Annual Conference 2014 NOVEMBER 4-5 Kalahari Resort - Wisconsin Dells, WI

Wisconsin Community Education Association
Annual Conference 2014
NOVEMBER 4-5 Kalahari Resort - Wisconsin Dells, WI
Get CHARGED UP about Community Education,
PLUGGED IN to what is going on at the state level & with Fund 80,
and RE-CONNECT with Community Education leaders across the state.
Join us for a day and a half focused on the value of community education in our
state and enriching activities to keep your program fresh. Where are we going?
What value do we bring to our communities and our state? Network, reach out,
and improve your program through workshops, round table discussions, breakout
sessions, speakers, and more! See attached registration packet to register now!
A greeting from our president…
Welcome to the new school year! I am sure that many of you recognize this time
of year as a new beginning and one of the best times to launch new classes and
programs.
As you start the school year we would like to let you know that the WCEA Board
spent part of the summer analyzing and planning, and we are ready to kick off the
year with a fresh step!
The WCEA Board met for two days in late July and we have a great start on the fall conference
(November 4-5 at Kalahari Resort). We decided to create two more regional districts and have
developed ideas and strategies to increase activity and membership in those areas. The board also
determined four areas of focus and discovered in historical documents that these areas mirror the
original goals of WCEA in 1984! It seems we are on the right path!
Supporting each other in these times of more restrictions and frozen levies is crucial and we know
that a strong organization is the key to the success of all of our programs. Our areas of focus are:
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

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Legislative/Advocacy: Shelly, Kathryn, Kale, Nathan
Increase Membership: Kathryn, Jolene, Shelly, Scott
Awards/Recognition: Kale, Sue, Karen, Monique, Jolene
Professional Development: Monique, Steve, Karen, Nathan, Sue
As you see, our board members are all serving on one or two of the above committees, with the lead
person noted first. We welcome assistance from all of you and if you are interested in any of the
committees, please contact me. Always feel free to contact any board members with your needs,
ideas, or concerns. As we work to build our connections statewide we depend upon all of you and
your valuable input.
Thank you and have a great year!
Kathryn Murray, WCEA President
Plymouth Joint School District, Plymouth, WI
Something Borrowed!
The best new things from around our state!
Community Ed departments all over Wisconsin are offering fun, fresh programs that bring in new
community members and keep regular customers coming back for more. Take a look at these great
programs and think about how you could bring them to your community, even if it means modifying
the course content, instructional format or other details.
Cornell & Lake Holcombe
Silverware Windchimes
Daddy-Daughter Dance
Oregon
Mindfulness for Runners & Kids
Glass Fusing
Franklin
Middle Eastern Dance
Healthy Digestive Systems
Spring Wild Edibles
Plymouth
Dog Care & Wellness
Kids Mystery Food Challenge
Hudson
Art & Craft of Homemade Books
Star Watching Party
Menomonee
Pies and Pastries
Hooping for Fun & Fitness
Menomonee Falls
Soap Carving
River Falls
Oil Pastels
Minecraft in Real Life
Spooner
Samurai Techniques of Ancient Japan
Unity
Foods to Reduce Pain & Inflammation
West Allis-West Milwaukee
Table Tennis Instruction
Anime Writing
 An affordable district wide membership
 Discounted fees for the annual conference of pertinent presentations and useful
workshops
 Connections to other school districts, community education programs, recreation programs, CLC
professionals and school administrators throughout the state
 Program mentorship -Contact a board member and we will connect you with an experienced
professional near you
 Professional development scholarship funding/mini-grants
 Opportunity to be a statewide leader
 Newsletters, regional meetings and a dynamic website
WECA Member Highlight
The WCEA Board met in
Marshfield, WI for a twoday retreat on July 30
and 31. The Board
discussed a slew of
items on the WCEA
radar, including plans for
the annual conference
(see the conference
article for more details),
Fund 80 hearings and
publicity, professional
development for
members, and potential
redistricting of WCEA
regions. Stay tuned for
future updates regarding
all of these items in the
coming months!
2014 - 2015 WCEA
Board Meetings:
 Monday, November 3
at Kalahari
 January 2015
- phone meeting
 April 2015
2 day retreat
- between 9 and 29th
at a district meeting
 July 2015
- in person
Cheryl Emerson: CPP, Director of Community Education and
Community Commons Facilities Manager, STEP coordinator,
School District of New Richmond - ICEPAC Region
The greatest issue facing WCEA is: Getting support and
recognition at the state level. We need our Wisconsin districts to
understand that Community Education is not just a "fun"
enrichment program; it is a viable and sustainable part of the
community fabric. There should be CE programs in every school
district and if I had a wish list it would be that those programs
would be state funded as well. Also, that each community had a
full time director with support staff and resources. There are
many studies done about referendums, and it is a proven fact that
if your district is going to referendum, you should have a strong
and viable CE program in place.
What would I like the WCEA to accomplish this year: I would
like to see membership increase, and also to see the conference
grow. I would like to see more communication between WCEA
and the members and also possibly a marketing campaign to rival
Travel Wisconsin's!! Community Education is a wonderful part of
the communities it is in, and a valued resource, that sometimes
goes unnoticed. We need to toot our collective horn more! The
brain power between the WCEA board and the CE
directors/coordinators around the state is a powerful force!
What excites me about my profession: What excites me is the
ability to connect people together, and partner with so many
different organizations to make things happen. We are not limited
in what we can do to make the quality of life in our community
even better. We affect lives in a positive way, and we get people
excited about lifelong learning! I also enjoy meeting interesting
people who want to share their passion with their community.
When things come together, and that magic synergy happens, it
is bliss!
What is my advice to all the
other members of WCEA:
“Reach for the moon, even if
you miss, you will land among
the stars!"
The WCEA Board has been discussing redistricting for the last two years. Board members
spent time researching and analyzing school districts utilizing Fund 80 and drew up the regions
represented in the following map at our retreat this summer.
The most active community education region in the state is the ICEPAC region in the
northwest corner. This successful group was left untouched. The ICEPAC region should be the
model for the other areas of the state. Look for ICECPAC members at the conference or other
meetings for ideas on networking, program sharing and hosting interesting regional meetings. They
know how it’s done!
The metro Milwaukee area is unique. Most schools utilizing Fund 80 are recreation focused.
Most of them are active in WPRA (Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association) which also includes
municipal recreation programs. The Milwaukee school districts have created their own spin off group
from WPRA focusing on the specific issues they face under school district jurisdiction. It should be no
surprise that a hot topic of late is Fund 80!
The newly created regions allow for ease in member recruitment and outreach to other districts
as well as the opportunity to host regional meetings that are reachable within a two hour drive or less.
We listened to our membership and made a few tweaks. Contact any WCEA board member with
feedback and further ideas on these changes. And look for emails on meetings near YOU!!
WCEA 2014-2015 Board Position & Contact Information
PRESIDENT
Kathryn Murray (2013)
Comm Ed & Rec Director
Plymouth Joint Sch Dist
125 Highland Avenue, Plymouth, WI 53073
920 892-5068 FAX 920892-6366
[email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT
Scott Lein (2011-2014)
Comm Ed & Rec Assistant Director
Oregon School District
123 E. Grove Street, Oregon, WI 53575
608 835-4097 FAX 608 835-9509
[email protected]
TREASURER
Shelly Strasser (2012-2015)
Community Education Director
West Allis-West Milwaukee Sch Dist
1205 S 70th St., 4th Floor
West Allis, WI 53214
Tel: 414 604-4937 FAX: 414 256-6311
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Scott Lein
WCEA PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Jill Arens
Shawano School District
1050 S. Union Street, Room 102
Shawano, WI 54166
715 526-2192 X 3202 FAX 715 524-1070
[email protected]
ICEPAC REGION
Karen Collins (2009-2012)
Spooner Area Community Education
801 County Hwy A, Spooner, WI 54801
715 635-0243 FAX 715 635-7174
[email protected]
ICEPAC REGION
Kale Proksch (2012-2015)
Community Education Coordinator
Menomonie Area School District
1715 5th St., W.
Menomonie, WI 54751
715 232-1197
[email protected]
ICEPAC REGION
Monique Squire
Community Education Coordinator
Certified Program Planner, CPP
School District of River Falls
River Falls High School
818 Cemetery Rd.
River Falls, WI 54022
(715)425-1830, ext. 3801
[email protected]
INDEPENDENT
Steve Kretzmann (2011-2014)
Department of Public Instruction
125 S. Webster St., PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707
608 267-9278
[email protected]
LIGHTHOUSE REGION
Nathan Werley
CLC Program Specialist
Menasha Join School District
328 6th Street, Menasha, WI 54952
920-967-1453
[email protected]
LIGHTHOUSE REGION
Jolene Huc (2012-2015)
Community Education Director
Crivitz School District
W10982 Highfalls Rd, Crivitz, WI 54114
715 854-2721 X442 HS 385
CELL 715 927-3184 FAX 715 854-2050
[email protected]
LIGHTHOUSE REGION
Susan Schwartz
[email protected]
SOUTHERN REGION
Shelly Strasser (2012-2015)
SOUTHERN REGION
Scott Lein
WCEA WEB MANAGER
Julie Kosher
[email protected]