Corrections Club Making a Difference!

Guess what our Corrections Club was up to last week! Criminal Justice/Corrections Club students gave their time and energy to Service-Learning and engaged in a project with Habitat for Humanity in Washington/Dodge County.

Corrections Club President, Jessica Parsons, has passion, enthusiasm and a sincere desire to become actively involved in the community through Service-Learning projects and has passed this passion on to other club members to become engaged in the process.

It began at a meeting when Jessica proposed the club focus should be on giving back to the community.  Students in the program/club identified poverty, homelessness, hunger, MH and AODA issues as some of the contributing factors affecting individuals and correlation among/within the CJ system.  In an effort to increase awareness and empathy among club members, it was decided the club would be part of the solution and get involved!

Club members and advisor met at a Habitat home in Washington County and assisted with mudding drywall, taping windows/doors to prep for painting, texture walls using a hopper and another student would complete the knock down of the texture. Two other students assisted with the breakdown of scaffolding at the other Habitat site (MPTC students in another program are currently building a duplex in Washington Co).

Photo: Joseph Clark, Peter Giove, Matthew Henning, Steve Smith, Jessica Parsons and Joan Barfield (Connections Science Instructor at MPTC).

Near lunchtime, the soon to be owner of the house arrived and the students had the opportunity to meet her and learn that she would be moving in with her four children. Currently, they are living in a homeless shelter.

Interestingly, many of the club members who helped with the house, were students in one or more of Brenda Schaefer’s classes and had the opportunity to engage in service-learning projects previously.

This is proof that service-learning is so meaningful to our students that they would love to help out again. Providing "service" and "learning" can create an impact in the lives of all members of a community.

Northeast Wisconsin Regional Network Gathering!

This last week we had the honor of hosting the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Network Gathering! We had a great opportunity to share and learn from one another!
 
We talked about how student learning is strongest when the service and work students do in the community is intentionally connected to civic development outcomes in the community. The Service Learning Program brings the campus and community together in partnership to share resources, meet real community needs, and educate students about their program. This gives students a chance to take what they learn from class and apply it in their community!

 

 

 

If you would like more information, please contact our service-learning VISTA Natalie Schmitz at 920-924-3337 or nschmitz2@morainepark.edu.

 

MOROCCO--MARCH 2014!!

Students, begin planning now for the next travel opportunity with the college. Spring Break 2014 -- Morocco Bound! Experience the magic and mystery of this fascinating kingdom and learn the language, customs, values, culinary classics and daily life in this coastal country in Northern Africa (it is approximately 9 miles from North Africa to Europe across the Straits of Gibraltar!).

 Hot mint tea service. Moroccan tradition has the server pour the tea from 2-3 feet from the glass.

 Fresh Atlantic catch of the day -- fresh grilled.

 Market

 Fishing fleets

Spice souk (market--fresh saffron, cinnamon and other spices)

Effective July 1, we will start marketing, promoting and encouraging participation in this adventure to the north of Africa. Our guided trip will be directed by a professional guide out of Madison, and Tom Endejan, culinary faculty, will facilitate the learning for the students. Plan now!!

Service Learning Student Recognition and VISTA grant opportunity

Thursday, May 2, Moraine Park celebrated and showcased student service projects from the semester. To make it even better, the culinary students provided the gourmet breakfast. The College service footprint in the Fond du Lac community topped 552 hours and almost $12,000--that number does not include several additional courses and projects not being tracked yet. We are very proud of the efforts of our faculty and students, seeking ways to enhance and strengthen our community connections through performance excellence.

 Members of both Brenda Schaefer's and Julie Dilling's courses from the spring 2013 semester.

 Overview of a service project.

 One group presents about their project with the Solutions Center.

Dr. Jim Eden, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Ms. Brenda Schaefer, S-L coordinator, Jenni Walsh, Executive Director of WiCC, and Dr. Sheila Ruhland, President of Moraine Park were on hand to celebrate and recognize our students' service efforts in the community.

 Q&A session

 The Culinary students delivered a beautiful gourmet breakfast to a packed room.

The College was also granted a VISTA volunteer to begin serving in August 2013. We are working with the Solutions Center to help heighten the awareness of poverty in our community. If you are interested in more information about the VISTA position, please contact Dr. Caron Daugherty at 920-924-3163 or cdaugherty@morainepark.edu.

New Title, New Focus, New Updates

Welcome to the revised international education blog, Experience-Based Learning. This blog supports several goals the bloggers intend for the site. 

First, we want to promote the experience-based learning opportunities the college provides students. While Moraine Park Technical College is an advocate for performance-based learning, students with MPTC will find Experience-Based Learning opportunities substantial supplements to their education. These opportunities include not only the international education voyages you've learned to follow through this blog but also the service-learning experiences many students acquire as part of their curriculum with the college.

You will still get the updates and photos to support the international travels, allowing you to follow your friends and colleagues as they engage in college-related travels. We have a familiarity excursion to Morocco scheduled for January, spring break travels to London, and end-of-semester treks to Germany (and additional locations--Italy? Paris? Amsterdam? Where will James' side trip be this year?). As a first, the college will be represented in Costa Rica for a service-oriented trip to increase international education opportunities at community/technical colleges. This venture combines international education with a service component--and the service takes us to the other aspect of the revised and renovated blog.

The college is committed to enhancing community connections, and service-learning experiences infuse aspects of the community in students' courses. With reflection being key to this fusion of curriculum, theory and application, service-learning activities support our role in the community and allow us to connect with community partners. Just as the Costa Rica trip extends and blends service and travel, a trip to the East Coast is being planned to support service to communities in need. A group of MPTC students plans to volunteer with Hurricane Sandy clean-up and assistance over spring break.

Please support us as we move forward with this new goal for the blog. Share us with your friends. Follow us. Better yet -- join us for experience-based learning, both on the local level with service-learning and at the global level through international education.