August 26^th each year is a reminder of the civil rights movement for women to vote in the United States.  Dating back to 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, where the first women’s rights convention was held, this day commemorates the day in 1973 when Women’s Equality Day would be officially recognized each year by the United States Congress. 

The day calls attention to a woman’s right to vote and be treated as 1^st class citizens, just like the men.  Our country still strives to close equity gaps in pay for women compared to men. On average, women make $0.80 for every dollar earned by male colleagues, according to an article on business.org.

At Moraine Park, we strive through our NTO (non-traditional occupation) programming to offer occupations to women that are predominately occupied by males.  We believe you can achieve what you set out to achieve and MPTC is here to remind you this day in history came with barriers, and now those barriers do not exist. 

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the passing of the 19^th amendment and as our country is more divided than ever in regards to civil rights and social justice issues, MPTC wants to encourage students to be informed, make an impact in your community and exercise your right to vote, because someone, a long time ago fought for you to do so.

To learn more about our NTO programs, visit morainepark.edu/nto.

Moraine Park Technical College awarded its first business and industry partnership awards, recognizing valued partners of 2019. The College’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) team has implemented five separate partnership awards to be presented each fiscal year; Excellence in Partnership, Employer of the Year, Innovation, New Partner of the Year, and Workforce Development Champion.

The Excellence in Partnership award is given to an organization involved in several areas of the college including advisory committees, Foundation donations, TechConnect, EWD contracts, and boot camp internships. The 2019 award recipient is Mayville Engineering Co. (MEC). As a longtime partner, MEC has supported its employees serving on Moraine Park advisory committees; welding fabrication, IT applications developer, and mechanical design technology. Their generous contributions to the Promise program were vital in meeting fundraising goals, ultimately helping fund tuition for students who otherwise couldn’t afford it. MEC has been utilizing TechConnect and partnering with EWD both in contracted services and as a boot camp internship site for several years. All of these reasons, and more, earned them the inaugural Excellence in Partnership award.  The College presented the award to MEC representatives Alex Crimmings, Charles Francis, and Kevin Smith, during a small, private gathering.

The Employer of the Year award is given to an employer who has made a significant investment in their staff through a partnership with Moraine Park Technical College. The 2019 award recipient is Mercury Marine, for being a valued and consistent partner with Moraine Park. Mercury Marine has partnered with the College to launch the following development programs: Basic Shop Math, CNC Machining Fundamentals, CNC Machining Level 2, Core Skills, Forklift Train the Trainer, Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, Inspire Supervisor Series, Intro to Engine Fundamentals, Nims Review, and Dealer Training. The College presented the award virtually to Andres Gonzalez, vice president of human resources at Mercury Marine.

The Innovation Award is given to an organization that implemented an innovative solution to a workforce challenge. The 2019 award recipient is Bike Friendly West Bend, for their work and collaboration that surrounded the implementation of bike racks around the city of West Bend. The racks were created by students in the mechanical design and welding programs at Moraine Park. As a result of this project, the students gained valuable real-life experience and earned service learning hours.  As well, the City of West Bend was positively impacted and can move forward in their bike-friendly efforts. The College recognized Bike Friendly West Bend and representatives Andrew Schumacher and Jeff Puetz with a virtual recognition. 

The New Partner of the Year award is given to an organization that supports Moraine Park through contributions, sponsorships, or involvement for the first time. The 2019 award recipient is Envision Greater Fond du Lac for their collaboration and engagement in the development and delivery of the new Leading Through People and Processes (LPP) program. Envision began working with Moraine Park in the winter of 2018 to create an innovative approach to leadership development within the Fond du Lac community. Their existing program had been in direct competition with the College’s offerings, and the goal was to show the community the value of collaboration and partnership while creating a new best practice opportunity. The Leading Through People and Processes (LPP) program, launched in summer 2019, was the first training program developed and delivered collaboratively with Moraine Park. The College presented the award to Envision Fond du Lac representatives Holly Brenner, Allen Buechel, James Cleveland, Sadie Parafiniuk, and Paul Reetz at a small, private gathering.

The Workforce Development Champion award is given to an individual focused on improving the skills and retention of personnel in the region and has positively impacted workforce issues around recruitment, training, and career development. The 2019 award recipient is Harley Lemkuil from Specialty Cheese. Specialty Cheese Inc. first partnered with Moraine Park, as a boot camp internship site, in 2019. Since then, under the leadership of Lemkuil, they have created additional partnerships with the College including machining onsite training and participation in the EWD’s podcast. Lemkuil is always looking for ways to help provide resources to improve the lives of employees including a rideshare program, training in Spanish and English, and child care services. Additionally, Lemkuil is exploring having onsite English Language Learner (ELL) classes. The College recognized Harley in a virtual setting.

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

*In person photos were taken prior to the statewide mandate.*

Strengthening community impact is a strategic priority at MPTC.

Connecting the college and community for the goals of fostering collaboration and connectivity among business, alumni and community partners, increases the visibility of the college impact to the communities we serve.  Moraine Park students and employees are also helping fulfill community needs, sharing their time and talent, connecting and volunteering to help and improve the communities where we live, work and go to school.

Since we started tracking the volunteer and service learning hours that students and staff submitted we have now reached over 8,000 hours with an economic impact throughout the MPTC district of over $200,000. Way to go!

Find out more about student volunteering and service projects in our blog stories – listing found down the right hand side of our community impact web page.

Moraine Park Technical College is one of five Wisconsin Technical College System colleges to receive a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its Student Support Services (SSS) program.

The SSS program, also known as EDGE at Moraine Park, seeks to help students who are low-income, first-generation to college and/or have a learning disability, with a purpose to help students meet their goals and graduate from college. The EDGE program offers many services to help students stay on track, including academic advising, financial aid, and scholarship resources, cultural events, skills development, and tutoring. All services are provided to eligible students at no cost. This is the third consecutive grant received for Moraine Park’s EDGE program. 

Since the program began in 2010, it has served over 430 students. Currently, the program serves 140 active students at the College and has proven to be a gateway to success for eligible students.

“First-generation to college, low income, and disabled students face unique challenges to completing college degrees, and SSS TRIO programs like EDGE help students overcome those obstacles to be successful,” Kristina Buchanan, director of EDGE at Moraine Park, said. “I am honored to be able to help our students each year – their stories of courageous persistence and success in the face of incredible odds is inspiring.”

In the 2018-19 academic year, EDGE students achieved a 94% persistence rate, 91% good academic standing rate, 54% degree completion rate, and 20% of students transferred on to higher education opportunities after earning their degree.

“When I first joined EDGE, I had no idea how amazing this program would be,” Jessica Reinke, Moraine Park student, said. “College is hard, but EDGE has made my college experience more attainable, achievable, and less worrisome. I’m going to school for nursing and have many classes to study for. I wish everyone could have and know the value of this program that MPTC offers. It is truly amazing.”

For more information on the Edge program, visit morainepark.edu/trio.

Moraine Park has named over 1,100 students to the Dean’s List for the spring 2020 semester.

Are you one of them? Click here to find out!

MPTC is pleased to announce we have 2 national scholarship winners!

Jennifer Hakala, Accounting and Kristin Unser, Nursing, are two of 207 Phi Theta Kappa members named across the USA, as 2020 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars. Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

The Coca-Cola Leaders Program helps new Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in Society programs and are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential. Nearly 700 applications were received.

A total of $207,000 is awarded through the Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation provides $200,000 in funding for the scholarships, with $25,000 set aside for members who are veterans or active members of the United States military. The remaining amount is supported by donations to the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation and provides seven Global Leaders of Promise Scholarships, earmarked for international students.

“The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges,” said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow’s leaders of the global community.”

The funds provided by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation not only aid college completion, but also give students the opportunity to engage in Society programs and develop leadership skills to become future leaders in their communities.

“Research shows that Phi Theta Kappa members are four times more likely to complete a college degree than their peers,” said Dr. Monica Marlowe, Executive Director of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation. “The Leaders of Promise Scholarships recognize students for what they have achieved already and assure that financial need isn’t an obstacle to achieving their academic goals.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges.

To find out more about PTK at MPTC contact Anne Lemke, Student Community Impact Coordinator at alemke2@morainepark.edu or Amy Harmsen, Business Instructor at aharmsen@morainepark.edu

Join our Beta Mu Kappa facebook page today!

In the Fall of 2019, Welding Instructor Steve Henderleiter began planning a service learning project for his Spring, 2020 students. Sandy Paws, the new dog park in West Bend, needed a sign.

Four students took on the project this spring, using geometry and rigging skills, as well as the welding they learned in fall semester. When COVID caused schools to shut down from mid March until mid May, it put extra pressure on Steve and his students to meet the June 30 completion deadline on their project.

Students were committed and worked hard and fast to make it happen! They put in extra volunteer hours to get the PAWS project done, plus made sure to get all their regular assignments completed.

Steve is super proud of his students! “Many students don’t get real world experience on their resume. Having this service project helps out their community, and gives them the hands on experience they need, prior to graduation. Now they will be able to find a job and handle issues that come up in welding project situations.” Associate Dean of Manufacturing Marcia Arndt stated, “So proud of the work that these students have accomplished under the constraints of limited classroom time.  Steve as always you have done amazing work with giving these students real world experience and pride in helping the community. “

Steve himself is a dog lover. Sadly, his own dog passed away during the project before the sign was complete. Students added her name and birthday onto the sign in special memory.

For more information on MPTC welding programs

Moraine Park Technical College’s nursing program is working to help students adapt to the increased utilization of telehealth technology. The Wisconsin Technical College System identified this need in 2013 and approved a grant to help implement this learning into the curriculum.

Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought forward the importance of offering patient care remotely, and Moraine Park continues to utilize this vital technology. To aid in these efforts, Moraine Park partnered with GrandCare, a provider of telehealth systems, in 2013.

The College’s partnership with GrandCare is coming to an end this year. However, GrandCare made a generous contribution to aid telehealth education for both present and future students. The original grant afforded the College the usage of GrandCare’s telehealth unit, and this last fall, GrandCare donated the unit to Moraine Park, allowing students the opportunity to continue to interact with the equipment.

“We are grateful to GrandCare for their partnership,” Kelly Shafaie, Associate Dean of Nursing at Moraine Park, said. “They have been a vital part of our telehealth teachings, and our faculty and students will benefit from their generosity for years to come.”

For more information on Moraine Park’s nursing program, visit morainepark.edu/nursing.

Rob Johnson of West Bend and Katharine Schlieve of Waupun were welcomed as the newest members of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board on July 13. Both Johnson and Schlieve will serve as additional member representatives, with terms expiring in June 2023.

Johnson serves as the CEO of Kettle Moraine YMCA, and through his career experience, has seen first-hand the value of technical education.

“Moraine Park plays a vital role for our youth looking to continue and expand their learning and seasoned professionals looking to refine and develop new skills applicable to the ever-changing job market,” Johnson said. “Our current economic conditions have put incredible pressure on employers like the Kettle Moraine YMCA, and having Moraine Park Technical College as a partner is critical to our success and the success of other businesses in our region.”

Johnson has been an active part of the West Bend community for many years.  He currently serves as a non-profit representative for West Bend Community and as a board member for the Historic West Bend Theatre. He previously served as the president of United Way for Washington and Dodge Counties. Additionally, he served as president for the Noon Kiwanis Clubs in both Beaver Dam and West Bend.

“I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Moraine Park to engage students either in practicum or internships with the YMCA,” Johnson said. “I am proud to now be part of the District Board and look forward to but the opportunities the lie ahead.”

Schlieve serves as the city administrator and director of economic development for the City of Waupun. As a second-generation technical college graduate, she understands the benefits that the Wisconsin Technical College System brings to our local economy.

“My commitment to higher education formed when I watched my mother pursue her nursing degrees from Moraine Park,” Schlieve said. “Then again, as a young adult, when I graduated from MATC-Milwaukee. That was just the start of my educational journey. I truly believe that technical education is a pathway to opportunity and a strong quality of life.”

Schlieve is an active community member throughout Fond du Lac and Dodge counties. Currently, she serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Envision Greater Fond du Lac, Destination Lake Winnebago Region, and the Waupun Area Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she serves as an adviser for the Dodge County Manufacturing Business Alliance and a business coach for the IGNITE! Network in Fond du Lac County. She previously served on the Waupun Area School District Board of Education, among other boards and committees.

“It is my strong belief in the transformative power of technical education that will help me support the advancement of Moraine Park’s mission as a member of the District Board,” Schlieve said. “From my viewpoint, the college is uniquely positioned to strengthen economic prosperity, and I am proud to commit my time to support its mission.”

Also sworn in alongside Johnson and Schlieve was Mike Schwab of Jackson, retaining his spots on the board as an elected official member, respectively. His new term will also expire in June of 2023.

Leaving the Moraine Park District Board are Lowell Prill and Cindy Laubenstein. Prill, a member since 2011, served as the Vice-Chairperson and, most recently, Secretary of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board, and member of several committees of the District Boards Association.  Laubenstein, a member since 2017, served as the Moraine Park Technical College District Board representative to the Moraine Park Foundation Board, as well as a member of the Internal Best Practices Committee of the District Boards Association. Prill and Laubenstein were honored for their service to the College at the June board meeting.

“We are grateful to both Lowell Prill and Cindy Laubenstein, for their years of loyal service, leadership, and friendship,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president said. “They have promoted technical and adult education to meet the educational and training needs of our district, and we thank them for their commitment to Moraine Park Technical College and its communities.”

The 2019-20 District Board members for Moraine Park were also nominated into office during the meeting. The following board members will serve as officers: Bur Zeratsky, chairperson; Mike Schwab, vice-chairperson; Bob Lloyd, treasurer; Candy Fields, secretary.

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