Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE
Northern Kane County Region 110, in partnership with Camcraft and Matrix, offered Central High School students the opportunity to study the latest automation and robotics applications in manufacturing. The February 12 visit attracted students interested in engineering and manufacturing careers to highly automated operations beyond the classroom. Thank you to Camcraft and Matrix for championing these experiences for the region’s future engineering and precision manufacturing workforce.
On January 29, in partnership with School District U-46, the Alignment Collaborative for Education hosted Student Resource Day at Elgin High School. The event reached nearly 500 students and provided students with essential life and career readiness resources.
Working alongside community partners including Color Code Personality Science Educator Tena Raglin, Elgin Community College, Elgin Neighborhood Network, Fox Valley Fire & Safety, IHC, NAMI Kane-south, DeKalb and Kendall Counties (NAMI KDK), Northern Kane County Region 110, Pregis, and Wintrust Bank, the event featured a morning of targeted programming for each grade level. Students engaged in three different presentations designed to meet specific needs as they progress through different phases of their high school careers.
For freshmen, the morning prioritized the development of healthy mental and academic foundations. Students explored career pathways through CTE courses with Northern Kane County Region 110 and participated in a Color Code Personality Science workshop with educator Tena Raglin to identify personal strengths that drive academic success.
The Elgin Neighborhood Network and NAMI KDK also delivered “Ending the Silence,” a vital training session on recognizing the warning signs of mental health conditions. Presented to both Freshmen and Sophomores, this essential resource ensured that all underclassmen were equipped with the tools to support their mental health.
Sophomores gained a unique perspective on postsecondary planning through a student-led panel that shared firsthand accounts of their internship experiences and the college search process. This peer-to-peer engagement, combined with a preview of the upcoming Virtual Postsecondary Day and Junior year summer internship opportunities, gave students a realistic roadmap for becoming career-minded upperclassmen.
As postsecondary planning intensifies for Juniors, the morning offered a “deep dive” into postsecondary options. Students coordinated their attendance for the Virtual Postsecondary Day and heard from Elgin Community College regarding transfer opportunities. Representatives from Wintrust Bank also provided a presentation focused on financial literacy, specifically building strong financial histories and credit scores for both juniors and seniors.
Seniors received career-focused resources, emphasizing the immediate need for real-world skills as they prepare to graduate. Learning about top careers for 2026 and participating in behavioral interviewing, the seniors are prepared for their entry into the workforce. Human Resource professionals from Fox Valley Fire & Safety, IHC, and Pregis volunteered their expertise to provide coaching and professional advice necessary to navigate the competitive job market.
What would have been an idle day waiting for peers to conclude schoolwide testing became a day where students learned how to actively take their future into their own hands. The success of the Student Resource Day at Elgin High School underscores the importance of providing students with essential tools for academic and career success, ensuring every student graduates academic and career ready.
Article by Annabelle Mique, Program Coordinator
Thank you to Northern Kane County Region 110 for a most successful fourth annual Manufacturing Day. Approximately 600 students from school districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303 participated in industry tours with the region’s most prominent manufacturing companies, opening their doors and welcoming students to tour their facilities and learn more about manufacturing professions.
Walking the site floors, students met industry professionals who shared their experiences and advisement for multiple manufacturing careers. Region 110 Work-Based Learning Specialist, Dr. Todd Stirn, coordinated the tours sharing why these tours are so valuable. “There are hundreds of thousands of well-paying, satisfying jobs in manufacturing going unfilled, yet many young people aren’t aware of these opportunities. Bringing students and manufacturers together through these tours is the perfect solution.”
As students make plans for their future career, Terry Stroh, Region 110’s EFE director, shared that “many students during the tour discovered opportunities to join the region’s competitive summer internship program, connecting classroom learning to real-world experience”. Through this partnership of manufacturing companies, both students and local manufacturers look toward the promise of a strong future workforce. Nancy Lesincki, senior talent advisor for HARTING, posted “We undoubtedly have the best community partners working alongside us with the aim of facilitating manufacturing growth and careers in Illinois.”
Northern Kane County Region 110 shares their latest newsletter which highlights the incredible growth and impact of our Regional Summer Internship Program and other exciting initiatives. This issue, Giving Thanks – Celebrating Summer Internships 2026, showcases the inspiring stories of 243 high school students who gained real-world, hands-on experiences across multiple career pathways this past summer. None of this progress would be possible without the extraordinary commitment of our school districts, community partners, and local businesses who continue to invest in shaping tomorrow’s workforce.
Inside this edition, you will find:
On behalf of Region 110 and the Alignment Collaborative for Education, thank you for your continued support of our students and schools. Together, we are building pathways that help students find their purpose, strengthen our workforce, and ensure lasting success for our communities.
More than 550 students from eleven high schools across School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303 attended the annual Regional Job Fair sponsored by Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 hosted at Elgin Community College. The students had the opportunity to connect with 74 businesses and community organizations representing a wide range of industries, including automotive, business, culinary, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, IT, and manufacturing. Thanks to resume workshops held beforehand, many students arrived prepared with resumes to share with potential employers. This year’s fair also featured 18 organizations offering summer employment, allowing students to complete job applications on the spot.
Advocate Sherman Hospital
AED Foundation
Baran Family
City of Elgin
John and Niki Devereux
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
Elgin Community College
Elgin Sweeper
Elgin Township
First Mid Bank & Trust
Grand Victoria Foundation
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc.
Hoffer Family and Foundation
David and Sandy Kaptain
KCT Credit Union
Nicor
Rosati’s Pizza
Saint Joseph Hospital
Seigle Foundation
Peter Sikorski Family
United Way Metro Chicago
Village of Hanover Park
Wintrust
Wolko Design Group
Advanced Compressors
AHW
Altorfer CAT
Association for Individual Development
A-TEC Ambulance
AVID CNA School
Black Diamond Plumbing & Mechanical
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Boys and Girls Clubs of Elgin
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northwest Suburbs
Bria of Geneva Nursing and Rehabilitation
Bucher Hydraulics
Business and Career Services, Inc.
City of Elgin
COLLARS
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northern Illinois
Convergint
Cosmetology and Spa Academy
Culvers
Custom Aluminum Products
D301 Facilities/Building and Grounds
D301 Food Service
D301 Human Resources
Dundee Township Park District
Durham School Services
Edward Jones Financial Advisor
Elgin Community College – Apprenticeship Program
Elgin Community College – Culinary Department
Elgin Community College – Dental Assisting Program
Elgin Community College – Phlebotomy Program
Elgin Community College – Talent Search
Elgin Community College – Welding
Elgin Community College – WIOA program
Elgin Industries
Elgin Neighborhood Network Mental Health Initiative
Elgin Sweeper
Gail Borden Public Library
GCAMP, Greater Chicago Advanced Manufacturing Partnership
General Kinematics
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
Highland Oaks of Elgin
Hoffer Plastics
IL Secretary of State – Department of Personnel
John B. Sanfilippo & Son (Fisher Nuts)
Judson University
Keller Williams Success Realty
LifeLine Ambulance
Lincoln College of Technology
LyondellBasell
MKD Electric
NICOR
Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
Official Finders
Old Second National Bank
Opiquad, LLC
Organic Life Smart Food Service
Pace Suburban Bus
Prime Healthcare: Saint Joseph Hospital Elgin
ProDriven Global Brands
Rosati’s Pizza
Santa’s Village
Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System
Streamwood Park District
Target
Truck Country
U-46 Human Resources
U-46 Plant Operations
Universal Technical Institute
Village of Hanover Park
VNA Health Care
West Dundee Fire Department
Wintrust / Elgin State Bank
workNet Batavia
Young Rembrandts
More than 25 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Virtual Day on March 4. Reaching the largest number of students to date, 4,238 individual students attended the event with university and college admissions staff and visiting faculty. Students received information about FAFSA, learned about program admission and apprenticeships at Elgin Community College, and also had the opportunity to learn about corporate-based apprenticeships from Zurich Insurance. Students received advice from U-46 alumni now in college, learned about military service, along with student athletes receiving assistance in NCAA eligibility.
Thank you to the following colleges, universities, and organizations for partnering with Alignment and U-46 to offer the Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Day:
Aurora University
Bradley University
DePaul University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Grand Valley State University
Harper College
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
Illinois State University
Judson University
Lincoln College of Technology
Loyola University
Marquette University
North Central College
Northern Illinois University
Purdue University
Southern Illinois University
Universal Technical Institute
University of Dayton
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
U.S. Armed Forces
Western Illinois University
Xavier University
Zurich Insurance
Thank you to all the volunteers from these organizations who made this event a huge success, as well as to our Alignment partners from the U-46 Postsecondary Success Team, Elgin Community College, and Northern Kane County Region 110, who facilitated 32 different sessions for students.
ACE is a member of the Alignment USA communities of collaboration and collective impact.
