Each year, Moraine Park Technical College recognizes the hard work and academic achievement of students throughout the year, and despite the shortened time on campus, this year had no shortage of exceptional accomplishments.

Congratulations to all of the 2019-20 Student Award winners!

Student Senate leadership recognition included:

Student Government leadership for District Student Government (DSG) and Wisconsin Student Government (WSG) are:

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Picking a program can be as simple as A, B, C. Steve Maraboli is quoted as saying “Life is simple, it’s just not easy”.  The same can be said of deciding on a career path. You put a lot of thought into it. You asked a parent, best buddy, relative, and maybe even the family dog – “what career should I chose?” But. . . how do you really know which career is right for you? The MPTC Careers Instructors are here to help you find an answer to that questions. Just follow your A, B, C’s. . .

Assess.

Take career assessments to figure out who you really are. What do you like? What are you good at? What is truly important to you? What problems of the world would you like to solve? What are your natural gifts? Answers to these questions can get you on the road to identifying and utilizing your true gifts. We all have unique gifts. Take the time find out what they are.  A great investment in YOU.

Brainstorm careers.

Once you have an idea of “who you are”, now it’s time to brainstorm career options. What careers are out there in the world anyway? Unprecedented times will bring unprecedented opportunities.

Clarify fit.

Now that you know what’s out there, it’s time to clarify what fit’s YOU. Is salary important to you? How about location? Are you looking for a career with short training requirements? Whatever your “hot points”, clarify before jumping into a career. It could save you the frustration of a never-ending cycle of unsatisfying jobs.

If you are interested in checking out career opportunities that might be out there for YOU, contact one of the MPTC Careers Instructors. We would be happy to walk this journey with you. It’s as simple as A, B, C.

Contact a Careers Instructor today. – Yes, we can meet with you virtually!
Beaver Dam Fond du Lac West Bend
Wendy Herrmann, M.A.                    Dr. Rhonda Roehrig                  Lisa Ferguson, M.S.
wherrmann1@morainepark.edu   rroehrig2@morainepark.edu  lferguson@morainepark.edu
920-887-4437                                       920-924-3244                                262-335-5773

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On March 9, 2020, students in Sarah Ninmer’s Marketing and Social Media Management class presented their marketing and design plan for the ARC Fond du Lac to Executive Director Liz Morrell. Students worked on the plan throughout the spring semester as a service learning project, designing social media for facebook, instagram, and hulu. Students also created ideas for you tube, print ads and radio ads. Students explained the goals of the new plan for increasing donors, growing community involvement, recruiting volunteers, and promoting employment opportunities.

All marketing content was designed to encourage engagement and appeal to a broad audience. Liz told the students, “thank you so much for all this great work! I love your ideas and can’t wait to implement them. You are making my head spin with so much creativity!”

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Ready to head out on a new adventure? Have you ever thought about becoming a commercial truck driver? You may ask yourself, what does it take to get the required license to drive a truck? You’ll need to get a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) to practice driving on public roads.

Take the first step towards a new career by enrolling in Moraine Park’s CDL Learner’s Permit Exam Prep class. You will meet face to face with an instructor who will guide you through the requirements to obtain your Commercial Learners Permit in as little as a week. Our 15 hour classroom course will introduce you to the trucking industry, familiarize you with the different written exams, background and medical information, and prepare you to pass the required knowledge exam whether you plan to apply for a CLASS A, B, or C license. Once you are issued a Commercial Learners Permit, you may operate a commercial motor vehicle as indicated on your permit with another person licensed to drive the same type of vehicle.

If you have a valid Wisconsin Driver’s License and an acceptable driving record, Moraine Park Technical College can help you take that first step towards a truck driving career.

Make an investment in your future today. In as little as one week, we can prepare you to pass the knowledge exam.  Get started by enrolling an upcoming class.

Monday – Thursday, June 1 -4, 2020
5:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m.
Fond du Lac Campus, Room B-128
CRN 10203

Monday – Thursday, September 14-20, 2020
5:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m.
West Bend Campus, Room T-104
CRN 20328

Monday – Thursday, November 2- 5, 2020
5:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m.
Fond du Lac Campus, Room B127
CRN 20327

To register, please call 1-800-472-4554. For questions, please contact Laurie at lbarz@morainepark.edu or visit  https://www.morainepark.edu/academics/continuing-education/licensure-and-certificates/ .

Disclaimer: Moraine Park does not provide vehicles to practice on.

The Dream Big project started in 2017 with Boys and Girls Clubs of Fond du Lac and Tri-County Area teens learning more about the over 100 careers available through MPTC. This is a great community partnership opportunity for Moraine Park students to showcase their careers and make a true community impact and for area teens to get excited about career choices!

Fond du Lac Boys and Girls Club Teen Services Director Dillon Wiese said, “We are so excited for these Dream Big opportunities! At Boys and Girls Clubs we work hard to prepare teens with life skills to get ready for the world of work.  At Dream Big Criminal Justice our students experienced finger printing, hand cuffing, jail cell searches, and what professional skills it takes to work in a criminal justice career. Our partnership with MPTC is a great way for teens to explore their interests, learn about careers, get ready for college and know they really can achieve their dreams! Thank you MPTC!”

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The MPTC Teaching Fellows program, currently running its fourth cohort, invites faculty members to study the science behind teaching and learning in order to offer the best instruction possible to their students. Faculty apply for a place in each year’s group and commit to meeting monthly with their peers to share what they know, learn from each other, and discuss research on topics like how the human brain processes knowledge, why some students don’t like school, and how making room for failure in the classroom leads to deeper learning.

Faculty observe each other’s classes and complete a research project of their own. Bobbi Mand, Basic Education Instructor and current Teaching Fellow, reflects on the value of visiting colleagues’ classrooms. “I was impressed with the level of student engagement in the class! Students were listening intently to the lecture, participating in group discussions, and collaborating to gather information to present medical conditions to the class. I learned new teaching strategies that I can implement in the Student Success Center.” This type of collaborative learning and growth among faculty is central to the year-long experience.
The research project encourages each Fellow to apply the ideas being shared in their monthly meetings in their classrooms. Each participant selects a high impact learning concept to put into practice in their classrooms and then measures the effect it has on their students. Past research projects have focused on differentiating assessments (offering a variety of ways for students to show their learning), incorporating metacognitive strategies into the curriculum, and supporting mental health in the classroom. This year’s research projects have been chosen and are already positively impacting MPTC students.

Ben McKenzie, Associate Dean of Health and Teaching Fellows facilitator, highlights the value of the program: “Faculty members get to share their experiences, both high and lows. As educators, they have found both enjoyment and success and have a desire to continually improve the experience for themselves, their students, and other educators. Teaching Fellows provides an opportunity to take your guard down, define areas of strength and explore areas where one would like to improve.”

This year’s cohort recently explored the role authenticity plays in student engagement and success by individually assembling a doorbell circuits under the direction of one of MPTC’s nursing assistant faculty. Gus Boyle-Gustavus, Electricity Instructor, Teaching Fellow, and faculty member who could have more authentically guided learners through the activity reflects on the goals of the activity, shares that, “We attempted to bring to light that if one is not educated on the subject matter they are instructing, the students will not trust, respect, or follow the instructor’s lead. When the students realized Jodie [the nursing assistant faculty] was not authentically providing clear and knowledgeable instruction, they either stopped working on the activity or took initiative to figure it out on their own. Some students were elated when they figured it out on their own, but others were frustrated that they couldn’t get their doorbells working. Teachers don’t need to have all the answers; we do need to exude competence in the subjects we are instructing.”

Teaching Fellows is just one of many efforts supported by the college to ensure that when students choose Moraine Park, they’re choosing an educational institution as outstanding and innovative as they are. As Jim Eden, Vice President of Academic Affairs explains, “Teaching Fellows is a great opportunity for faculty to share and enhance their teaching skills. We live in a very dynamic environment and it is crucial faculty continue to evolve their teaching skills and delivery methodologies to meet a very diverse student population. I am very proud of all the work Teaching Fellows are doing.”

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Second semester nursing students in Beaver Dam are working hard to learn how to assess and care for a laboring mother. At the whiteboard they are outlining details of each stage of labor. On the torso model the student is practicing fundal massage which prevents severe bleeding after birth. There is also a model of a placenta sitting next to the torso so the student can visualize the actual size of the wound left in the uterus after birth and truly understand the risk of bleeding to the woman if the uterus does not contract down. Practicing information, doing hands-on skills and connecting rationales with nursing actions helps nursing students solidify their knowledge and develop competency.

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We all have goals of living a happy meaningful life. After completing the “Learning for Independence Program” participants are able to achieve a higher level of success with living independently and being self-sufficient.  On May 7, 2020 thirteen students were able to celebrate successful completion of a 2-year Learning for Independence (LFI) Program, moving them one step closer to meeting their goal of independence.  Typically students are surrounded by family, friends, instructors and school staff for an on-campus celebration were the students share their LFI program portfolios and final comments of the program. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the celebration was held virtually for the first time.

“I am very proud of our LFI graduates! They have made so much progress over the past two years, meshed well as a group and became good friends through this program. Jo Marchiando and the MPTC instructors did a fantastic job of providing a variety of real-world learning opportunities and meeting the students where they were at. The pandemic forced our hand in quickly developing a virtual format and the MPTC staff, instructors and Jo collaborated and quickly adjusted sails,” states Christine Schultz, LFI Program Director.

LFI students are scheduled for three classes each semester at Moraine Park as well as participate in programs and activities on campus at no cost to the students to participate. During the 2 years of classes, students enhance their skills and exposure to career and educational options in technology, finance, manufacturing, customer service, child care and many other areas.  “I enjoyed the home repair and virtual welding classes the best and working together as a team,” shared one of the students.

After completion, the students may have the opportunity to enroll in MPTC courses for credit based on individual needs, interests and preferences. There have been 2 students that transitioned into technical or associate degree programs after completing LFI.

Learning for Independence is a cooperative transition program offered in partnership by Fond du Lac Area High Schools and Moraine Park Technical College.  The students range from 18- 21 years in age, have a documented need for transition services in education, employment and/or independent living. The students have completed four years of high school and met desired level of academic proficiency for graduation at various Fond du Lac County High Schools.

Classes will be starting again in fall 2020.  For additional information on the LFI program or applications for enrollment, please contact Chris Schultz at cschultz@nfdlschools.org or call 920-929-3750, extension 6143.

Cortland Henning of Fond du Lac has been selected to be a part of the 2020-21 Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellows cohort.

Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has announced the 262 students from across the U.S. who will make up this year’s cohort. The Newman Civic Fellowship is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. The fellowship provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, access to exclusive scholarships, and post-graduate opportunities.

Henning, a first-year generation college student, took advantage of Moraine Park’s Promise program to achieve his career goals. He graduated from Fond du Lac High School in spring, 2019 and enrolled in the College’s culinary program this past fall.

“I always wanted to go to college but never knew if it was a possibility for me,” Cortland said. “My family isn’t able to help contribute to my tuition, and I knew that my part-time job wasn’t enough to live on and pay for school.”

Henning is also actively involved at the College. He is an active part of the Student Senate, where he serves as the community manager, and he volunteers at many of the student life events. Also, as part of the Promise program, Cortland is required to volunteer in the community for a minimum of eight hours. To date, he has volunteered over 80 hours of his time at the Fond du Lac High School, where he helps coach the color guard team. Cortland has won a Bronze and Silver Student Community Impact Award for the 2019-20 academic year!

Moraine Park President Bonnie Baerwald said, ” From the first time we met, it was clear to me that Cortland is a goal-driven, passionate, and engaged young man.  He is ambitious and an outstanding ambassador for MPTC and higher education.  Cortland is always willing to lend a hand no matter the task or the commitment.  He has excellent time management skills which allows him to balance work and school while maintaining high academic honors.  With over 80 hours of community service already accrued this school year, Cortland is the model of citizenship that the rest of us hope to emulate in our own lives.  I am proud to be his mentor and look forward to the community and college impact he will demonstrate during his academic journey.”

In total, there were 12 students selected from Wisconsin to participate in the 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellows cohort, and Henning represents one of four technical college students in the group.

“I truly believe education inspires us to be better, and it increases overall societal values,” he said. “Moraine Park has opened so many doors for me, and I look forward to continuing to grow with this new opportunity.”

For more information on the Newman Civic Fellowship, visit compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship.

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