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Moraine Park Technical College Blog - Imagine What's Next
Business, Community Engagement, Fair Trade, Service Learning

Impacting our Local and Global Communities


Pictured from Right to Left: Marissa Schisel, Deputy David Tackett, Samantha Nowak, Valerie Stafford, Kimberly Peterson, Heidi Mahoney, Heather Fousek, Amy Harmsen
(Missing: Tara Smith, Laura Jorgensen, Tyler Kaufman and Brian Wilhelms).

Amy Harmsen’s Fall, 2019 Business Practicum students made a generous impact on their local and global communities, while learning all the ins and outs of creating and managing a small business! 10 students in Amy’s fall class partnered with our local Just Fare Market and created their own Fair Trade Pop Up Shop with beautiful Mayan Hands friendship bracelets, mini chocolates from Equal Exchange, and hot cocoa and milk chocolate bars from Divine Chocolate.

  • fall 2019 business students
    (right to left) Valerie Stafford and Taran Smith
  • fall 2019 business students
    (right to left) Heather Fousek and Laura Jorgensen
  • fall 2019 business students
    (right to left) Rachel from Just Fare Market Marissa Schisel, Samantha Nowak, Valarie Stafford, Kimberly Peterson, Heather Fousek, Amy Harmsen

Students sold Fair Trade products throughout the semester and were very proud to use their profits to give donations of $179.07 each to the FDL County Sheriff’s Shop with a Cop program and the FDL Humane Society. Sales of the Fair Trade products also benefited farmers and artisans in Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Ghana! 3 students, Heather Fousek, Taran Smith and Valerie Stafford, also earned full scholarships to attend the National Fair Trade Colleges Conference in Pasadena, CA in March. Congratulations!

fair trade college logo

Moraine Park Technical College was named the first Fair Trade technical college in the U.S in May 2015! Fair trade supports farmers and artisans in developing countries. These producers lack economic opportunity and often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their goods. Fair Trade is about making a tremendous impact on artisan and farmer communities while offering great products to the public all around the world.

January 20, 2020by Anne Lemke
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Clubs & Organizations, Community Engagement, Diversity, Fair Trade

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

miranda paul event

On October 29, in celebration of Fair Trade Month, the Moraine Park Technical Fair Trade College and Just Fare Market hosted a wonderful education event!

miranda paul event

Over 600 Grades 3-5 students and teachers from FDL and NFDL elementary schools, Riverside, STEM, and Friendship, and 50 plus community members enjoyed an amazing story from One Plastic Bag Author Miranda Paul!

miranda paul event

The evening event also included educational community partner displays focused on the Fair Trade Principle of “respecting the environment” from Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, CD Smith, FDL Audubon, Sustain FDL, UWFDL Fair Trade University and FDL Fair Trade Towns!

miranda paul event

Miranda Paul has been a teacher in Gambia as well as the owner of a Fair Trade store in Green Bay. Her presentation focused on two of her books, “One Plastic Bag” and “I am Farmer.”   One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia tells the inspiring story of five women who creatively dealt with their village’s plastic trash problem. Despite limited resources and ridicule, Isatou and her friends persevered for more than a decade, eventually realizing economic empowerment through their recycled plastic purse project. 

miranda paul event

I am Farmer, written in collaboration with Baptiste Paul, is the true story of how environmentalist Farmer Tantoh is transforming the landscape in his home country of Cameroon. When Tantoh Nforba was a child, his fellow students mocked him for his interest in gardening. Today he’s an environmental hero, and bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to the central African nation of Cameroon.

miranda paul event

A big thank you to Just Fare Market for their Fair Trade education leadership and education grants from CSA and FDL Area Foundation in bringing Miranda Paul to visit for Fair Trade Month! Each 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom also received a copy of One Plastic Bag and were able to get their books autographed by Miranda!

See lots more amazing event photos here!

miranda paul event
November 13, 2019by Anne Lemke
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Clubs & Organizations, Community Engagement, Culinary & Foods, Diversity, Fair Trade

Together We Can Make a World of Difference

picture of the earth from space with stars in the background

In celebration of Fair trade Month and Global Climate Change Week, a community wide Empowering the Conversation event will be held in the Moraine Park Technical Fair Trade College Fond du Lac Campus Commons on October 29. A Global Market will be open starting at 11 am throughout the day and evening. At 5:00 pm displays by area environmental groups and sales by Fair Trade businesses as well as Fair Trade refreshments prepared by the MPTC culinary arts students will begin.

At 6:00 pm, Miranda Paul will be the featured speaker with ” “Think Globally, Act Locally: Two Stories, Two Heroes, Many Ways to Help,”
Miranda has been a teacher in Gambia as well as the owner of a Fair Trade store in Green Bay. Her presentation will focus on two of her books, “One Plastic Bag” and “I am Farmer.”   One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia tells the inspiring story of five women who creatively dealt with their village’s plastic trash problem. Despite limited resources and ridicule, Isatou and her friends persevered for more than a decade, eventually realizing economic empowerment through their recycled plastic purse project. 

I am Farmer, written in collaboration with Baptiste Paul, is the true story of how environmentalist Farmer Tantoh is transforming the landscape in his home country of Cameroon. When Tantoh Nforba was a child, his fellow students mocked him for his interest in gardening. Today he’s an environmental hero, and bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to the central African nation of Cameroon.

Several of Miranda’s books will be available for sale and autographs.  Displays and the Fair Trade sale will be open until 8:00 pm.

October 4, 2019by Anne Lemke
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Community Engagement, Culinary & Foods, Diversity

Darmstadt & Wisconsin 2019!

Germany exchange 2019

From September 12 – 23, 2019, Moraine Park hosted 14 students and 2 instructors from the Peter Behrens Schule in Darmstadt, Germany.

This was a wonderful cultural opportunity for German and Wisconsin students, staff and volunteers to learn and have fun together! German students were hosted by MPTC families or stayed at the VUE Campus apartments. The students and instructors experienced a whirlwind of WI culture including Lambeau Field Tour, Lake Winnebago Tour, Just Fare Market, Harley Museum, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Bucks, WI Badgers, farmers markets, WI Dells, Trek Bike races, Culvers, Friday fish fries, WI supper clubs and more! Students also attended MPTC classes related to their fields of study at both Fond du Lac and West Bend Campuses.

A big thank you to our Culinary Instructor James Simmers for hosting this awesome opportunity, and all of our volunteers, Rachel Tease, Eric Ludwig, Heidi Sternig, Kevin Rodriquez, David Mulder, Kevin Niedfeldt, Jill Stiemsma, Bobbi Fields, Tina Cordell, Lisa Dougherty, Jim Daniels, Melissa Schmidt and Chris Frederick; and also to Tinesha Smith at the VUE for helping make this a tremendous experience for all!

  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
  • Germany exchange 2019
September 26, 2019by Anne Lemke
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Community Engagement, Fair Trade

Fair Trade Colleges – Empowering the Conversation

Fair Trade College

Did you know Moraine Park is a Fair Trade College?  Actually we are the first Fair Trade technical college in the U.S.  Way to go MPTC!  In May, 2018 we celebrated 3 years as a Fair Trade college!


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October 3, 2018by Anne Lemke
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Clubs & Organizations, Community Engagement, Fair Trade

It’s a Small World after all!

Nepal students celebrate gifts of school supplies

Did you ever say to yourself, “Wow what a small world it is!”?  Did you ever wonder what the power of partnerships and collaboration could do?  That was never more evident than with this very special thank you note and beautiful photos all the way from Kathmandu, Nepal to Fond du Lac, WI that arrived just after Christmas Break.
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January 15, 2018by Anne Lemke
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Clubs & Organizations, Community Engagement, Fair Trade

Trick or Treat! Give Me Something Good to Eat!

Fair Trade chocolate samples

In celebration of Fair Trade Month, the MPTC Fair Trade College Team and Just Fare Market held a delicious lunch time event on Tuesday, October 25 at the Fond du Lac Campus (see our photos below!). Participants enjoyed Fair Trade chocolate chip cookies made by our very own Instructor Tom Endejan and culinary students.  Just Fare Market provided Fair Trade chocolate samples, as well as a beautiful variety of Fair Trade items for shopping!  Participants also entered a drawing to win Fair Trade chocolate prizes, with the grand prize including a copy of the new book “Bitter Side of Sweet”.
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October 28, 2016by Anne Lemke
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Community Engagement, Fair Trade

Be an agent for change!

Anne Lemke shown with Fair Trade tea

Did you know Moraine Park is a Fair Trade College?  Actually we are the first Fair Trade technical college in the U.S.  Go MPTC!  In May, 2016 we will celebrate our one year anniversary as a fair trade college!

What is Fair Trade?

Fair trade supports farmers and artisans in developing countries who are socially and economically marginalized. These producers lack economic opportunity and often face steep hurdles in finding markets and customers for their goods. Fair Trade is about making a tremendous impact on artisan and farmer communities while offering great products to the public all around the world.
Continue reading

April 11, 2016by Anne Lemke
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