PTC earns grant to support young students and their families

PTC was selected by the Minnesota Department of Health for a grant that will support young parenting students. PTC will receive up to $278,827, awarded in increments going on now through Aug. 31, 2013. The funding will be used to expand current services the college provides to young parenting students, as well as to start a new Young Student Parent Support Initiative.

"Our students are going to benefit from this grant in tremendous ways," says Joan Bloemendaal-Gruett, PTC’s Dean of Academic Affairs. "Many of our students are young parents, and it can be quite overwhelming to take it all on – working, raising and managing a family, plus taking college classes and finding time to study. This grant will be used for services that will support young parents toward achieving their college goals," Bloemendaal-Gruett explains.

Staff and faculty members representing a diverse mix of college departments, along with many of the college’s regional partners including Early Childhood Family Education and HeadStart, now are working together to identify and grow resources to develop and implement programs that will assist young adults with families and pregnant and parenting teens in college. The committee has identified target populations the program will serve, including: Pine Technical College young student parents; area high school student parents; and, parents participating In PTC’s Employment and Training Center programs. Additionally, outreach efforts will ensure the college and its partners reaches fathers, single parents, and parents from diverse backgrounds within the target groups.

"We are pleased to be able to bring a program like this to fruition – not only for our students, but also for the larger Pine Area," says Nancy Mach, Dean of Student Affairs. "We couldn’t have secured this grant without our strong partners, nor would we be able to bring such rich early childhood family education sessions to campus. And, it’s such a comprehensive program with the Young Student Parent Support Initiative – that is a critical piece that will bring such value to our campus community," Mach adds.

The purpose of the Young Student Parent Support Initiative is to build the capacity of institutions of higher education to address the health and educational needs of pregnant and parenting young people and their children. Beginning in Oct. 2011, MDH will distribute two-year grant awards for approximately $2.7 million to ten institutions of higher education (including PTC) to establish, maintain or operate services for young pregnant or parenting students and their children.

Funded by the Pregnancy Assistance Fund, the Young Student Parent Support Initiative was authorized to develop and implement programs to assist pregnant and parenting teens and women. MDH applied for and received the funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Other colleges and/or universities that received like grants include: The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities; The University of St. Catherine; Century College, Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College; Leech Lake Tribal College; Metropolitan State University; Riverland Community College; St. Cloud State University; and, Winona State University.

PTC rolls out the 'Welcome Mat,' gets ready to host its 5th Annual Open House on Oct. 26

Pine Technical College will host an open house, Wed. Oct. 26, 4 to 7 p.m. The event is open to current and prospective students and their families, business and industry partners, PTC Foundation donors, and the public. In its fifth year, the event is predicted to draw nearly 100 attendees.

“This is anyone and everyone’s chance to tour the college, meet instructors, talk to advisors and college administrators, and get valuable program information on the spot,” said Nancy Mach, Dean of Student Affairs. “It’s not to be missed, even if you're just curious about PTC and want to see the inside of the building!” Mach added.

PTC's Fifth Annual Open House will be held at Pine Technical College, 900 Fourth St. SE, Pine City. In addition to instructors, advisors and admissions representatives on hand, refreshments will be served, and door prizes will be awarded to several lucky winners.

“This is PTC's chance to showcase its equipped labs and classrooms, and to introduce our knowledgeable and helpful faculty and staff members to students, new students and their families and friends,” PTC President Robert Musgrove said. “We're proud of all we offer, and we want our community to know and see all that we have,” Musgrove added.

PTC and Pine City Civic Center team up to host college fair, Sept. 30

Pine Technical College and the Pine City Civic Center have joined forces to bring a college fair to the Pine Area, Sept. 30. Representatives from nearly 100 colleges and universities across the U.S. and all branches of the military will be on hand with applications, financial aid information, and program and career information. The fair will be held at the civic center, 1225 Main St. S., Pine City, and will run 9 to 11 a.m.

“This is a really big deal for not just high schoolers in the area, but for anyone interested in pursuing a college education,” says Jodie Klinkhammer, event organizer and PTC Student Affairs Office Manager/Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs. “Of course, as a result of hosting the fair combined with the fact that we are the local college and likely the most convenient choice for students, we expect to gain the most traffic at our booth; however, it’s more than that – we love that high schoolers and adults seeking formal education have the opportunity to meet with so many varied options. It’s just good for us all to bring in this wide range of public, private, liberal arts, and other technical institutions for everyone to experience,” Klinkhammer adds.

The event will give students and parents an opportunity to explore a variety of options for continued education, liberal arts studies, technical training, or military service. Students and parents are able to visit with representatives, ask questions, and obtain literature about the schools and organizations of interest to them. Admission to the fair is free.

On-campus exhibit features artworks by Jason Boldt

Jason Boldt has been creating artwork since grade school and, while skilled in both sculpture and painting media, he is more well-known for his sculptures suggestive of fantastical architectural structures. Boldt typically creates his works as a hobby and only exhibits on occasion.

“I’ve shown my pieces at Minnesota State University – Mankato, a few galleries in Mankato, the Pine Center for the Arts, and now here,” Boldt says. “Showing my works is nice, but I really just enjoy the creative process, and making the works, and actually, teaching art,” he explains.

Boldt, a board member at the Pine Center for the Arts, teaches children’s basic drawing and painting classes at the center.

“It’s neat to get kids really excited about it; I like to show them how much fun it can be,” Boldt says.

Boldt studied art at Minnesota State University – Mankato and earned a BFA with emphases in both sculpture and painting. While there, he met his wife, Ann – one of PTC’s most popular instructors today. Ann also was a student at the time, working on her MFA in English.

Boldt says his works are “…based in abstract fantasy architecture – they are structures you wouldn’t find on this earth, but maybe in a fantasy landscape,” he explains. “I like taking ordinary structures from nature and recreating them so people see them in a unique and different way. Specifically, I like incorporating man-made structures into nature," Boldt adds.

Boldt hails from Mankato, Minn., where he grew up with four sisters and two brothers. Today, Boldt lives in the Pine Area, with his wife, Ann, and young son, Nick.

You can see Boldt’s artwork on display now through Dec. 2011. The exhibit features works of original art created by established and/or emerging artists from the Pine Area, embracing the talent and creativity of Pine Technical College students, staff, faculty, and the larger Pine community. The exhibit changes seasonally, and many kinds of artworks are showcased, including paintings, photographs, pottery, sculptures, sketches, wood carvings and more. If you are an artist from the Pine Area and wish to exhibit your works, see the Pine Technical College Marketing Director in Student Affairs.