PTC impresses MnSCU Civil Rights Auditors

Pine Technical College received rave reviews today, as the college just wrapped up a three-day civil rights audit. Beginning Mon. Mar. 29, PTC hosted five Civil Rights Audit team members who toured the campus, studied its facilities and conducted interviews with faculty, staff and students to determine if PTC's practices make the college accessible, fair and open for all students.

"We looked at and measured Pine Technical College across 32 areas, and from that, we determined whether the college is in compliance, or if the college must take corrective action," Civil Rights Audit team member Bill Warner explained in the exit interview in front of 20 faculty and staff members. "Overall, the team is very impressed with Pine Technical College," Warner added.

Warner detailed many of the positive outcomes the team found. "The students interviewed were extremely positive and think staff and faculty are very supportive; there is a strong focus on student success; there is great support for non-traditional students -- in fact, students who, by definition, are non-traditional do not identify as such -- they feel they are just students and not categorized, which is a good sign; the college has excellent counseling and disabilities services; the college clearly posts all required ADA and EEO statements on its literature, and overall, the college is clean and accepting," Warner explained.

Back in Oct. 2009, PTC learned the Civil Rights Team would visit for the audit and has been working hard to ensure the college is and would be in compliance. The college formed a committee with Penny Hudlow, Director of Human Resources, at its helm.

"PTC already was in compliance with most of the team's requirements," Hudlow says. "Nevertheless, we know details count, and our committee has worked very hard to ensure all our practices in all departments are on target," Hudlow adds.

Photo above: Civil Rights audit team leaders. Back row, L to R: Colette Campbell Stuart, Director of Diversity and Affirmative Action Officer at Hennepin Technical College and Bill Warner, MnSCU Consultant. Front row, L to R: Mary Sam, Director of Diversity at Central Lakes College and Renee Hogoboom, Associate Director of Diversity and Multiculturalism, Office of the Chancellor, MnSCU. Not pictured: Lloyd Petri, Consultant to MnSCU and Southeast Technical College.

Nursing students take part in 2nd Annual Cultural Day

Yesterday, Mar. 24, about 60 practical nursing students took part in the PTC practical nursing program's 2nd Annual Cultural Day. The event was part of a larger project assigned in PRSG 2851 - Clinical Lab 2, and in addition to giving presentations and interpreting interactive displays for the whole student body, students were encouraged to wear traditional clothing representative of their cultures and heritage as well as to bring in ethnic dishes to share with other students.

"In the morning, students gave 20-minute presentations in class on their assigned culture, and in the afternoon, they set up displays with posters, artifacts, handouts, music and videos representative of their assigned culture," said Louisa Krueger, PTC nursing faculty. "The classroom portion took place in the morning, and the fun part with food, music and games was open to everyone in the afternoon," Krueger added.

Cultural groups represented at the event included Amish, Arab, Hispanic, Hmong, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Poverty.

"It's important for those working in healthcare to understand different cultures. This assignment makes our students consider what they need to know about certain cultures to work therapeutically with them," Krueger explains.

The assignment called for students to present a condensed overview of the cultural group and how a healthcare provider or nurse would be culturally sensitive to that group. Students presented information related to cultural groups' communication styles, family organization and roles, nutrition habits, pregnancy and childbearing practices and death rituals and spirituality.

Seven clinical groups were involved in the project, and PTC nursing faculty members Sarah Jennissen, Carleen Kendall, Louisa Krueger, Pam Munkberg, Robin Olson and Dione Thoma spearheaded the assignment and managed the event.

New exhibit highlights Deaf Culture and ASL program

Pine Technical College proudly unveiled a new exhibit that highlights American Sign Language and the Deaf Culture. The exhibit is on display now through next week in the enclosed area near the campus' east entrance.

"American Sign Language is a full, natural language. It uses a gestural-visual modality in which manual signs, facial expressions and body movements all convey complex, linguistic information," explains Kathy Krier, PTC American Sign Language Instructor. "ASL is the language of the Deaf community in the United States and much of Canada, and the Deaf population of the Pine Area has increased in the past few years," Krier adds.

Krier created, assembled and installed the items in the exhibit and encourages students, staff, faculty and visitors to pause and consider the language and culture of the Deaf community. The ASL program at PTC is an 18-credit certificate program that grows each semester.

"Our community needs more people fluent in ASL,” Krier says. "And at PTC, we’re able to help meet that need in our area."

High school students visit PTC for Gold Collar Career Day

PTC welcomed 175 10th and 11th graders from Cambridge-Isanti, East Central, Grantsburg, Pine and Rush City High Schools for the Sixth Annual Gold Collar Career Day event. High school students spent the day on campus participating in hands-on workshops and presentations such as "Robotics Technology," "Virtual Reality Technology," "CNC Manufacturing Technology" and "Engine Technology" -- a workshop presented by Polaris Industries. Plus, event attendees were treated to off-campus tours at manufacturing and hi-tech industry sites including Atscott Manufacturing Company, Inc. in Pine City, Andersen Corporation's manufacturing facility in North Branch and MinPack, a manufacturing facility in Pine City specializing in packaging and print services. The event also featured an inspiring and motivational keynote session with Dr. Jane Snell Copes, inorganic chemist and President/Owner of Science Outside the Box.

"Whatever it is that 15- and 16-year-olds are passionate about — cars, computers, robots, music and even art, they will be able to find a great career doing it in today's gold collar industries," says Dr. Marlene Mixa, Pine Technical College Community Based Jobs and Training Grant Administrator and Outreach Coordinator. "Gold collar jobs — jobs within high-wage, high-skill, high-demand occupations will be, at least for the next 15 years, the most sought-after of all high-paying positions," Mixa adds.

The term gold collar worker refers to highly skilled workers that span generations, regions and occupations and whose minds are not only molded by college education, but also molded through accreditation, certification, vocational and proprietary training. A gold collar worker may work in settings engaged in the mechanical, physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products. They may be a help desk agent with an extensive high-tech background or the LEED accredited professional on a builder’s staff. Gold collar workers are machinists, electrical technicians, equipment makers, automotive technicians, network administrators and more.

"Our Gold Collar Career Day event showcases what kinds of careers these young high school students may work toward in the way of advanced manufacturing," Mixa says. "For example, they may not know they can earn nearly $75,000 a year as a CAD/CAM Designer," Mixa adds.


Photo above: PTC Instructor Dave Defenbaugh explains computer-aided drafting (CAD) and CAM.




Photos above: 11th grade students study engine parts presented by Polaris Industries.

Sixth-grade girls have WIT!

Pine Technical College is in the midst of hosting its ninth annual Women in Technology (WIT) two-day event with more than 260 sixth-grade girls from seven area schools in attendance to learn about careers in hi-tech industries. The event, organized by PTC faculty and staff members, features hands-on demonstrations, a tour of the college and guest presentations such as “The Chemistry of Makeup,” “Fun with Robotics,” “Paper Making,” “Virtual Reality” and more.

“Research has shown girls at this age begin to formulate ideas regarding what careers they may see themselves pursuing in the future,” says PTC Dean of Student Affairs Nancy Mach. “We’ve designed this event to help young girls see and imagine themselves in roles where they are contributing to advanced, hi-tech industries. Many girls at this impressionable age are forming thoughts about what they want to do when they grow up, and this kind of field trip makes a lasting, positive impression,” Mach adds.

This year’s WIT event features an opening keynote presentation from Lori Tapani, Co-President of Wyoming Machine, and a closing session from The Raptor Center with live raptors and a presentation about careers in animal science – with many more presentations and sessions in between.

“Every year, we look forward to sending our sixth-grade girls to this event,” says Wendy Wall, Counselor at Grantsburg Middle School. “They come back with such vibrant energy and enthusiasm for careers in technology and science they may not have considered yet,” Wall adds.

The event runs for two days, and by the time it concludes Mar. 10, nearly every sixth-grade girl from Askov, Braham, Grantsburg, Wisc., Mora, Pine City and Rush City will have experienced WIT. The 2011 WIT event is tentatively scheduled for Mar. 8 and 9, 2011.


Photo above: Sixth-grade girls get a lesson about medicine-making and pharmaceuticals.


Photo above: Interpretive Naturalist Adam Barnett of The Raptor Center presents an owl to an audience of sixth-grade girls at PTC's WIT event.

27th Annual Gun Show a "big success!"

The PTC Shooters Association and gunsmithing students hosted and sponsored the 27th Annual Gun Show this past weekend. More than 2,000 were in attendance to buy, trade and collect firearms, knives and wildlife artwork from the more than 80 vendors displaying across 150 stations.

"I've been coming to this event every year since 1992," says Robert Herschel of St. Paul. "I don't miss it! There's always something new to see and touch that gets my interest," Herschel adds.

Dave Defenbaugh, PTC Gunsmithing Instructor and Advisor to the Shooters Association, says more than half the total of vendors at this year's event have already signed up and plan to return for the 28th Annual Gun Show, Feb. 26-27, 2011.

"Our Gun Show is always a big success -- every year. But, we couldn't do it without our students. Putting together this show is very labor-intensive, and they really pulled it off smooth this year," Defenbaugh says. "We have a really good crop of students in the program," Defenbaugh adds.




Photos above: 27th Annual Gun Show attendees shop and trade at the event.


Photo above: 27th Annual Gun Show hosts and sponsors, PTC Gunsmithing students and Shooters Association members.