WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The 88th Air Base Wing’s Level Up Week, which takes place Feb. 5-9, is now open for registration.
The Education and Training Office has created a week of virtual and in-person development and training opportunities for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base employees and beyond to level up on their knowledge, skills and abilities. Topics cover professional and personal development.
The Level Up Week program’s goal is to enhance mission viability and improve quality of life for Airmen while implementing collaborative projects that provide mutual value to the government.
Registration is open to all WPAFB military and civilian personnel. Register via MyETMS at https://myetms.wpafb.af.mil. Click on the “Self-Registration” tab, search for “88 ABW” and hit “Go.” The MyETMS homepage includes a tutorial for first-time users.
Registration will be open until three business days prior to each course start date and time.
Continuous learning points can be earned for Level Up Week training courses. After attending a course, participants will need to request CLPs from their direct supervisor using the appropriate government system. It is recommended they request CLPs based on the number of course hours. For example, a two-hour course would result in two CLPs.
For more information, contact the Education and Training Office at 88FSS.FSDED.Hrworkflow@us.af.mil.
Course offerings and descriptions:
Monday, Feb. 5
Excel: Tips and Tricks (9-11 a.m.; virtual)
Given demonstrations and hands-on activities, participants will gain a stronger understanding of functions/formulas. Participants will create simple functions/formulas using VLOOKUPs and HLOOKUPs.
Foundations of Trust (two sessions: 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; in person)
You will learn to improve communication and productivity by increasing your ability to develop, restore and extend trust in key relationships.
Weight Management for Health (11 a.m. to noon; virtual)
Maintaining healthy weight can seem overwhelming, so it can be good to get back to the basics. This class highlights the basic principles of losing and maintaining a healthy weight, including exercise ideas, nutrition guidelines and how to keep that weight off for good.
Bowling Lessons (2-4 p.m.; in person)
Participants will learn techniques to improve their bowling skills. With proper lessons, players learn tips and tricks to help during the game. Whether your goal is to participate in competitions or leagues, even hobbyists take bowling lessons to improve their scores. This class has a cost of $30.
Tuesday, Feb. 6
Excel Jumpstart (8 a.m. to noon; virtual)
This intermediate-level, fast-paced course will help participants learn more about what Excel can do. Students will utilize Excel to learn about cells and ranges, formatting text and numbers, basic functions and formulas, filtering tables, PivotTables, PivotCharts and more!
Franklin Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; in person)
This course provides a principle-centered framework for personal and professional effectiveness—increasing responsibility, purpose and productivity while restoring balance and developing high-trust relationships.
The History and Evolution of the Aircraft Piston Engine (9:30-11:30 a.m.; in person) With an engine docent, trace the piston engine’s evolution from the Wright brothers, World Wars I and II, Korea and the Cold War. Examine a series of engines—many cutaways—to discover how basic machines of the past evolved into the robust, reliable equipment that powered aircraft to meet the challenges posed during the early years of aviation and led to the jets we fly today. In a two-hour walking tour, see and hear what drove the selection of propulsion for such aircraft as the B-17, B-24, B-25, P-51, B-36 and C-124. Each solution is different, and each is a classic. Leave the tour knowing how and why jet engines evolved.
Colors Personality (10 a.m. to noon; in person)
Discover something new about yourself. Participants will complete a personality assessment. Learn how to communicate and work with different personalities and see individuals with new lenses. This training will help you communicate better with others and establish a common language. Learn to strengthen, motivate people and build working relationships.
Creating Synergy in Your Teams (noon to 4 p.m.; in person)
To be successful, teams must adopt a “we will win” mindset. “Creating Synergy in Your Teams” addresses how to build a climate of trust to facilitate work relationships. The instructor-led course was derived from the highly acclaimed book: “Leadership Challenge” by Kouzes and Posner. The course provides practical applications that can be adopted to strengthen any team for success and growth.
KT FileShare (1-2p.m.; in person)
This course will provide acquisition personnel an overview of KT FileShare and how to navigate/utilize the tool. KTFS is an application that provides the acquisition community a way to create, collaborate, route and review documents required for the contract file. While it serves as both the working and official contract file, it can be utilized by all acquisition personnel for things such as the creation/review of acquisition plans, tech evals, legal reviews and small business coordination. The application is built upon the Microsoft Office 365/SharePoint Online framework and Cloud One/Azure. KTFS maintains the file throughout its entire life cycle and places it in an archive status at contract completion for the required retention period.
Defining AI (1-2:30 p.m.; in person)
There is no universally accepted definition of artificial intelligence; however, the fields and models that exist inside AI are more defined. This course will explore the relationships between AI, its components and data analytics, as well as the various families of AI models, and when to apply them. It will not go into the technical details of how AI models work. After completing the course, participants should be able to better define what they mean by AI, ask narrow questions on the subject and participate in high-level conversations about it.
Federal Resume Writing Course (1-3 p.m.; virtual)
The federal resume class covers two parts: The first goes over new changes to the process and how it impacts your resume, while the second covers how to create an effective resume that gets results. The class will also touch on navigating USAJOBS, considering how to build or upload a resume, checking on your application status, saving documents and creating a job search agent.
Wednesday, Feb. 7
Franklin Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; in person)
This course provides a principle-centered framework for personal and professional effectiveness—increasing responsibility, purpose and productivity while restoring balance and developing high-trust relationships.
Labor Management (9-11 a.m.; virtual)
The lesson’s objective is for each student to be familiar with the laws, regulations and practices of labor-management relations in the federal sector.
Women in the Air Force: From Yesterday into Tomorrow (9:30-11:30 a.m.; in person)
With a docent, the tour covers historical issues, changes in laws and attitudes, and women’s contributions. Specific women and groups from all eras and various career fields are noted to emphasize the impact they have played in establishing women’s current position in the Air Force. It starts with early female aviators and grows through the last seven decades as pioneers pushed through barriers to become effective leaders on all Air Force subjects. It explores topics regarding women in flight, the struggle for equality, inclusion in a post-combat exclusion policy Air Force, and scientific developments produced by women working in research and development.
Leading from your Lane (10-11 a.m.; virtual)
Leadership is primarily about influence. In this course, you will discover habits and behaviors that help you become a better leader, bringing value and influence to your organization – no matter where you fall within the ranking system.
Strategies for Managing Stress and Burnout (11 a.m. to noon; virtual)
This class highlights different types of stress, and the short- and long-term effects it has on our bodies. We’ll review three stress-management techniques (focusing, calming, balanced living practices) so you leave class feeling more empowered to manage your stress.
Microsoft OneNote (noon to 3 p.m.; virtual)
This course is designed for users who take notes, create continuity books, document research, and use automated tools to organize and manage those documents. Students will create, edit, organize and enhance notes/documents and integrate them with other applications using Microsoft OneNote.
Opportunities Over Obstacles (1-2 p.m.; virtual)
“Opportunities Over Obstacles” is a course that helps the participant understand the importance of focusing on the things they can control and letting go of those things out of their control. By focusing on what can be controlled, perseverance and resilience are both enhanced. Obstacles have a way of presenting an opportunity to become better, stronger and tougher when dealing with challenges at work as well as in everyday life.
KT FileShare (1-2 p.m.; virtual)
This course will provide acquisition personnel an overview of KT FileShare and how to navigate/utilize the tool. KTFS is an application that provides the acquisition community a way to create, collaborate, route and review documents required for the contract file. While it serves as both the working and official contract file, it can be utilized by all acquisition personnel for things such as the creation/review of acquisition plans, tech evals, legal reviews and small business coordination. The application is built upon the Microsoft Office 365/SharePoint Online framework and Cloud One/Azure. KTFS maintains the file throughout its entire life cycle and places it in an archive status at contract completion for the required retention period.
Generations in the Workplace (2-3 p.m.; virtual)
Navigating the generational workplace has become increasingly more difficult over the past few years. “Generations in the Workplace” attempts to explain why. This fun and interactive instructor-led course guides attendees though the four generations that comprise Wright‐Patterson AFB: traditional, baby boomer, Generation X and millennials. Participants will be able to explore characteristics of each and learn how to combine the generations to be stronger and more productive.
Thursday, Feb. 8
Speaking with Impact (8 a.m. to noon; in person)
This course is developed to give those who attend the tools to build self-confidence and control the fear of public speaking. It lays a foundation for the types of public speaking, with methods on how to improve. The course provides participants an opportunity to present and receive feedback. Students are encouraged to pursue additional opportunities to fine-tune their oratory skills.
Microsoft 365: There’s an App for That (9-11 a.m.; in person)
An introduction to Microsoft Office 365, this course welcomes users of ALL skill levels. It explores accessing Office 365 productivity apps online, helps users obtain a basic understanding of web/cloud-based Office 365 products, and offers tools to make your daily routine much more productive and effective.
Competencies and Development (9-10:30 a.m.; in person)
This course presents a roadmap of competencies and how to integrate them into developmental pathways for individuals and teammates. Participants will also gain knowledge in information technology systems, along with talent development and management.
Power Behind the Force: The History and Evolution of the Jet Engine (9:30-11:30 a.m.; in person)
With a guide, trace the jet engine’s evolution from the experimental days of World War II, through the conquering of the sound barrier, past Mach 3 and into the future. Examine a series of engines—many cutaways—to discover how the temperamental machines of the past evolved into the robust, reliable equipment that power the Air Force of today. In a two-hour walking tour, see and hear what drove the selection of propulsion for such aircraft as the F-22, C-5, SR-71and C-130. Each solution is different, and each is a classic. Leave the tour knowing how and why jet engines evolved.
Contracting Fundamentals (10-11:30 a.m.; virtual)
An overview of government contracting fundamentals that all acquisition professionals should know. Topics include a review of the contracting life cycle (planning, solicitation, pre-award, contract award, administration and closeout). Discussions will also cover how to read and modify a contract.
AI/ML Applications (1-2 p.m.; in person)
Artificial intelligence/machine learning goes back a few decades; however, recent developments in technology, data and theory have increased AI capability. Today, AI/ML is being integrated into multiple areas. This course will briefly go over the history of AI/ML and explore relevant possible applications. The class will not go into the technical details of AI/ML models. This course assumes the participant is comfortable talking about various AI/ML model types or has attended the “Defining AI” course. After completion, participants should be able to identify some use cases where AI/ML can support people.
KT FileShare (1-2 p.m.; virtual)
This course will provide acquisition personnel an overview of KT FileShare and how to navigate/utilize the tool. KTFS is an application that provides the acquisition community a way to create, collaborate, route and review documents required for the contract file. While it serves as both the working and official contract file, it can be utilized by all acquisition personnel for things such as the creation/review of acquisition plans, tech evals, legal reviews and small business coordination. The application is built upon the Microsoft Office 365/SharePoint Online framework and Cloud One/Azure. KTFS maintains the file throughout its entire life cycle and places it in an archive status at contract completion for the required retention period.
Generations in the Workplace (2-3 p.m.; virtual)
Navigating the generational workplace has become increasingly more difficult over the past few years. “Generations in the Workplace” attempts to explain why. This fun and interactive instructor-led course guides attendees though the four generations that comprise Wright‐Patterson AFB: traditional, baby boomer, Generation X and millennials. Participants will be able to explore characteristics of each and learn how to combine the generations to be stronger and more productive.
Friday, Feb. 9
Difficult Conversations (9:30-11:30 a.m.; in person)
Participants will discuss the different types of difficult conversations that arise on the job. The class will discuss and review scenarios involving these hard conversations. Avoiding common roadblocks, understanding the types of conversations that occur on the job and creating a plan to conduct a difficult exchange will aid students in accomplishing the following objectives: 1) Understand the types of difficult conversations you will have with your direct supervisor, peers, employees, partners and stakeholders. 2) Identify the types of conversation barriers or roadblocks. 3) Apply strategies toward preparing for and conducting difficult conversations.
The History and Evolution of Rocketry: Basics, Ballistics and Space (9:30-11:30 a.m.; in person)
A tour guide will explain rocketry’s evolution, as well as the motors and vehicles they power, from the work of Robert Goddard to modern-age achievements. National Museum of the U.S. Air Force exhibits will illustrate rockets used on both ballistic and space missions, explaining how they differ and drove rocket design. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of ballistic and space-mission complexities and how rocket design has evolved to satisfy the requirements.
Why and Leadership (two sessions: 11 a.m. to noon and 2-3 p.m.; in person)
An overview of “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek, some common misunderstandings when it is applied, and suggestions on using the “Why” approach to maximize productivity and morale in the workplace as a leader.
Sticking to Your Goals (11 a.m. to noon; virtual)
In this class, we’ll discuss the difference between making resolutions and goals, how to create healthy habits and stay motivated, and learn several tips and tactics for reaching our goals.