Career Education

What a Difference a Week Makes!

June 28, 2026

Investing in youth…
Preparing the future workforce.

Inaugural drone internship is a hit, hosted by Central School District 301.

First Responder interns meet and train with the City of Elgin SWAT team.

Ecker Center partnering with Alignment and the Elgin Neighborhood Network launches the first behavioral health internship program.

Culinary students prepare for guests at Village of Bartlett’s Bartlett Hills, experimenting with culinary and hospitality professions.

Automotive students from School Districts U-46 and 300 experience careers in heavy equipment maintenance at West Side Tractor.

ABC Toon Town helps students experience early education professions partnering together and building the future teacher pipeline.

Future First Responder interns are welcomed at the Hanover Park Fire Department summer internship in its third year.

Hanover Township introduces students to human services professions specializing in aging services.

For over five years Elgin Sweeper continues to partner, preparing high school interns for critical roles in manufacturing.

Future pharmacists work with professional pharmacists in the classroom, visit Midwestern University School of Pharmacy, and shadow in the pharmacies of Advocate Good Shepherd and Advocate Sherman hospitals.

Partnering with Bartlett Police, Hanover Park Fire, and Hanover Township prepares First Responder interns for emergency services.

Students interested in architectural and design careers visit Judson University’s Department of Architecture.

Over 300 Students Entering Paid Internships in June

June 2, 2026

Beginning June 2, over 300 high school students from School Districts 300, 301, 303 and U-46 will begin paid internships through our summer internship program – a work-based learning opportunity that allows students to explore a career through placement with a local employer. Students placed in the internships are primarily juniors entering their senior year of high school.

Thank You to our Host Organizations
for providing these opportunities!

Arts, Communication & Marketing

Baird and Warner Real Estate
Centro de Informacion (Communications and Outreach)
City of Elgin (Marketing & Communications)
District 300 Central Office Communication Department Social Media & Marketing
District 300 Communications (Website)
District 300 Jacobs High School Social Media
Downtown Neighborhood Association (Marketing & Promotions)
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce (Marketing)
Explore Elgin Area
Rosati’s Pizza (Marketing)
Rosati’s Pizza (Social Media)
Side Street Studio Arts
U-46 Athletics and Activities Internship (Bartlett High School)
U-46 Athletics and Activities Office Student Intern (Larkin High School)
U-46 Audio and Video Internship – Beacon Academy Projects
U-46 Student Leadership Summit Planning Internship (Bartlett High School)

Automotive, Diesel & Heavy Equipment

AHW (John Deere) Parts
AHW (John Deere) Technician
Bartlett Hills Golf Course (Golf Course Equipment Maintenance Technician)
Bob Loquercio Auto Group (Parts Specialist)
Bob Loquercio Auto Group (Service Advisor)
KS Autocare (Technician)
U-46 Transportation Department (Maintenance Technician)
West Side Tractor (Heavy Equipment Technician)
Wicked Wrench (Technician)

Business, Finance & IT

AI in Industry
City of Elgin (Information Technology Systems)
District 300 Information Technology Department
District 301 Accounting & Finance
District 301 Information Technology Department
Elgin Area Chamber EDG Group (Economic Development)
Microsoft
Opiquad
Rosati’s Pizza (Accounting)
U-46 (Plant Operations: Facility Administration)
U-46 Information Services (Network Support and Cable Management)
Wintrust: Greater Elgin Area (Banking)

Culinary & Hospitality

Bartlett Hills Golf Course (Culinary)
Central 301 (Food Service Department)
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Chicago NW/Bennigans
Rosati’s Pizza (Culinary) Rosati’s Pizza (Restaurant Operations)

Education & Youth Services

ABC Toon Town
Advance Preschool (Early Education)
Bartlett Park District (Early Education)
District 300 Career & Technical Education (CTE) Summer Camp Teacher Aid
District 300 Educational Leadership – D300 Superintendent
District 300 Education Services Department – Northwestern Illinois Association (NIA)
District 300 Extended School Year (ESY)
Mid-Valley Special Education (Education)
Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
Precious Angels
Two Rivers Head Start (Early Childhood Education)
U-46 (I am LEAD) Records & Registration
Village of South Elgin (Summer Camp Counselor)
YMCA (Child Care)

Engineering, Manufacturing & Trades

Advanced Compressor Technology
ATI (Assurance Technologies Inc.)
Bucher Hydraulics
City Of Elgin (Environmental Sustainability)
District 300 Facility Maintenance Department
District 300 Welding
District 301 Drone Piloting (FAA 107 Certification)
Elgin Sweeper (Part Design, Test and Inspection)
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick (Engineering and Surveying)
Hoffer Plastics (Engineering and Manufacturing Rotation)
ITW Shakeproof (Engineering)
Judson University School of Architecture
Lakeview Precision Machining
Lauderdale Electric (Electrician Assistant)
Matrix Design
Shales McNutt Construction (Project Manager)
WT Group (Architecture and Engineering)

First Responder

City of Elgin Fire and Police Departments
Bartlett Police, Hanover Park Fire, and Hanover Township Emergency Services

Government, Human & Public Services

City of Elgin (Community Development)
City of Elgin (Public Administration)
Hanover Township (Aging Services)
The Office of State Representative Anna Moeller
The Office of State Representative Suzanne Ness
The Office of State Senator Cristina Castro

Healthcare

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital (Pharmacy Tech)
Advocate Sherman Hospital (Medical Rotation)
Advocate Sherman Hospital (Pharmacy Tech)
Advocate Sherman Outpatient Centers (Medical Assisting)
Athletico
Diamond Physical Therapy
Ecker Center
Family Service Association
Luna Behavioral Health Center
Mid-Valley OT/PT
Northern Illinois Medical Scholars Program
OrthoIllinois Physical Therapy
Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System
VNA Health Care
Well Child Center Community Health and Dental

Veterinary Science

Anderson Humane Vet Clinic
Army Trail Animal Hospital
City of Elgin Lords Park (Zoology)
Dundee Animal Hospital
Pet Vet Animal Clinic
Tails Animal Hospital

Sophomore/Junior Postsecondary Day Reaches Over 3,600 Students!

March 10, 2026

More than 30 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the Sophomore/Junior Virtual Postsecondary Day on March 4. This large-scale Zoom event reached over 3,600 students, exposing them to a multitude of college and career pathways.

As they met with admissions counselors and visiting faculty, students gained valuable guidance for their academic and professional endeavors. Throughout the day and across 32 different Zoom sessions, students had access to key resources:

Industry-specific college panels highlighting top program offerings across the Arts, Automotive, Business, Education, Engineering, Healthcare and Manufacturing industries
Information regarding Elgin Community College’s FAFSA, Transfer, and Academic Services
Workshops sharing insights on College Athletics and Military opportunities

Whether a student is considering a four-year university, community college, technical institute, or military service, Postsecondary Day provides a unique learning opportunity where students can be encouraged and equipped in their postsecondary planning.

Thank you to the following colleges, universities, and organizations for partnering with Alignment and U-46 to offer the Sophomore/Junior Postsecondary Day:

Aurora University
Bradley University
Butler University
DePaul University
Dominican University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Grand Valley State University
Harper College
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
Illinois State University
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Judson University
Lincoln College of Technology
Loyola University
Marquette University
Milwaukee School of Engineering

North Central College
Northern Illinois University
Purdue University
Roosevelt University
Southern Illinois University
Universal Technical Institute
University of Dayton
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Notre Dame
University of Wisconsin Madison
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
U.S. Armed Forces
Valparaiso University
Western Illinois University
Xavier University

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, and Northern Kane County Region 110, who facilitated 32 different sessions for students.

Camcraft and Matrix Attracts Students to Automation, Manufacturing and Robotics Careers

February 12, 2026

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.

Student Resource Day at Elgin High School Reaches 500 Students

January 31, 2026

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

Elgin High School Student Resource Day - Student Internship Panel — Internship Panel

Elgin High School Student Resource Day - Behavioral Interviewing Session — Internship Panel

Manufacturing Day Grows Across School Districts U-46, 300, 301 and 303

October 23, 2025

Thank you to Northern Kane County Region 110 and our Manufacturing Partners

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.”