When One Door Closes
When one door closes RF woman’s health journey changes her education, perspective By Alyssa Van Duyse Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeContributed Photo At the age of 18, Elise Foley was driving home from volleyball practice when her life changed in an instant. The River Falls High School senior had a seizure, which began a two-year health descent. She found herself bedbound, struggling with seizures, cognitive decline, stuttering, and even kidney failure. “It was super weird,” she said. “I
CVTC earns rare simulation center accreditation
EAU CLAIRE – Chippewa Valley Technical College is one of only 268 institutions in the world, including hospitals, colleges, and universities, to receive accreditation of the CVTC Clinical Simulation Center from the Society of Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). Only six institutions in Wisconsin have this accreditation, with CVTC as the only technical college. The CVTC Clinical Simulation Center has achieved a significant milestone by earning a five-year initial accreditation award from the SSH. “This
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Alumni, business award recipients named ahead of CVTC Gala
EAU CLAIRE – Chippewa Valley Technical College trains the workers of tomorrow, often with help from business partners. Delta Dental of Wisconsin, announced CVTC’s Proven Business Partner for 2026, has been instrumental in partnering with CVTC to train and upskill the dental workforce. In 2023, CVTC was awarded a grant to construct the Delta Dental of Wisconsin Dental Simulation Lab, created to provide students with consistent learning experiences. It was the first of its kind in the Wisconsin
CVTC alumna overcomes setbacks to realize her dreams
By Alyssa Van Duyse Chippewa Valley Technical College When Jessica Simon graduated from high school in 2007, she wasn’t sure where her path would lead. Growing up in a small town in upstate New York, she took the expected next step and enrolled at a university alongside her twin brother. But what looked right on paper didn’t feel right in practice. Academic pressure, mental health challenges, and financial strain made it difficult to pursue that path, she said. After switching majors, Simon
Colleges partner to provide new, free textbook
A new open textbook, “Oral/Interpersonal Communication,” is now available through WisTech Open. Developed by Darrel Farmer, PhD, Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC), and Bridget Bell, MA, Gateway Technical College (GTC), the resource provides students with a practical, research-based guide to communication skills essential in personal, academic and professional settings. Developed collaboratively between CVTC and the Wisconsin Technical College System, the textbook emphasizes real-world application
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Chippewa Valley Healthy Water Summit
Chippewa Valley Healthy Water Summit to Educate Community on Local Water QualityEau Claire, WI – March 20, 2026 – The UW–Madison Division of Extension is hosting the Chippewa Valley Healthy Water Summit, a one‑day educational event designed to increase water quality awareness by providing local information that enables community members to make informed decisions.The summit will be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. The event will take place
Welding sparks lasting education
CVTC high school academy alumna set to earn associate degree By Alyssa Van Duyse Chippewa Valley Technical College By the time Jenna Lawrence first struck an arc in the Welding Academy at Chippewa Valley Technical College, she already knew two things about herself: she loved working with her hands, and she wasn’t afraid of hard work. What she didn’t yet know was how far that combination would take her. Now 20, Lawrence splits her life between Wisconsin and Texas, between welding labs and rodeo arenas,
CVTC, state technical colleges lauded in new survey
EAU CLAIRE – A new statewide survey shows growing confidence in Wisconsin’s technical colleges, including Chippewa Valley Technical College, with two-thirds of Wisconsin residents holding a favorable opinion of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). The findings underscore the critical role technical colleges play in providing affordable, high-quality education that meets the needs of students and employers across the state. Key statewide highlights66% of Wisconsin residents have a favorable
