CONTINUING EDUCATION
In 2007, UW-Fond du Lac’s Continuing Education Office conducted 208 programs with 3,547 enrollments and is involved in numerous collaborations and partnerships in a wide range of programming.

Gifted & Talented Programming
The ever-popular College for Kids and LEAPS! summer programs for area gifted and talented children saw more than 350 participants in 2007. College for Kids featured numerous technology based courses including geocaching, podcasting, digital imaging and design, and a webquest course. The LEAPS! program featured a wide array of courses culminating in a closing session featuring a powerful music, dance and drumming performance.

Continuing Education was honored for excellence in generational marketing of its youth summer programs by the Learning Resources Network (LERN), an international association in lifelong learning. More than 100 nominations were submitted from four countries. Leanne Doyle, director of continuing education at UW-Fond du Lac, was the creator of the promotional effort.

GMSO
The third annual Girls+Math+Science= Opportunities (GMSO) conference in November 2007 was attended by 200 middle school age girls. Of those attending, 98.25% stated they would recommend the conference to a friend.

The goals of GMSO include increasing awareness of careers in math and science, developing confidence in girls that careers in these fields are achievable and providing opportunities for interaction with female role models in these fields.

Founding sponsors for GMSO are UWFond du Lac/UW Extension Continuing Education, Agnesian HealthCare and MPTC.

Additional major sponsors include NEWAHEC (Northeast Wisconsin Area Health Education Center), St. Agnes Hospital Foundation, Fond du Lac Area Foundation, Mercury Marine, AAUW, UW-Fond du Lac Foundation, UWExtension and the Fond du Lac Public Library.

HEY!
In collaboration with Fox Valley Health Care Alliance (FVHCA), Continuing Education is part of a regional effort called Healthcare Exploration for Youth (HEY!) to pique the interest of middle school youth in careers in the healthcare professions.

This project directly impacts Wisconsin’s economic development, specifically the healthcare workforce in the Fox Valley, by creating both an awareness of healthcare careers and opportunities to explore these fields through a web site. The project resulted in the www.heyproject.org website. This site features math and science homework help, math and science gaming, and profiles of Fox Valley healthcare professionals.

Nine Shift
In October 2007, William Draves, president of LERN and author of several books including “Nine Shift”, presented “Rethinking Your Bottom Line from the Inside Out” to area business leaders, business owners and community leaders. This program was a collaboration between Continuing Education, UW-Extension, Fond du Lac County, Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation and the Fond du Lac Public Library.

PRAIRIE FEST
It looked like a party: a small village of canopies, kites and flags everywhere, children with painted faces, and a prairie full of flowers, set in the middle of a beautiful July day.

This was the year the Prairie Fest celebration at the Gottfried Arboretum was discovered! An estimated 800 people
enjoyed interactive events, presentations, tours and entertainment.

GOTTFRIED ARBORETUM
This native prairie restoration project is named for Bradley Gottfried, former Dean of UW-Fond du Lac and a major force behind the project’s initiation and development. His vision has resulted in the restoration of a portion of native prairie for county residents to enjoy.

Recently the Arboretum received a grant from the Department of Natural Resources to revitalize the gravel trail that runs through the formal Arboretum.

The grant will also provide funding to connect a loop of the trail around the pond, as well as create and install informational signage in the picnic shelter at the south end of the trail, and through the formal Arboretum. The total project cost is approximately $10,000 and the plans are to complete the restoration work during 2008. The DNR will provide a 50% match for community donations for the project.

PERFORMING ARTS SERIES
The 2007 Performing Arts Series featured seven events including the Chamber Singers Anniversary Concert, two Theater Department productions, UW-Fond du Lac Holiday Concert, two spring dinner shows and the Calmus Ensemble, a vocal group from Liepzig, Germany.

The cost for the public to attend these events is affordable thanks to the sponsors—Citizen’s First Credit Union, UWFond du Lac Student Life and Interest Committee and UW-Fond du Lac Foundation.

STUDENTS SUPPORT FDL AREA UNITED WAY
Members of the Student Activities Committee (SA) raised $629.08 for the United Way annual fund drive in 2007 through a variety of activities including a reserved parking spot auction, a costume contest and pumpkin smashing.

LECTURE SERIES
This annual series showcases faculty research interests and areas of interest. The public is invited to attend the lectures held during the lunch hour.

The 2006-07 series included:

• Working with GIS (Geographic Information Systems), Dr. Michael Jurmu, geography and geology professor
  and Gail Roberts, UW Extension
  
• Taking Science Fiction Seriously, Alayne Peterson, English professor
  
• The Effects of Exercise on the Body, Lee Watson, physical education professor and athletic director
  
• The Strange Residents of the Neighborhood of Jupiter, Dr. Carey Woodward, physics and astronomy professor
  
• Back to the Middle Ages?, Marriage in the Middle Ages and Today, Rachel Knighten, world languages professor

« BACK       NEXT PAGE »