Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) continues its collaboration with St. Mary’s Springs Academy (SMSA) in Fond du Lac, offering high school students hands-on, college-credit courses during an accelerated winter term. Now in its third year, this partnership remains a unique and valuable opportunity for students to explore college-level learning.
In 2022, MPTC and SMSA began working together to increase dual enrollment opportunities for students and strengthen ties between the two institutions. This partnership was the first of its kind between a technical college and a parochial school.
Led by Penny Collin, K-12 partnership coordinator at MPTC, in partnership with SMSA High School Principal Eamonn O’Keeffe, the 2026 SMSA J-Term, which ran from Jan. 5 to Jan. 16, opened career doors for 98 SMSA students. The students chose from eight courses in the following program areas: Automotive, Culinary, Early Childhood Education, Welding, Marketing and Social Media Management, and Cosmetology. They spent each day learning from Moraine Park instructors in the College’s innovative spaces.
The SMSA students were surveyed ahead of the J-Term to determine areas of interest, shaping the course offerings. Students, ranging from sophomores to seniors aged 16 and older, gained hands-on experience in Moraine Park’s state-of-the-art learning labs while earning high school grades and college credits.
MPTC and SMSA are committed to maintaining the program and exploring further opportunities for students to benefit from college-level learning.
For more information on dual enrollment opportunities at Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu/dual-enrollment.
