perfecting their craft. They each gave personal stories where they took their work and just shoved it into the hands of companies, those of which snatched it up and hired them. They explained that most companies either couldn’t find the best of the best, or they can’t afford it – So even if you think you aren’t the best, they need you. It’s not to say that anyone isn’t less than the best, but rather, they wanted everyone to understand that they were good enough and that they were ready. They continued to offer advice and inspire everyone within the room, allowing for personal questions and sharing advice from seasoned experts in the crowd.
The panel was so motivational, that when I got home, I took images from a local nail parlor (their images looked very bad – dry skin, paint over flesh, just a bad job all over) and I edited them, cleaning them up using things we learned in past classes and online tutorials. I sent the edited versions back to the business and explained what I had done and that I could do more if they would like. Right away, they asked for more/for me to continue doing edits! This was a great way for me to continue building my portfolio, and something I wouldn’t have had the courage to do without attending the panel.
C2E2 is filled with countless opportunities for students and teachers to learn, grow, and expand within their desired field of study/work. I am extremely happy that I went, and I can’t wait to go again in the future. Again, had it not been for the IMDC and Moraine Park Technical College, I would not have been able to go. Not only did they cover the cost of the ticket to attend, but so too did they handle transportation. It was great traveling with like-minded individuals, bonding and having an awesome time at the convention. I am very thankful to have MPTC and the IMDC, as well as our amazing club overseers and teachers Mr. Ward and Mr. Sibilski–they suggested, set up, and attended the trip!
As decreed by U.S. presidential proclamation, January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. January is also known as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. This is the time for each of us to learn about human trafficking in our city, state, nation and world, learn to learn to spot the signs of trafficking, and how we can help.
Did you know that Wisconsin is in the top five states for sex trafficking? The Highway 41 corridor from Chicago to Twin Cities has long been a “hotspot” for trafficking through our state. The mission of the Wisconsin Department of Justice Human Trafficking Initiative is to make Wisconsin inhospitable to human traffickers and to support victim-centered strategies and partnerships throughout the state.
What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is the misuse of other people. This often happens for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Trafficking can occur at any age.
Human traffickers often recruit vulnerable youth with force or deception. They may exploit youth through fraud, abuse of power, control, violence, or physical abduction. They may also threaten the youth or their family. Economic pressure can make a person more vulnerable to being trafficked.
Trafficking occurs in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. It is a worldwide issue.
Many youth who are being trafficked do not see themselves as victims. They may not realize they are being trafficked. From WI Dept. of Children and Families.
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