Jason Arndt, jarndt@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt State Superintendent Tony Evers works out a computer problem with Bonduel High School junior Eric Ballestad during a visit to the school Thursday.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Junior Eric Bergsbaken of Bonduel High School discusses the school’s technology education program with State Superintendent Tony Evers on Thursday.
The partnership between Bonduel High School and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College drew praise from State Superintendent Tony Evers on Thursday.
Evers visited the high school’s facilities as part of the state celebration of October as Manufacturing Month.
“I had a chance to talk to the student ambassadors here and throughout the area,” Evers said. “They are focused and focused on their college career. It has been a wonderful experience. … This is an amazing accomplishment.”
BHS and NWTC launched the partnership in 2011 to increase student opportunities for careers following high school. BHS students can earn credits in the program that transfer to college.
The collaboration has allowed 95 Bonduel students to earn 368 college credits in 2014.
“The number of transcripted credit courses for a school district this size is unprecedented,” Evers said. “This is just real wonderful.”
The shared vision between BHS and NWTC includes offering multiple career paths, increasing training opportunities for high school teachers, establishing relationships between high school technology education teachers and college faculty, and investing in technology and learning laboratories.
School technology instructor Travis Schindl said the program provides students with more career options and ideas.
“At Bonduel, we prepare our students for manufacturing,” Schindl said. “What we like to do is expose our students to as many real world opportunities as possible.”
Bonduel plans to add an electro-mechanical technology program by the start of the 2015-16 academic year. It will be the third manufacturing career path offered in the collaboration.
The program started in 2012-13 with three courses in CNC (computer numerical control) and machine tool manufacturing. Along with the program was the arrival of a Computer Integrated Manufacturing Mobile Laboratory located outside the school.
The welding program, started in 2013-14, enables students to complete of five of six certification classes by the time they graduate.
Lori Suddick, NWTC vice president of learning, said the collaboration has been remarkable and attributed the success to the Bonduel teachers and administrators.
“Our efforts with Bonduel have just have been a real privilege to work with,” she said. “They are a compassionate group.”