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Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE

Community Partnerships

Alignment Visits the Leadership Academy Class of 2024

Alignment ELA 2024 Session

Alignment was invited to the Elgin Area Leadership Academy Class of 2024 joined by the leadership of ECC, EMSA, Judson, and U-46. The January Saturday morning session provided a great time to discuss education, future workforce development, and the continued advancement of the greater Elgin community. The Leadership Academy mentored and coordinated by Dan Fox, Ruth Munson, and Anthony Ramos has graduated over 15 classes contributing to Elgin having a solid leadership base networked across business and community organizations.

Edgar Montes, Alignment’s community program manager, is a member of the Class of 2024. Edgar describes his experience: “My experience has been amazing during my time in the academy. Being raised in Elgin, I’m amazed at just how much is out there for me to learn about my community. Learning from different leaders in Elgin gives me a sense of happiness knowing that I share similar backgrounds as them.”

William (Bill) Hoffer recognized by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce

Non-Profit Volunteer of the Year, 2023

Alignment had the opportunity to name Bill Hoffer as the non-profit, Volunteer of the Year at the annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. The event each year recognizes community leaders that significantly contribute to Elgin’s non-profit organizations. As the Hoffer Foundation website states “It’s not just plastics its personal”. Nothing could better describe Bill and the Hoffer Family’s commitment to the Elgin community. That commitment is evident in the raising and donation of millions of dollars to the community’s non-profit organizations, local charities, and families.  However, you could debate that even more important is the human investment.

The Alignment Collaborative for Education was fortunate and blessed to have Bill Hoffer as a founding member from concept to implementation. Now almost a decade later, this organization serves over 8,500 students a year with a 100% commitment from Bill that all students should have the opportunity to graduate academic and career ready.

You will find Bill at the annual Explore event visiting with 2,700 8th graders, and he is the first to open the doors to Hoffer Plastics to show high school students all the career opportunities available in the manufacturing industry. That work does not stop with the Alignment Collaborative. Bill has invested his leadership skills in growing Advocate Sherman Hospital to be a leader in providing world class healthcare. He, his wife Taffy, and his children continue to invest in the community’s children and youth as evidenced by the new Boys and Girls Club facility in South Elgin along with the YMCA, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, etc.

Bill believes in the power of education to change lives and to shape the future prosperity of a community, the region, and the state. It is befitting to be able to recognize Bill for those many contributions.

Flender hosts “Introduce A Girl to Engineering” night benefiting Bartlett and Streamwood students

On November 16, 2023 Flender Corporation hosted “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” night, exposing girls from Bartlett and Streamwood’s STEM programs to an array of career opportunities in engineering. Students were ‘hands on” with Flender’s engineering team, learning how to assemble gear boxes as well as experimenting with wind turbine blade modeling. The girls had the opportunity to incorporate their knowledge of physics, aerodynamics, blueprint reading, materials engineering, etc. Students also had an opportunity to tour the entire Flender operations seeing how gearboxes over 6 ft tall are assembled and overhauled for the wind turbine industry.

Nancy Coleman commended Flender for continuing to offer this program to introduce more high school girls to various engineering disciplines. “This program of Introduce a Girl to Engineering has been a showcase event for Flender for over a decade with girls meeting and working one on one with other female engineers to understand what educational and career pathways they chose to prepare for the profession.”

Thank you to the entire Flender team and especially its HR Team for planning and executing this event. We look forward to continuing the event and expanding it to other high schools.

U-46 Automotive Teachers Benefit from ALTORFER CAT Training

U-46 automotive teachers from Bartlett, Elgin, South Elgin, and Streamwood spent the day with Altorfer’s trainers to learn more about the large equipment maintenance industry. The Altorfer team highlighted troubleshooting and research processes commonly used in the industry. This training held at Elgin High School was provided “hands on” because of the generous donation of engines to U-46’s automotive programs. The day also gave opportunities for networking and team building across the high schools.

Clint Peterson, automotive teacher and event host from Elgin High School, described the training as a “valuable opportunity to learn together and a great experience for collaborating with peers and business partners.”  The Alignment Collaborative for Education thanks Altorfer and the AED Foundation for introducing teachers and students to career exploration and employment opportunities in the large equipment maintenance industry.

Alignment Launches Summer Internships with 24 Partner Organizations

Alignment - Summer Interns at Advocate Sherman Hospital
Advocate Sherman Hospital, Pharmacy Tech Interns

New Internship Opportunities Offered in 11 Career Fields

Alignment in partnership with Northern Kane County Region 110 and School District U-46 is offering more than 80 paid summer internship opportunities to high school students from school districts U-46, 300, and 301. Eleven career fields are highlighted this summer such as the new pilot program in pharmacy sponsored by Advocate Sherman Hospital.  Elgin Sweeper has expanded its internship opportunities to include both engineering and welding experiences. Once again, Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. in partnership with Judson University will provide 15 students experiences in architecture, civil engineering, and design. These are just a few examples of what the summer has to offer to high school students.

Stay tuned to learn more about these internships, the hosting organizations, and the students excelling through these experiences.

Thank you to the following organizations and our school districts for hosting these career exploration opportunities:

Advocate Sherman Hospital
Alignment Collaborative for Education
ALTA
The Atrium at Oak Crest Residence
Bartlett Park District
City of Elgin
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL)
Elgin Sweeper
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc.
Hanover Township

ITW Shakeproof
Judson University
Northern Kane County Region 110
Office of State Representative Anna Moeller
Reishauer
School District U-46
Streamwood Park District
Talent First
Taylor Family YMCA
Village of Bartlett
Well Child Center
79Ratio

Elgin Sweeper
Streamwood Park District
YMCA
Village of Bartlett
Village of Streamwwod
Electriflex
ITW Shakeproof
Reishauer