The collaboration between Wisconsin ’ s Cooperative Educational Service Agency 7 ( CESA 7 ) and Corporate Training and Economic Development at NWTC won a 2020 LERN Contract Training Award for Excellence in Reaching Special Populations . The Learning Resources Network ( LERN ) is a nonprofit association that offers information and consulting expertise to providers of secondary education , as well as customized training .
According to Learning for Independence Program Coordinator Mary Derginer , LFI helps provide that .
“ LFI fills a social need ,” she said . “ It provides a vision where society could see the worth of the students … they are able to contribute . They aren ’ t just people that need to be helped . They can be participating members of the community and the job force . Some will need resources , but they are contributing members of the economic workforce , of the economy .”
The LFI program provides students with a variety of career development paths and job training experiences . Attending classes on campus offers the students an opportunity to study in an age-appropriate setting , foster their skills , interests and abilities while boosting their confidence and motivation to selfadvocate and grow in independence .
Former student Grace H . said LFI is an “ excellent program that gave me the opportunity to take classes like photography and
Photoshop . I would not have had this opportunity without this program .”
The Learning for Independence program is pivotal to student success , teachers say .
“ I really enjoy teaching in the program because I love seeing the students ’ reaction when they learn something new ,” photography instructor Kristie Bloch said . “ The smiles on their faces are the absolute best . It ’ s so rewarding to see the students thrive in this atmosphere and experience their happiness .”
International program brings the world to Wisconsin
When travel worldwide was canceled due to pandemic concerns , two NWTC instructors found a way to create a study abroad experience right here in Wisconsin .
Business faculty Lisa O ’ Halloran and Jerry Lintz could not take students to study business creativity at Robert Gordon University in Scotland as planned . Instead , the two brought Scottish instructors to students with live video .
“ Jerry and I have recreated the curriculum and infused it with some lecture from the Scotland folks ,” O ’ Halloran said . On one day , the director of the historic house where they would have stayed grabbed his cell phone and gave students a video tour and history talk .
Lintz was surprised and pleased by the results .
“ We had no clue how this was going to evolve , and it ’ s come out really well ,” he said . “ The kids have done really well with their presentations .”
Lintz said the popular annual trip has inspired several past NWTC students to earn bachelor ’ s degrees in Scotland .
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