A grant from the U.S. Department of State will boost a growing study abroad program at Chippewa Valley Technical College. CVTC applied for a $35,000 State Department grant to support an Experiencing Postsecondary Learning Overseas through Relevant Education (EXPLORE) program with the goal to expand CVTC's capacity to offer study abroad opportunities.

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) last week recognized 16 technical college students as “WTCS Ambassadors” at a ceremony in Wisconsin Dells. After a full day of leadership training, the students will champion opportunities in technical education at events and in videos and publications throughout the coming year. Baird, an employee-owned, international financial services firm headquartered in Milwaukee, has sponsored the WTCS State Ambassador program since its inception more than a decade ago.

Mishicot and Kaukauna High Schools were among eight nationally that were recognized last week for programs, delivered in partnership with Wisconsin technical colleges, that “represent the best of Career & Technical Education (CTE).” The schools were honored in front of state and national leaders with Excellence in Action awards at the 2019 Advance CTE Spring Meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland.

For the first time ever in Northeast Wisconsin, students who complete a two-year Construction Management Technology degree at Fox Valley Technology (FVTC) now have somewhere local to complete their bachelor's degree. After more than a year of discussions, Concordia University and FVTC signed an agreement for a two plus two program. Students who successfully complete the Construction Management Technology program at FVTC can then apply for the same program at Concordia.

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College and Lakeland University have announced a transfer partnership. The WITC To Lakeland guaranteed transfer program will allow students to complete an associate degree at WITC and then transfer seamlessly to Lakeland as a college junior. WITC graduates who meet all the requirements are guaranteed direct admission to Lakeland, where they can complete a related bachelor’s degree.

Michael Kopper and Michele Whitfield donated $2.85 million to the Gateway Technical College Foundation to fund scholarships for students in engineering and manufacturing-related programs as well as benefit students in the college’s Promise program. A total of $1.5 million was contributed to establish the Kopper Family Fund while $1.35 million will go to Gateway’s Promise program.

A Gateway Technical College instructor and student are among the 30 Round Two winners of Foxconn’s statewide Smart Cities-Smart Futures contest and advance to the third, and final, round of the competition. Gateway Horticulture instructor Kate Field advanced in the Food category while Gateway student Donald Heckel advanced in the Mobility and Transportation category. Both will receive a $1,500 award and were honored at a Foxconn recognition ceremony and Round 3 kickoff ceremony today hosted by Gateway at its SC Johnson iMET Center in Sturtevant.

Thousands of nursing students throughout Wisconsin will be able to save hundreds of dollars on textbooks and develop skills through the use of virtual reality as a result of a grant awarded to Chippewa Valley Technical College. The U.S. Department of Education awarded the $2.5 million grant to CVTC as the lead institution on an open textbook pilot project in which all 16 Wisconsin technical colleges will take part. CVTC partnered with Gateway, Northeast and Madison Area technical colleges in developing the proposal, with all playing major roles.

Governor Tony Evers has proclaimed February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in Wisconsin to highlight the state’s efforts to develop students for a wide-range of careers, post-secondary education, or both. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, approximately 70 percent of 11th and 12th graders in Wisconsin participate in CTE courses in fields like agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, business and information technology, health science, marketing and entrepreneurship, and technology and engineering.