December 2025

Together we conclude an impactful 2025.

As we prepare to celebrate the holidays, we want to take a moment to rejoice in each of you, our business, community, and school partners. Together, we will conclude 2025 serving over 15,000 students where you have invested more than 13,000 volunteer hours.

Yes, the numbers are strong and are expected to grow to over 17,000 students in 2026 with an estimated volunteer contribution of more than 18,000 hours. However, it is also about our efforts to reach the students that need the resources the most.

It is about starting in middle school ensuring students and parents are informed about all the career pathway opportunities available in our 11 regional high schools. It is also about you being willing to invest a minimum of 60 hours in individual students that have never had the experience to work in their career field of choice. It’s about being a champion for youth beyond the walls of the high school showing them early how to best succeed in a competitive and challenging world.

Having a positive impact on the lives of students beyond what the schools can provide alone is why the Alignment partnership is critical to the future of those individuals, their families, and the community. Because of you, we can be the difference between no career plan and one that leads to a successful future.

Adriana, Annabelle, Edgar, and I thank you for investing in Alignment’s mission. We wish you all Happy Holidays, and a prosperous New Year in 2026!

Best regards,

Nancy

Nancy Coleman
Executive Director
Alignment Collaborative for Education

Sponsored by the AED Foundation and in partnership with Northern Kane County Region 110, Alignment hosted its 2025 Internship Host Recognition Breakfast on December 4 at Bartlett Hills Golf Club. More than 50 organizations came together for the event to recognize all host sites that provided a total of 243 students with paid internship experiences during 2025.

Welcomed to Bartlett by City Manager Paula Schumacher, the morning’s program highlighted the profound success and impact of this growing internship initiative that originally began five years ago with the first interns placed with the Village of Bartlett.

Alongside presenting awards to each 2025 host organization, the event featured compelling testimonies from past interns, industry representatives, and elected officials Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig and City of Elgin Mayor David Kaptain, embodying the significance of creating internship experiences that invest in the future success of the community.

Partners from Advocate Sherman Hospital, AED Foundation, Elgin Community College, Hoffer Plastics, Seigle Foundation, and Wintrust echoed the students’ sentiments in the importance of students being in the workplace to engage with industry professionals. Sharing their internship host experiences, these partners emphasized the reward and return of this future workforce investment to the region. With 243 interns placed for a minimum of 60 hours, the 55 host sites invested over 13,000 hours in these internship experiences representing more than a $700,000 return on investment to the school districts and the community.

Two student panels representing Bartlett, Central, Hampshire, Larkin, South Elgin, St. Charles East, and Streamwood high schools highlighted how their internship experiences have shaped their future career goals. From skill development to gaining stark clarity on what careers to pursue, interns expressed their immense gratitude to host organizations and confidently encouraged all the organizations in the room to support students and the future workforce by becoming a host site in 2026.

Superintendents from School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303 each announced increased financial commitments to sponsor internships next year. Elgin Community College (ECC), confirming on Monday following the breakfast, a third year of funding under the Taking Back the Trades grant securing a 33% increase from 2025 resulting in 100 high school students receiving paid summer internship opportunities in 2026.

Combining the financial support from the school districts, ECC, and the business partners that have already committed funding for 2026, the goal is to match 300 students to their career goal in this paid work opportunity. Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 are working to identify all internship opportunities by March 1. If your organization is interested in offering internships for Summer 2026, please contact Nancy Coleman at colemanace@align4edu.org, Terry Stroh at terry.stroh@central301.net, or Dr. Todd Stirn at efe.stirn@central301.net for further information.

Thank you to our 2025 Internship Host Organizations

Automotive, Engineering, Heavy Equipment, Manufacturing and Trade Professions

Advanced Compressor Technologies
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Bucher Hydraulics
Elgin Sweeper
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, LLC
Hoffer Plastics
ITW Shakeproof
Judson University
KS Auto Care
Lakeview Precision Machining
Service Concepts
Shales McNutt Construction
Village of Bartlett
West Side Tractor
WT Group

Business, Culinary, Finance, Government, and IT

Bartlett Hills Golf Club and Banquets
Centro de Información
City of Elgin – City Manager’s Office
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
Elgin Development Group
Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Explore Elgin Area
Gather Pingree Grove
Gowns for Good
The Haight
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
Keith French Photography
Microsoft
Office of State Representative Anna Moeller
Opiquad, LLC
Rosati’s
Wintrust

Education, Human Services, and Veterinary Science

Advance Preschool
Anderson Humane Veterinary Clinic
Bartlett Park District
Central Community School District 301
Community Unit School District 300
Hanover Township
Mid-Valley Special Education Cooperative
Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
Pet Vet Animal Clinic
Precious Angels
School District U-46
South Elgin Parks & Recreation
Tails Humane Society
Two Rivers Head Start