The month of June is a time of big change for Workplace Learning Connection (WLC), the premier intermediary in the state. WLC Director Mary Lou Erlacher is retiring at the end of the month after serving since 1998 and Laurie Worden has been promoted to Associate Director.

Mary Lou Erlacher, retiring WLC Director

After 17 years as the Director of WLC, Mary Lou Erlacher cites her staff as what she is most proud of, explaining how there is "great creativity, flexibility, and dedication in this team." Laurie Worden echoed this sentiment, saying that their team is "passionate about the work." 

Their work has continued to evolve and grow over the years, involving generous employment partners and hands-on experiences for students throughout our region. For instance, the WLC Team provided more than 26,000 K-12 career experiences during the 2014-2015 school year! Worden described their impact on students as making them "better prepared and better informed."

Laurie Worden, new WLC Associate Director

Workplace Learning Connection, with Mary Lou Erlacher at its helm, has truly benefitted the state of Iowa over the past 17 years, and the organization will certainly miss her expertise and leadership. Moreover, Erlacher describes her experiences as extremely positive. As WLC's Laurie Worden described, "there is not a day that goes by that we don't tangibly feel the impact of our work."

For more information about Workplace Learning Connection, visit their website at http://www.kirkwood.edu/wlc or view their 2014-2015 Annual Report here.

Externship Orientation at the State Hygienic Laboratory on June 10

The fifth summer of Real World Teacher Externships began this month, with placements in the southeast region at the State Hygienic Laboratory, MA Ford, Monsanto, HNI, American Profol, Siemens, Axalta Coating Systems, Mairet's Garden Center, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.

This year, teachers Krystle Stehno and Gordon Hackett have been placed at the State Hygienic Laboratory. Stehno is a teacher at Williamsburg Jr/Sr High School and is working in the quality assurance and disease control departments this summer to enhance her mathematics curriculum. Hackett, a teacher in Fairfield, will be using his externship to study various laboratories; one of these will be the microbiology and virology department, where he will focus his study on the avian bird flu and its impact on agriculture. We look forward to sharing more teacher externship experiences later this summer and fall.

Teacher externships aim to create partnerships between businesses and schools and demonstrate real-world applications of STEM content to secondary teachers. Externships are full-time temporary positions that last for six weeks during the summer. For more information on Real World Teacher Externships, visit iowastem.gov/externships.