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Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE

Career Education

Teacher Pipeline and Human Service Internships Prepare Students to Give Back to the Community

Over this summer, 22 students were given the opportunity to explore career paths in the vast teacher pipeline and human services professions. School District U-46 led the way hosting over a dozen interns in its elementary and middle summer school programs.  Other hosting partners included Bartlett Park District, Community Unit School District 300, Golden Corridor Family YMCA, Hanover Township Food and Youth Services, Precious Angels, South Elgin Parks and Recreation, Tails Humane Society, Village of Hanover Park, and Well Child Center.

These internships helped prepare students to become future teachers or work in the field of human services. While it may not seem like a big deal at first glance, preparing students for this field is especially important at a time like this as Illinois continues to experience a teacher shortage. In its sixth annual and most recent survey of teacher shortages in Illinois schools, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) published the following: 

  • 73% of schools indicated they had teacher shortages
  • 93% said the shortages were as bad or worse than the previous year
  • 95% reported shortages in substitute teachers

In efforts to help lower these percentages, Alignment is working with school districts 300, 301, and U-46 in partnership with Elgin Community College, Judson University, Northern Illinois University, and Northern Kane County Region 110 to build across the region a sustainable pipeline of teachers for the next decade.

Students described their internship experience as challenging and very helpful in solidifying their career pathway. Joseline Flores, a Larkin High School student and an intern at the U-46 Summer School Elementary Program, enjoyed “getting an insight on how teachers plan their lessons of the day, and it made a positive impact on my path to early education. Not only did I learn and observe the teacher, but I got to experience lesson planning and teaching the students”.

Wilebaldo Modesto Hernandez, a student at Elgin High School, who participated in the U-46 Summer School Middle School Program shared that “being in the field of education is not easy. It takes patience and time, but it is worth it. Seeing others happy by your presence.” Wilebaldo and Joseline are just some of the many students who will graduate from one of the region’s nine high schools, planning to remain in the region for their teacher education preparation, and then hopefully choosing to begin their professional careers in the region’s elementary, middle, and high schools.

For those interested in the education and human services career pathways, Alignment and the Teacher Pipeline partners host Education Days at NIU, ECC, and Judson. Dates for the upcoming school year include the visit to NIU for Education Day on October 3, 2024, and the visit to ECC in January, 2025.  Students will also have the chance to visit Judson University’s Department of Education in the spring.

It is a great opportunity for those interested in becoming a teacher or working in the field of human services and may even persuade some to apply for the internship opportunities offered next summer. Precious Angels intern and Central High School student, Nerivette Garcia, shared “It was an amazing experience that I would love to do again. I am so very grateful for all the people and wonderful kids I have met, truly something I will never forget.”  

For students focusing on human services, internships varied from serving in a setting providing food and nutrition resources to public health access, advocacy, and communications for families.  Elgin High School student and Well Child Center intern, Mahitha Ratakonda says “Seeing the gratitude and relief in the eyes of families receiving care solidified my commitment to pursue public health in the future. It reminded me that even small efforts can make a profound difference in someone’s life.”

Thank you to Bartlett Park District, Golden Corridor Family YMCA, Hanover Township Food and Youth Services, Precious Angels, South Elgin Parks and Recreation, Tails Humane Society, Village of Hanover Park, and Well Child Center along with School Districts U-46 and 300 for providing such a memorable experience for students wanting to pursue careers in teaching and human services.

Article by Imaan Azeem, Elgin High School
Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern

Bartlett Park District Early Ed. Intern with students
Bartlett Park District Early Ed. Intern with students
Bartlett Swim Intern
Bartlett Swim Intern
Hanover Township Youth Services Intern with staff and children
Hanover Township Youth Services Intern
Precious Angels intern with children
Precious Angels intern
South Elgin Summer Camp Intern with Camp Counselors
South Elgin Summer Camp Intern with Camp Counselors
U-46 Intern with children
U-46 Intern
YMCA Intern with U-46-Teacher and YMCA Staff
YMCA Intern with U-46-Teacher and YMCA Staff

Manufacturing Internships Lead to Future Career Choices

Bucher Hydraulics, Elgin Sweeper, Harting, Hoffer Plastics, ITW Shakeproof, and Lakeview Precision Machining gave 21 students the amazing opportunity to intern at their manufacturing and precision machining companies, some of the most prominent in the region. These students represented Bartlett, Central, Elgin, Hampshire, Larkin, and South Elgin high schools. They were able to experience an array of different internships focusing on various manufacturing processes and highlighting the numerous manufacturing jobs available in the greater Elgin area.  

These internships provided a learning experience like no other and gave students an immense amount of experience and skill. Here is what Jacob Williams, a student at Central High School and an intern at Elgin Sweeper’s Welding Internship, had to say about his experience, “The internship taught me practical skills and real-world problem-solving techniques that are not covered in school. I learned important lessons about workplace dynamics, communication, and professional etiquette that can only be gained through actual work experience”. 

Because of the diverse manufacturing product lines, students were experimenting with plastic injection molding, precision machining, hydraulic motor drives, electric zero-emission technology, laser scanner technology, modular industrial connectors, and various welding processes. Students also viewed the implementation of common manufacturing competencies shared by the industry, leading to them understanding the 5S pillars, OSHA safety standards, blueprint reading, CNC programming, electronics, precision measurement, automation and robotic applications. Ayush Patel, an intern at Bucher Hydraulics and South Elgin High School student, reflected it is”very interesting to me that you can always work to improve productivity and quality. Manufacturing has tons of innovation involved.”
 
Students had their hands full at this internship but that’s what made students enjoy it so much. Thomas Madsen, an intern at ITW Shakeproof and an Elgin High School student, shared “In these internships, there is never a dull moment, and you always feel like you are contributing to a team.” Edwin Alexander Romo, a student at Larkin High School interning at Lakeview Precision Machining, exclaimed “It’s absolutely great!  I learned so much in just a short span of three weeks”. These internships provided students with a great amount of knowledge while making the experience enjoyable. 

On top of providing a great experience for students now, the internships also helped prepare students for the possibility of getting a career in manufacturing in the future. Through these internships, students quickly grasped that the level of education required to work in the manufacturing industry varies by career pathway with some leading to entry-level jobs and great advancement opportunities starting with just a high school diploma. Others may require apprenticeship and skilled training programs while some may need a university degree. Gaining this type of knowledge can be the deciding factor for many. Hampshire High School student and Hoffer Plastics intern, Michele Parker states “It helped me decide what I’d like to do after high school. Rather than be an engineer, I would instead like to be a CNC programmer”. 

For others, this internship also built an understanding of professional networking for future career success. Jingyen Wen, a Harting engineering intern and Bartlett High School student, described the experience as a “wonderful way to meet new people and establish connections that may be helpful in the future, as well as giving you a direction or idea of where you want to work after you graduate from college”. It is safe to say that these internship hosts truly have their students’ best interests at heart and want them to succeed, not just as they intern, but in all their future endeavors. 

Thank you to Bucher Hydraulics, Elgin Sweeper, Harting, Hoffer Plastics, ITW Shakeproof, and Lakeview Precision Machining for providing students with such a remarkable internship and giving them opportunities to get ahead in their respective career paths. 

Article by Imaan Azeem, Elgin High School
Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern

Bucher Hydraulic interns
Bucher Hydraulic intern presentation on Design Engineering
Elgin Sweeper engineering interns
Elgin Sweeper welding intern
Harting team photo with interns
Harting interns
Interns first day at Hoffer Plastics
Hoffer Plastics interns
ITW interns present Design Project
Lakeview Precision Manufacturing interns

Students Prepare to be Future Healthcare Professionals

The Alignment Collaborative for Education partnering with Northern Kane County Region 110 and Elgin Community College offered paid internship programs in healthcare to 31 students interested in an array of medical professions. Hosting organizations included Advocate Sherman Hospital, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Diamond Physical Therapy, Ortho Illinois, and VNA Healthcare.

Terry Stroh, EFE director for Region 110, describes the summer internship program “as career builders for students with experiences designed based on the future workforce development needs for the region with healthcare jobs expected to have significant growth and advancement opportunities for the next decade. Todd Stirn, serving as the workforce development specialist for Region 110 adds “By participating in this internship, students not only gained valuable insights into the medical field, but they also developed a broad set of skills that are beneficial across multiple career paths in the medical field”. 
 
The partnership with Advocate Sherman began with the pilot of the pharmacy technician program in Summer 2023 providing internship opportunities to ten students. For this summer, Advocate Sherman and Advocate Good Shepherd hospitals offered 15 opportunities for internships as pharmacy technicians while including the license preparation training provided by TalentFirst. Nancy Coleman, Alignment’s executive director, recognizes this robust partnership: “We are most thankful to Advocate Sherman and Advocate Good Shepherd hospitals for opening career doors for these students while still in high school. As a result of programs like the pharmacy technician internship, students can go to work in community pharmacies at age 16 expedited by this internship preparation.” 
 
While the pharmacy technician internship is perfect for those who would like to go into the medical professions in career fields that require knowledge of pharmaceuticals, there are still some students who are unsure of their healthcare concentration. For ten students interested in exploring the healthcare profession, the medical rotation internship program seemed a perfect fit. The interns spent time in ten different areas of Advocate Sherman Hospital helping them to better define their career interests. 
 
Both Diamond Physical Therapy and Ortho Illinois have new internship programs for Summer 2024 supporting the growing interest of students in pursuing the career field of physical therapy assistant offered by Elgin Community College or pursuing their education further to receive the Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Amy Skrabacz, a student from South Elgin High School, describes the internship at Diamond Physical Therapy as the opportunity to get a hands-on feel for the physical therapy profession. “I have taken away what the physical therapy atmosphere looks like in an outpatient setting.” 
 
VNA Healthcare has also joined the partnership with a pilot rotational program in July offering additional opportunities at its clinic in Elgin. On her first day, student intern Gurlin Kaur from Streamwood High School, described her patient experience highlighting the introduction to the patient on-boarding process, the need for a comprehensive patient medical history, and supporting patient vitals to adequately provide the quality care that patients need.
 
Sheree Speakman, executive director of TalentFirst, commended “The private and public partnership between the schools, Northern Kane County Region 110, the local healthcare providers, and Alignment to provide programs like a 40 + 20 model that effectively provides the students a hands-on exploration of the profession while still in high school leading toward more informed decisions as they select their postsecondary field of study”.
 
Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 greatly appreciate the investment made by Advocate Sherman, Advocate Good Shepherd, Diamond Physical Therapy, Ortho Illinois, and VNA Healthcare for providing these students their next opportunity as future healthcare professionals.

Article by Imaan Azeem, Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern
Elgin High School

Alignment Hosts CTE Senior Job Fair for School Districts U-46, 300, and 301

Alignment CTE Senior Job Fair Student overview image

Connecting students from nine high schools to regional employers

Nine high schools from School Districts U-46, 300, and 301 had the opportunity to send over 500 students to the annual CTE Senior Job Fair. Students visited with 50 business and community organizations across the region representing the automotive, culinary, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, insurance, and manufacturing industries. Many students as a result of the resume workshops had resumes ready to share with employers.

In addition to learning about job openings across these industry sectors, all students had the opportunity to attend Elgin Community College (ECC) information sessions to help them prepare to transition to postsecondary opportunities as they graduate in May. Joined by Northern Kane County Region 110 and the three school districts, Alignment considers this event to be the opportunity to showcase with students employment opportunities throughout the region as soon as they graduate from high school in May.

Bill Wright, Alignment’s Governing Board chair, visited throughout the day commenting about “the importance of this event as it seamlessly connects students preparing to graduate to employment opportunities that lead to positions in high growth industries with multiple advancement opportunities. We appreciate the support of our business community in bringing these opportunities to students as they prepare for the future workforce.”

Thank You to Our Sponsors

AED Foundation
Advocate Sherman Hospital
AT&T
City of Elgin
Elgin Community College
Elgin Sweeper

Elgin Township
Exelon
First Mid Bank & Trust
Grand Victoria Foundation
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc.
Hoffer Foundation
KCT Credit Union

David and Sandy Kaptain
Lauderdale Electric
Nicor Gas
Seigle Foundation
United Way Metro Chicago
Wolko Design Group

Thank You Exhibitors

Advocate Sherman Hospital
Altorfer CAT
Aperion Care Fox River
Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital
A-TEC Ambulance
Avantara
Bartlett Park District
Black Diamond Plumbing & Mechanical
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Boys and Girls Club of Elgin
Bria of Geneva
Business and Career Services Inc.
D300 Human Resources
D301 Human Resources
ECC Culinary Department
ECC Apprenticeship Program
ECC Ophthalmic Technician Program
ECC Welding

ECC WIOA program
Elgin Sweeper
Fox Valley Internet
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
High Point Dentistry
High Voltage Electric
Highland Oaks of Elgin
Hoffer Plastics
John B. Sanfilippo & Son (Fisher Nuts)
Judson University
KCT Credit Union
LifeLine Ambulance
Lincoln College of Technology
Luna Cakes
Manpower
MAPEI
Nicor Gas
NIU – PLEDGE Program

NIU – School of Family and Consumer Sciences
Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA)
Official Finders
Potbelly
Rosati’s/Rosati’s University
Standard Equipment
State Farm
Streamwood Park District
U-46 Human Resources
U-46 Plant Operations
U-46 Transportation
UTI
Village of South Elgin
Well Child Center
West Side Tractor Sales
Wintrust Bank

Nine regional high schools to participate in CTE Senior Job Fair on April 18

More than 800 students expected from Districts U-46, 300 and 301

Nine high schools from School Districts U-46, 300, and 301 will participate in the upcoming CTE Senior Job Fair on April 18, 2024, at Elgin Community College (ECC). Hosted by the Alignment Collaborative for Education and Northern Kane County Region 110, an expected 800 students will visit with more than 50 employers representing the automotive, business, culinary, education, engineering, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, and welding industry clusters.

Students will also have the opportunity to meet with ECC’s Admissions, Financial Aid, and Student Support representatives as some plan to graduate in May and transition to ECC by August choosing both to work and go to school simultaneously.

This event in its fourth year gives students the opportunity to graduate with industry credentials earned in the high schools’ career and technical education (CTE) programs to immediately transition to the local workforce gainfully employed. “These students have a career plan upon graduation deployable to some of the best companies in the region offering upward mobility as experience grows.” shares Nancy Coleman, Alignment’s executive director.

Thank you to the following sponsors and exhibitors for making this event possible. We look forward to hearing that these students go to work in the greater Elgin area and the region.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

AED Foundation
Advocate Sherman Hospital
AT&T
City of Elgin
Elgin Community College
Elgin Sweeper

Elgin Township
Exelon
First Mid Bank & Trust
Grand Victoria Foundation
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc.
Hoffer Foundation
KCT Credit Union

David and Sandy Kaptain
Lauderdale Electric
Nicor Gas
Seigle Foundation
United Way Metro Chicago
Wolko Design Group

Thank You Exhibitors

Advocate Sherman Hospital
Altorfer CAT
Aperion Care Fox River
Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital
A-TEC Ambulance
Avantara
Bartlett Park District
Black Diamond Plumbing & Mechanical
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Boys and Girls Club of Elgin
Bria of Geneva
Business and Career Services Inc.
D300 Human Resources
D301 Human Resources
ECC Culinary Department
ECC Apprenticeship Program
ECC Ophthalmic Technician Program
ECC Welding

ECC WIOA program
Elgin Sweeper
Fox Valley Internet
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
High Point Dentistry
High Voltage Electric
Highland Oaks of Elgin
Hoffer Plastics
John B. Sanfilippo & Son (Fisher Nuts)
Judson University
KCT Credit Union
LifeLine Ambulance
Lincoln College of Technology
Luna Cakes
Manpower
MAPEI
Nicor Gas
NIU – PLEDGE Program

NIU – School of Family and Consumer Sciences
Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA)
Official Finders
Potbelly
Rosati’s/Rosati’s University
Standard Equipment
State Farm
Streamwood Park District
U-46 Human Resources
U-46 Plant Operations
U-46 Transportation
UTI
Village of South Elgin
Well Child Center
West Side Tractor Sales
Wintrust Bank

Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Day Benefits 2,200 Students

Over 35 community colleges, universities, corporate apprenticeships, and technical institutes participated in Alignment and U-46’s first Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Day on March 5. In addition to students meeting college and university enrollment specialists, students met professionals offering sessions in the college search process, NCAA participation, military service recruitment, and FAFSA. More than 2,200 students benefited from the experience across U-46’s high schools to include visits with current college and university students advising students on the transition from high school to careers.