Emergency funds in the form of a Federal Grant have been provided to MPTC to help students impacted by COVID-19. Specifically, this funding is intended to aid students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. It should provide direct emergency cash grants to students adversely impacted by the ongoing pandemic with unforeseen educational expenses, including:

• books, e-books or audiobooks
• course-related materials, and
• technology (Keeping in mind that what works today may not work tomorrow, such as a checked-out laptop; borrowed equipment; laptops on the fritz. Cables, the continuing cost of high-speed internet, camera, headset, microphone, mouse, etc. are also additional expenses.)

THIS FUNDING CANNOT BE USED FOR TUITION EXPENSES.

Requirements:

• Applicants must be students currently enrolled at MPTC during the spring, 2020 semester.
• Applicants must be enrolled at Moraine Park in associates or technical degrees. Students who are in a certificate, boot camps, or basic education courses, Economic and Workforce Development, Department of Corrections, dual credit (high school), avocational or non-credit courses do not qualify.
• If you are in an online program and completing all of your program courses online at the start of the spring semester 2020, you are not eligible to apply for funding.
• Applicants need to be financial aid eligible; you do not need to be recipients to receive this funding. This means you should complete a FAFSA to demonstrate your eligibility. Go to studentaid.gov if you have not completed a FAFSA for 2019-20.
• Applicants must complete the application (see link below) including a statement related to how the COVID-19 has been impactful and how this funding will be used to alleviate any financial issues.
• Please apply for your current needs. You may reapply as other needs come about.

Moraine Park wants to make sure that all students who are eligible and need money, receive this support as quickly as possible. You are an important member of our community and this money is to support you!

For complete details and the online application process, go to the website: morainepark.edu/caresfund.

*If your emergency is not related to the COVID-19, please go to MPTC’s Student Emergency Fund application to apply for assistance.

Please contact the Student Financial Services Office with questions about the e-Refund of your credit balance at (920) 924-3124 or sfs@morainepark.edu.

Click here for Community Resources for students during COVID-19.

Moraine Park Technical College Medical Assistant Program is excited to announce scheduling changes to our West Bend Cohort model. 

Students have asked for additional options and we listened. Yes we hear you!!  The improved cohort model will have the same great characteristics of students moving through the entire program at the same pace, with the same group, and at the same great location.  The big change is…….wait for it…..

The in-class commitment is now 2 days a week instead of 3!

Wait, what?  How did you remove an entire day from the program?   

Great question!  We will now be incorporating an online course into each semester to allow students flexibility in completing their coursework. The previous schedule had students coming to campus every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and while we know you all love seeing your fellow classmates and instructor three times a week, we also wanted to allow you to have more time for balance in your work, school and family life.

The new schedule will have you in class every Monday and Wednesday. Did we forget to mention the updates to our classroom, including more equipment and mock exam rooms? You need to check it out!

Our new schedule also helps to better align our courses to our program guidelines. You will be enrolled in courses where the content relates to each other at the same time. This allows for more comprehensive learning! I mean if you are learning about how the Digestive System works in Human Body it would be helpful to be learning the terminology in Medical Terminology in the same week, right?

Concerned about online learning? Rest assured that your time in class will allow for opportunities to receive additional resources and assistance with the completion of any online requirements. Your qualified instructors have taught it all and can offer assistance in any program course! We know now, more than ever, the importance of having qualified healthcare professionals in our community. The need to provide quality care will never change.

So, now is great of time as any to explore a career in healthcare and look into becoming a Medical Assistant. 

We cannot wait to have you join us! Still have more questions? Please feel free to reach out!

Erika Herriges, RN/BSN, MA/MO Instructor MPTC eherriges@morainepark.edu

Marisa Arnenson, MPTC Advisor marneson@morainepark.edu

In this strange and uncertain situation, you might find yourself with less structure to your days and more adjustment for life at home. During these times, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Instead, see this as an opportunity to improve yourself and make progress toward your career goals.
Here are six ways you can make the most of this time and maximize your career development:

1. Update your resume. 
It is essential that you make your resume the best it can be—and now is a great time to do it. Identify your personal brand and strongest selling points. Highlight your unique accomplishments and transferrable skills. Optimize your resume with keywords and customize it each time you apply to a different position.

2. Create a professional online presence. 
Many employers check a candidate’s online presence to learn more about them. This may be even more prevalent in the COVID-19 climate with employers having limited access to candidates in person. Google yourself and clean up any inappropriate or questionable content. Create a LinkedIn profile, if you don’t already have one.

3. Build new skills. 
In today’s digital age, it’s possible to learn almost anything through the internet. Use your time at home to build new skills. Learn a new technical skill. Read a book or listen to a podcast related to your industry. Join a professional organization. This is your chance to take advantage of your time.

4. Practice virtual interviewing. 
In response to COVID-19, many companies have changed recruiting strategies to reduce/eliminate in-person interactions. For job seekers, this means virtual interviews—so be prepared to take your next interview digitally. Choose an at-home interview space and check your technology. Reach out to the MPTC Careers Instructors to set up a practice virtual mock interview.

5. Cultivate your professional network. 
Social distancing doesn’t mean that you have to put networking on hold. Use email or LinkedIn to reach out to professionals in industries and positions of interest. Embrace the sense of community. Participate in an online forum or join in a chat during a webinar. COVID-19 is a shared global experience. This is your chance to check in with the people you know and re-establish old connections.

6. Get help from the MPTC Careers Instructors. 
You don’t have to do this alone! Although not physically on campus, Careers Instructors are available to support you remotely. Take advantage of online resources through Canvas, Zoom and/or phone appointments. We are here to help and can provide guidance specific to your goals. With the uncertain economic state, it is important that you use this time to maximize your career readiness and make yourself as marketable as possible.

So stay hopeful, wash your hands, and try out these six ways to make progress toward your career goals.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers. (Adapted)

Contact a Careers Instructor today:

Beaver Dam

West Bend

Fond du Lac

It’s time to submit your 2020 Census. You can complete your questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail.

What is the Census?

The 2020 Census’ goal is to count every person living in the United States and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The Census, which is done every 10 years, requires every person living within one of these states or territories to respond.

Why is this information important?

“The 2020 Census results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children. The results will also help the federal government make decisions on how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grants for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.”- Information gathered from census.gov.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Wisconsin counties on average stand to lose $22,170 in federal funding over the next decade ($2,217/year) per person not counted. –NCSL utilized data from “Counting for Dollars 2020,” a study published in February 2020 by Andrew Reamer of the George Washington Institute of Public Policy (GWIPP).

How does this impact MPTC?

Moraine Park is a state-funded educational institution. Understanding our general population helps the federal government allocate dollars to support technical education, among other things. Overall, the Census helps determine the needs in every state and community, and helps to define where funding is needed most. As a community partner, we understand that there are needs all around: k-12 schools, healthcare, transportation/roads, and rural / wildlife areas, to name a few. This elevates the importance of 100% timely participation.

How do I respond?

It’s quick and easy! Visit my2020census.gov to learn how to submit your response today. When filling out your census form, be sure to include all family members living in your home.

Hello friends!

I wanted to do something from the Sunshine Club to celebrate all of our hard work, so this is what I came up with. I will Blog about this before the end of the week to share with the world.

Many of us are still in acute care or practicing at the bedside, clinic or something and others are not. I want to celebrate that we all have purpose in nursing and have risen to the challenge and what we are doing in not only important, but imperative to make the best graduate nurses in order to care for our communities!

Communicate Clearly– We have had close to 30 hours of Zoom Meetings, we have emailed, instant messaged, face-timed and even used the phone to make plans for our students success.

Act Responsibly– many worked over Spring Break to start making preparations because we knew it was the thing to do. Many are working early mornings, late evenings and weekends.

Work Productively– so many are juggling your home/family life with working from home, home schooling children and still managing to get “the bacon fried up”

Think Critically and Creatively– OH BOY!!!

Adapt to Change- We have learned Zoom, STUDIO, i-Human and beyond!
Demonstrate Integrity- We have worked hard to keep MPTC’s Nursing Program rigorous while taking in consideration our students changing landscape.

Work Cooperatively– well, we always do.

Here is a semi-accurate accounting of all of things we have done inside of a 10 working day period, seriously, we all know it was more but who needs a medal? We are nurses, we do what we do, we dig in, we still cry, yell and wonder why but yet everyday we come back to whatever form of nursing we do. We are cut from a different cloth- not silk, more like burlap- resilient and lasting.
What an unfortunate way to look back at the “Year of the Nurse” but Florence would be so proud of our work. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do, “We got this”.

Associate Degree of Nursing Accomplishments

Unfolding Case Studies- 25

Rubrics- 49

Quiz Questions- 130

Presentations- 3

Patient Scenarios for CCM’s, DCT’s- 46

Discussions- 19

Small Papers- 8

Power Points- 6 weeks of Studio Power points X 5 Theory Classes X 3 sections= roughly 60 X 1,000,000​!

Sunshine Club Love to All!!!! Thank you for being our TEAM

Enter by June 1, 2020

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

1. Painting
2. Drawing
3. Photography (minimal photo editing allowed-adjustments of color or conversion to grayscale not altering content permitted.)
4. Digital Photo Creation and Illustration (extensive editing and design allowed)
5. Sculpture and Ceramics
6. Publication Design (including newsletters, invitations, event posters, etc.)
7. T-shirt Design
8. Web Site Design (submit your URL)
9. Video Creation (submit your URL)

To enter, complete the form below and email it, along with your digital submissions to artsubmission@morainepark.edu.

• All entries in categories 1 to 8 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 category 8 entries for web pages should be submitted by supplying the URL to the site with the entry.
• All category 9 video entries should be uploaded to YouTube and a link to the posted video provided with the entry.
• All entries must be submitted by JUNE 1st, 2020

Limit of two entries per person, per category. Entry form and permissions must accompany entries.

Winners will be selected by a panel of Art/Design professionals and the winning entries will be featured online. The top three winners will be awarded prizes.

For more information, please email artsubmission@morainepark.edu.

To date, over 600 class sections have moved from a face to face format to online. This means that there has been a lot of adapting and change by students and instructors.

Danielle Cook, surgical technology instructor, is embracing this ‘new normal’ and has been looking for innovative ways to stay connected with her students. She shared with us how she is finding success during these challenging times.

“When COVID-19 hit the US, we had team meetings to discuss how we could move to the digital format if the virus spread to Wisconsin. Less than 2 weeks later, we had to put those plans into place. Here is a glimpse into how the Surgical Technology program is enabling learning from home.

Second-year students were fortunate enough to have met the clinical case requirements set by our Accreditation body, thanks to our strong community partners who work with our students in clinical. Due to this, we can do simulation for their last rotation. Here is where the free mobile app Touch Surgery comes in. Touch Surgery has almost 170 free surgical cases on it and you first “learn” the procedure by going through the steps and virtually completing the surgery. After each section, you test your skills with a short quiz. The students are assigned various cases to be completed and tested on in Touch Surgery and they upload their test results into Canvas. The students are also completed Surgical Case Study Reports and we have a weekly Zoom virtual class and discuss the reports and other things as they arise. While they all miss the operating room, they are happy to be able to still practice virtually, and look forward to being in the workforce in May!

First-year students have one course that was already on-line and two that were blended. We have Zoom virtual classes twice a week to go over their assignments, worksheets, study guides, etc. I have also created short videos of how to use practice passing instruments, utilizing everyday stuff you can find at home. This course is trickier because we will need to be back in the lab to complete the work, but these students continue to review old skill videos and are excited to get back to class.

The Zoom virtual class is what I believe is keeping us all together as a program. Seeing and hearing each other at least once a week keeps that connection, and I bring encouragement to those who are feeling down and unsure right now. I have an awesome group of 20 students. They have been patient and understanding as we navigate this pandemic. Being prepared ahead of time and having the support that the College has provided has helped to make the transition to the digital world much easier. I am very thankful for everyone at the College who has supported the faculty and staff, and most importantly, our students. “

A sincere thank you to all of the Moraine Park instructors, and students for their patience as we move through these times together.

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

Due to the still-evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Moraine Park Technical College has decided to postpone its 2020 commencement ceremony, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 16.

While the situation is still fluid, the College is moving forward with a new commencement date of Saturday, June 27, at 10 a.m. The College is also hoping to utilize a new location for this year’s ceremony, the Beaver Dam High School Field House, 500 Gould St., Beaver Dam.

Regalia (caps, gowns and tassels) will be available for purchase through the College bookstore online. More information, including purchase dates, will be available on the student portal in the coming weeks.

The College has invited Beaver Dam Mayor Becky Glewen and Moraine Park graduate Barbara Turner to participate as speakers at the ceremony. Commencement is expected to last approximately one and a half hours. 

College officials continue to monitor state and national regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If social distancing guidelines are still in place, further extended or enhanced, the commencement ceremony would then be canceled. If cancellation occurs, graduating students will be offered the opportunity to participate in the 2021 commencement ceremony and celebrations.

“We recognize how significant the commencement ceremony is to our graduates,” Bonnie Baerwald, president at Moraine Park Technical College, said. “Commencement is also an opportunity for families, friends, and Moraine Park employees to surround our graduates with support and offer congratulations for this momentous achievement. For these reasons, we are hopeful that by postponing the date, it will allow all of us to celebrate together.”

For Moraine Park’s COVID-19 updates, visit morainepark.edu/coronavirus.

Moraine Park, as well as other Wisconsin Technical College’s, are working to find a solution to the shortage of face masks at our local healthcare systems.

Kim Olson, a mechanical design technology instructor at Moraine Park, has been working virtually with colleagues to design and print masks on a 3D printer.

He has successfully designed and printed some samples, but is working on efficiency and waiting to see if they can get approval for these to be used in a medical facility.

“The masks need to be approved for efficacy by the medical profession, and we need to become a certified manufacturer before a healthcare facility could accept them,” Kim said. ” We aren’t sure if the state will have the ability to certify each technical college, but if they can, we will be ready!”

Kim’s hard work is just one of the ways that Moraine Park is working to provide solutions during the COVID-19 outbreak. The College also made a significant donation of PPE to local healthcare facilities in our district and the College’s culinary program donated their perishable foods to local food banks.

For more information on moraine park, visit morainepark.edu.