LAC DU FLAMBEAU - Nicolet College and the Lac du Flambeau tribe partnered up to make college classes more accessible to tribal workers.

The program, which offers business management courses at the Lac du Flambeau Education Center, started in spring 2011.

Now, the tribe and college are gearing up for another year. But they're looking far beyond this year's school calendar.

"By helping them obtain Associate's degrees and eventually Bachelor's degrees, our hope is that that allows the community to strengthen, really have a focus on education at the core, and really help that thriving life-long learning community," said Christin Van Kauwenberg, the tribe's higher education coordinator.

Between 15 and 20 students go to classes at the Lac du Flambeau location.

Most of them work full-time, including Patricia Chapman and Jenette Potts.

The program gives them four paid hours a week to go to school.

"People at Nicolet have been really helpful and I'm really glad I had an opportunity to higher my education and work at the same time," Potts said.

"I thought it was going to be really hard to go back to school, but to me it's actually easier than if I would've went when I was younger, because I know where my priorities are now," Chapman said. "I know I have to do the work to get the grades."

Students help build the business management curriculum. Eventually, it will expand to early childhood education.

Story By: Lex Gray