Classes & certificates

This beginning-level language class (A1.1) explores the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world while helping you master the basics of Spanish with a proven communicative approach that emphasizes speaking competency while also building skills in listening, reading and writing. This practical course will quickly have you talking about life, family, work and travel.

Build your confidence as you improve your ability to converse in the present tense and become familiar with past tenses.

Studies are revealing that a large percentage of adults nationwide suffer from abusive childhoods, PTSD, grief from loss and/or other traumatizing events. The ability of individuals to recover from trauma varies widely, and the impacts often carry over into the workplace; affecting performance and reactions to stress. Right now, employees are also dealing with a “quademic” — the combined effects of the pandemic, widening social inequality and injustice, the polarization of political discourse and the rise of global warming. As a result, the prevalence of workers experiencing genuine trauma is surging. This class will focus on what individual managers can do to recognize and respond to members of their team who are struggling. We will navigate through how to be compassionate without running afoul of employment laws or abandoning work standards and job descriptions. Participants will learn how to deal with worker trauma in ways that go beyond simple expressions of empathy while protecting confidentiality. Specific how-to approaches and what to avoid will be explored. Leaders themselves may need to recognize their own trauma and find ways to strengthen their resilience and find resources for support. The two class instructors are an expert in organizational well-being and an employment law attorney. They will be your guides to navigate effectively in this important new area.

This highly practical intermediate course will review preterite and imperfect tenses while teaching you to converse about visual art created by women artists from the Spanish-speaking world. Improve your Spanish conversation skills.

Master the basics of German: numbers, the alphabet, introducing yourself and having simple conversations while learning about German culture.

We have made this practical high-beginner's course (A1.2) better with a new curriculum. Explore the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world while taking your skills to the next level. Improve your ability to converse about a wider range of common topics in the present tense, take your first steps in conversing with past tenses, and grow your comprehension, reading and writing skills, all in the context of real-life situations.

We have made this practical low-intermediate course (A2.1) even better with a new curriculum designed for adult language learners. Explore the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world through the voices and experiences of speakers from over 10 different countries.

Conflict can open us to new possibilities and deepen our relationships. This workshop will help you embrace both-and thinking, transforming conflict into win-win solutions. Discover how to increase your comfort in dealing with conflict and to build more trust and communication in relationships.

Continue to learn German conversation and grammar, the history and traditions of German-speaking people, and tips for travelers as you immerse yourself in a fun and relaxed environment. Prerequisites: German 2 or instructor's consent.

Project management protocols don't often account for the changes in attitude and behavior that people will need to make to ensure the successful adoption of change. This workshop will focus on the integration of change management and project management processes and tools.

Advance your project management skills by diving deep into some of the critical components of managing a project. Going beyond the basics of project management creates a culture of learning, accountability, transparency, high performance and successful delivery.

We're seeing more organizations with employees who work from home, live in other states and often live in other countries. "Lead from a distance" by understanding the challenges and best practices. Build trust, navigate conflict, make decisions and conduct engaging meetings with virtual staff.

Italian 1 is designed for beginning learners who wish to gain practical knowledge of the Italian language and familiarize themselves with Italian culture. Learn the vocabulary and grammar necessary to communicate effectively in key social situations and while traveling.

Gain an understanding of the mechanics of managing a meeting well. Learn to develop an agenda, manage meeting dynamics, deal with disruptive behavior, keep the meeting on track, track assignments and record the decisions and actions of the group. The session includes templates and models.

Boost your confidence in Spanish with this short course that provides the perfect transition from Spanish 3 to Spanish 4. In this low-intermediate (A2.1) book club, participants will read the short novel Año nuevo, vida nueva together and discuss.

Gain foundational knowledge and explore best practices in project management to build the personal knowledge, skill and confidence you need to effectively lead projects. Whether you're leading your first project or looking for strategies to ensure project success, you will benefit from this class.

This newly-revised mini-course sets you up for success in Spanish 1 with a slow introduction to the fundamentals of Spanish with proven strategies for learning a new language.

This Skills Sharpener Series is a five-day workshop-like experience over the span of 10 weeks designed to give learners practice and feedback about their coaching skills from a highly experienced and certified PCC-level Mentor Coach. With the Mentor Coach, participants will work in groups of no more than ten to practice the skills and competencies required of a PCC-level, ICF-certified, professionally credentialed coach. Participants will take turns coaching one another and providing feedback per the ICF's Core Competencies and PCC Markers, in a group setting. This series will count toward the completion of the ICF's Group Mentoring requirements for both ACC and PCC levels. Participants who attend will be awarded 8 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) units from the ICF. The first five individuals who sign up for the course are guaranteed the opportunity to be a coach-participant, if they choose. All others will be coach-observers or clients.

This specially designed class will focus on the how-tos of adopting a coaching style for giving work performance feedback. This is a class for leaders and managers who are ready to learn this approach and who want to understand and practice the key elements to utilize them right away.

Join us on the beautiful University of Wisconsin Madison campus to learn more about this evidence-based practice, hone your current skills and network with other MI practitioners and trainers from across the Midwest. Various registration rates available.