Moraine Park Technical College, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Bureau for Drinking & Groundwater, worked to develop and conduct three online training courses to enhance the DNR’s Public Wisconsin Capacity Development program.   

The DNR regulates over 600 municipal water systems, the majority serving a population of fewer than 10,000 people. To ensure that the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of the state’s water utilities is maintained, the DNR created the Wisconsin Capacity Development program, which aims to help public water systems strengthen their ability to consistently supply safe drinking water to their customers. The program focuses on assisting system owners and operators with improving their technical abilities, managerial skills and financial resources to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.  

“The purpose for this training is to increase the technical, managerial, and financial capacity of municipal water systems in Wisconsin, and to help decision-makers at these water systems make informed decisions,” Nicholas Bertolas, Capacity Development & Operator Certification Coordinator for the DNR Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater, said. “We hope these training opportunities will encourage better communication between decision-makers and water utility staff.”   

In 2019, Moraine Park’s Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) department was awarded the project, which included the development, hosting and maintenance of the training for the DNR.   

Each course includes four unique learning modules. The first two modules launched on Dec. 31, 2020, and are free to government bodies (village, city, or town boards), other utility governing boards (utility commissions), and professionals with decision authority as it pertains to drinking water utilities. To incentivize the online training modules, the DNR is offering continuing education credits to operators who take the training, as well as principal forgiveness points towards Safe Drinking Water Loan Program applications to municipalities who have a minimum of 50% of their governing body take and pass the training modules.  

“These training opportunities are unique in that they benefit anyone that takes the course, from the first-time water board member who is just getting an introduction into water quality to the veteran certified operator that can pick-up some best practices,” Matt Goff, Moraine Park instructor, said. “Together we have developed something rather simple that can have a big impact on our local utilities.”  

Moraine Park and the DNR have been long-standing partners on the DNR’s Operators Water Quality Program. They expanded their partnership in 2019 to add both the continuing education training for certified operators of small public drinking water systems and the online program. These programs are free for participants. This 3-year partnership between Moraine Park and the DNR is a first of its kind in Wisconsin, and its structure paves the way for future training opportunities.  

For more information on Moraine Park’s EWD efforts, visit morainepark.edu/training.   

For more information on the DNR’s Capacity Development program, visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/DrinkingWater/CapacityDevelopment.html. 

Prove-It!

Graduation is near. So close you can taste it — Sweet success! . . . But first the job interview.

The Interview

According to Stephen M. R. Covey, “In creating credibility with others, it’s not just results that count; it’s people’s awareness of the results.” Your ability to help others understand your value in an interview situation, is best demonstrated though storytelling. Storytelling is a perfect way to demonstrate a skill or competency. MPTC Electricity students had an opportunity to do just that. Students in Gus Boyle-Gustavus’ Electricity class practiced interviewing skills by sharing Prove-it statements with their classmates. These Prove-it statements included elements of the STAR method. Describe the Situation/Task, what your Action was, and the Result of your action.

Prove-It Statement Examples from MPTC’s Job Search Handbook

(I am organized) For Example, at my last job, the department was really unorganized. I suggested we develop a new file system and workflow pattern, which eliminated three steps in record processing and increased our efficiency.

(I am flexible and a quick learner) At my last employer we experiences a major reorganization due to decreased sales. I assumed some of the duties that were done in a department that was eliminated and helped develop a manual that explained our new focus to other in my department.

For Assistance in Preparing for Interviews

Moraine Park’s Careers Instructors are here to help you.  Request a meeting to chat face-to-face or virtually at www.morainepark.edu/careers.

Contact a Careers Instructor today.
Beaver Dam Career Center                          Fond du Lac Career Center          West Bend Career Center
Vacant                                                                  Lisa Ferguson, M.S.                         Dr. Rhonda Roehrig
@morainepark.edu                                         lferguson@morainepark.edu      rroehrig2@morainepark.edu
920-887-4437                                                     920-924-3244                                     262-335-5773

Moraine Park Technical College has selected Amanda Kollmorgan, of Fond du Lac, as the 2021-22 District Student Ambassador. 

Kollmorgan, an active-duty communications security manager for the Army, came to Moraine Park to finish the college degree she started at a 4-year university. 

“I began my college journey in 2010, right after my deployment to Iraq,” she said. “I didn’t transition well and felt like another face in the crowd. I was not only looking for a great education but also a personalized experience and a place I belonged. I immediately found that at Moraine Park.” 

Kollmorgan’s role in the army prepared her for the Leadership Development program, and she was able to take her classroom knowledge and implement it in her work life. She will earn her Associate degree in Leadership Development this fall and plans to pursue a degree in Accounting as well. 

“Both of these programs align with my current and future goals,” she said. “In my retirement, I hope to own a bakery. The skills I’m learning in leadership and business will help prepare me for that big-picture goal.” 

Kollmorgan is also active on the Fond du Lac Campus, where she is a member of the Student Government, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Student Veteran Association (SVA), and Phi Theta Kappa. 

“For over 14 years, my entire identity has been the Army,” she said. “I love being a soldier, but I was also looking to be part of something more. Moraine Park has not only made me feel like a welcomed part of their family- but being here has ignited passions and goals that I did not know existed before. I am excited for my future and the opportunities it holds.” 

To be eligible for this distinction, students must be nominated by a faculty or staff member at the College, and then give a presentation to a selection committee. In total, there were three students in the final consideration for this role. 

As the selected 2021-22 District Student Ambassador, Kollmorgan will actively serve as a member of the student government, advocate for Moraine Park and the Wisconsin Technical College System as a whole, assist with College activities and events, and represent the student body within the community. 

“Being named the District Student Ambassador is a huge honor,” she said. “I look forward to advocating for my classmates and sharing the many benefits of Moraine Park and a technical college education.” 

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

Who does not LOVE free things- ESPICALLY on your birthday? My favorite 4 letter word is FREE!

My birthday is in a couple of weeks, so I have been busy looking up places that offer a discount/freebie. I have listed them here for you to enjoy as well! Please remember that stores may change or alter their offerings- so it’s best to check with your local store first.

• Goodwill
  • A birthday month discount.
• Applebee’s
  • Member’s of the email club receive free dessert.
• Baskin-Robbins
  • Members of the Birthday Club receive free ice cream.
• Dairy Queen
  • BOGO coupon for signing up for the blizzard fan club.
• Dunkin’ Donuts
  • DD perks members get free drink on their birthday.
• Firehouse Subs
  • Sign up for rewards and receive a free medium sub.
• Jersey’s Mike’s Subs
  • Sign up for email club and get a free birthday sub and drink.
• Noodles & Company
  • Sign up for noodles family and receive a special offer the week before your birthday.

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.

In the summer of 2018, MPTC started posting and tracking service learning and volunteer opportunities online for students and staff. To date, we are so proud to report over 11,000 hours of community service have been tracked with a total economic impact of close to $286,000 throughout the MPTC district of Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Dodge and Washington Counties. Way to go MPTC!

Here is a little breakdown of the service hours so far:

• 250+ students and staff have participated

• 360+ community partners have been served

• As of Spring Semester 2021, 135 students have earned Community Impact Awards

• As of April 2021, 15 employees have earned Community Engagement Awards

Please join in celebrating this important milestone of our college commitment to making an impact on our communities. Together we are truly making a difference!

In an announcement on Tuesday, the IRS issued a warning of scammers impersonating the IRS claiming they needed to click on an embedded link to receive their tax refunds. Do not click on this link! Taxpayers who believe they have a pending refund can easily check on its status at “Where’s My Refund?” on IRS.gov.

Those who receive this scam email should not click on the link in the email but instead report it to the IRS. For those who may have fallen victim to the scam, the IRS recommends obtaining an Identity Protection PIN, which helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns in the victim’s name.

For full details and important links read the full article.

What is STEM in early childhood education?

Students learned how to plan activities in science, technology, engineering and math appropriate for young children. We want young children develop a sound base of skills and love for science, technology, math and engineering. This starts well before elementary school with our educated child care teachers conducting intentional learning activities such as these.

These are some pics of the classroom activities we are doing at MPTC to learn about STEM.

What do students think about this new class?

“STEM was my favorite early childhood class so far! – 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 has announced plans for a limited access in-person commencement ceremony—thanks to the support of their community partner, the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Fond du Lac. 

Typically, the College collaborates with its longtime community partner, Fond du Lac High School, to host the annual ceremony. However, with increased restrictions at the K-12 level, the College needed to explore alternative venues. The College considered options including both a virtual and an outdoor ceremony in hopes to make a celebration possible. 

“Last year presented many difficult scenarios outside of our control,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “While this year has had its fair share of challenges, we at least had time to consider options and prepare. It was a goal of ours to make a safe in-person event a possibility. We understand the extreme pressure our local K-12 school districts are under to maintain their operations and knew utilizing Fond du Lac High School would not be an option this year. However, we look forward to continuing our partnership with Fond du Lac High School in the future.” 

The College explored holding an outdoor ceremony at the College’s Fond du Lac campus. However, limited resources and heightened overall risk eliminated that possibility. 

“Commencement is a large undertaking on a normal year and working through scenarios to relocate it outside was challenging,” Baerwald said. “We had weather, access, equipment, security, and safety to consider, among other things. Our goal is to hold a safe ceremony for our graduates and an outdoor event simply presented too many risks.”  

The College considered holding a virtual ceremony, like many other Colleges in the state, until the Radisson Hotel and Conference center stepped forward with an option to use their facility. 

“The Radisson offers a large open space, and by utilizing their facility, we can hold an in-person ceremony that otherwise would likely not be possible,” Baerwald said. “There are restrictions to ensure overall safety—face coverings and temperature checks are required for entry and ceremony attendance will be limited to graduates only. Due to capacity and social distancing restrictions, we are unable to accommodate guests.”

Baerwald added that the College follows the current recommendations of city, state and county public health officials making a capacity restriction needed regardless of venue.

“Our students have proven to be resilient and flexible during a time of so many unknowns and difficult scenarios,” Baerwald said. “While we know this event will look different, we also know in-person ceremonies in our state are still few and far between. I am proud of the work being done to ensure an in-person celebration for our soon-to-be graduates and am grateful to the Radisson for helping us make this possible.”  

Only graduates and Moraine Park employees executing the event will be permitted to attend. The College is expecting 350 graduates to participate in the ceremony. With current capacity restrictions, the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center can accommodate a maximum of 500 guests, and Baerwald has a goal to stay well under the maximum capacity. 

While family, friends and supporters are not able to participate in person, the event will be available via live stream. Ceremony details will continue to be shared with graduates as they unfold and will be made public on the College’s webpage.

For more information on the 2021 commencement ceremony, visit morainepark.edu/commencement.

What would you think if I told you that local elections are the most important kind of elections, even outweighing national elections? Believe it or not, you can make the most change happen here at home by just participating in your local elections!

Unlike national elections, local elections help us in two ways:

*First, local elections help us acquire and improve needs that are specific to our area, like infrastructure, referendums, health and human services, education, and public works like water and electric.

*Second, local elections help us change the way leadership is structured and renewed. As outlined by the Campus Election Engagement Project, this includes positions like Mayors/City Managers, City Council Members, Judges, and even School Board Members and the Superintendent of Schools.

As community members and stewards of our communities in Fond du Lac, Beaver Dam, West Bend and Green Lake, it is our duty to realize the importance of civic engagement like voting in our local elections, as well as acting upon that importance. We all want to see changes in our community happen, so it is time for us to be that change!

Let us all do our civic duty and vote on April 6^th. To make our communities a brighter place, in order to harbor a better future for generations to come. We owe it to ourselves, our community, and our future.

For more info on upcoming April elections

this post was written by Cortland Henning and submitted by Anne Lemke