Nicolet partnerships with PK-12 districts mean student success
Every year about 2,000 students take credit classes at Nicolet College. But just as many area elementary, middle and high school students also participate annually in Nicolet activities created just for them.
Earning college credits while in high school, exploring a wide variety of careers, sharpening academic skills, taking in educational theater events and learning about college life in general are just some of the activities.
Key to making these successful has been the strong relationship Nicolet College has built with the eleven PK-12 school districts in the Nicolet College District, said Nicolet College President Elizabeth Burmaster.
“The focus of these partnerships is to prepare students for college so they can get the skills necessary to be successful in their careers,” Burmaster said. “By working together, we’ve been able to smooth the pathway to higher education and make it easier for students to make the transition to college.”
Lakeland Union High School Superintendent Todd Kleinhans said it’s been exciting to see how the partnership between the high school and Nicolet has grown in recent years.
“The partnership today is stronger than ever,” Kleinhans told the Nicolet College Board of Trustees during a meeting the board recently held in Minocqua. “Both the high school and the college have a shared vision that places a strong emphasis on getting students college-ready and career-ready. We are thrilled at how well this partnership has been working and we look forward to making it even stronger in the future.”
In all, Nicolet has in place nearly two dozen different programs, activities and services with all of the school districts within the Nicolet District.
These include:
College in the High School Classroom
Hundreds of Northwoods high school students earn college credits every year without ever leaving their school.
“This gives them a great jump-start on college,” Burmaster said. “By earning college credits while still in high school, they shorten the amount of time they actually spend in college which can translate into a fairly significant cost savings.”
Every year, about 200 high school students earn both high school and Nicolet College credits through the College in the Classroom program. These classes are taught by college-certified instructors in the high schools and include a wide range of academic subjects.
Nicolet also offers a Youth Options program, where high school students take college classes on the Nicolet campus. Currently, 62 high school students are attending Nicolet classes through the Youth Options program.
In the Lakeland and Tomahawk high schools, Nicolet offers Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) classes. So far, more than 50 students have received this professional certification through Nicolet classes held at these locations. This coming fall, Nicolet CNA classes will also be taught at Rhinelander High School.
PreCollege Academies
For the past two years, Nicolet has held PreCollege Academies for high school freshmen and sophomores. Each academy met for five consecutive Saturdays and gave students the opportunity to explore careers and sharpen academic skills in environmental science, engineering and health occupations. To date, more than 100 students from throughout the Northwoods have participated in PreCollege Academies.
Heavy Metal Tour
This past October, about 350 8th grade students converged on the Nicolet campus for the Heavy Metal Tour. The day-long event gave students the opportunity to explore careers in manufacturing and the trades. During the day, students toured six area manufacturing plants, Nicolet labs and classrooms and attended presentations in the Nicolet Theatre to hear from manufacturing professionals about careers in the field. The event will be held again in 2013.
College Camp
This perennial favorite gives Northwoods 6th through 9th graders the chance to explore numerous different careers in fun, hands-on classes held afternoons for one week in the summer.
Examples of classes have included Lake Ecology, Solar Sprint, Sports Engineering, Crime Scene Investigation, Middle School Marketplace, Joining the Geek Squad Can Be Cool, and Rock and Roll 101. The next College Camp will be held in August.
Lego Camp
Engineering, problem-solving and communication skills are the focus of Lego Camp at Nicolet, held during the summer for first through sixth graders. The half-day, week-long event has students building a variety of creations using specially designed Lego kits complete with electric motors. Lego Camp will be held again this coming summer.
The Amazing Race
This past fall, 50 6th through 8th graders from North Lakeland School participated in the Amazing Race on the Nicolet campus. The event had students darting between Nicolet labs and classrooms, answering questions about careers and college at each location.
Campus tours and visits
Numerous times throughout the year, the college invites students to campus to learn what the college has to offer and to give them an overall feel for Nicolet.
Welding, auto tech and carpentry competitions
Every year, dozens of high school students exploring careers in the trades converge on the Nicolet campus to test their abilities in friendly competitions.
Along with fine-tuning their skills, “students also learn what it takes to be successful in these fields and what kind of training they will need,” said Teri Phalin, PK-16 coordinator and career coach at Nicolet. “They see that it takes solid math skills, good communication skills, plus they have to know how to work as a team and solve problems.”
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