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Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE

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Education

Summer Internship Program Attracts Over 800 Student Applications

April 30, 2025

Summer Internship Program 2025

This year, we received more than 800 applications from students across Northern Kane County, each showcasing unique strengths and perspectives. With only 200 internship positions available, the selection process was highly competitive. Administrators from Northern Kane County Region 110, the Alignment Collaborative for Education, and School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303 carefully reviewed the applications to identify the best matches. Currently, students are being interviewed and offered positions by host organizations across the region with the summer internships scheduled to begin as early as June 3.

Filed Under: Education

Elgin and Streamwood Seniors Experience Job Opportunities in Heavy Equipment Maintenance at ALTORFER CAT

April 1, 2025

Seniors from Elgin and Streamwood high schools’ automotive programs joined Altorfer CAT on March 24 to tour the East Dundee facility to learn more about the ThinkBig program.  This apprenticeship program combines work and school benefiting students with paid work time in Altorfer’s facilities while also earning their associates degree. Students begin by enrolling in the program in applied science at Illinois Central College attending eight weeks of classes followed by an eight-week, paid internship experience starting at $18.50 per hour.

At the completion of the associate degree program, students selected for full-time employment receive a 50% reimbursement of tuition costs and after three years of employment, they receive the remaining 50% reimbursement.  Graduates receiving job offers from Altorfer can expect their hourly rate to increase substantially to over $30 per hour upon completion of the ThinkBIG program.

The Alignment Collaborative for Education, Northern Kane County Region 110, and School District U-46 greatly appreciate the Altorfer team and the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) making this experience possible for these students as they prepare to graduate in May.

Filed Under: Education

Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Day reaches over 4,200 students!

March 11, 2025

District U-46 High Schools

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.

Filed Under: Alignment, Career Education, Education, Post Secondary Education

Seniors Share How Internships Change Trajectory of Life After High School

February 5, 2025

2025 Internship Host Breakfast

Alignment, Northern Kane County Region 110, and ECC Celebrate Industry Host Partners

Partnering with Northern Kane County Region 110 and Elgin Community College, Alignment hosted its first Internship Recognition Breakfast for all organizations hosting summer interns in 2024. More than 100 guests attended the event at ECC with 41 organizations honored for hosting the 146 students that participated in the program during 2024. The event also attracted more than a dozen organizations interested in learning how they might become an internship host site in 2025.

Six student interns from Central, Dundee Crown, Hampshire, Larkin, and Streamwood high schools shared how their internship experiences shaped their future career plans as they prepare to graduate in May.  Industry representatives from Advocate Sherman Hospital, Bartlett Police Department, Bob Loquercio Auto Group, Elgin State Bank, Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc., Hoffer Plastics, and West Side Tractor discussed their internship model with prospective companies describing how their organizations designed the internship opportunity to meet the minimum 60 hour requirement for students to receive academic credit combined with students being paid for those hours.

Gina De rosier Cook, Dean of Workforce Development and Continuing Education at Elgin Community College, announced a second year of Take Back the Trades grant funding to sponsor 75 high school students this year, a 50% increase from 2024 along with funding provided by corporate partners, municipalities, the United Way Elgin Neighborhood Network, Elgin Township, the Seigle Foundation and investments by School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and recently committed St. Charles Community Unit School District 303. Terry Stroh, Director, Northern Kane County Region 110, predicts that with this funding base and the support of the business community, 200 students could be placed throughout the region’s industry sectors to include automotive, business, culinary, engineering, financial services, health care, heavy equipment, manufacturing, municipal services, and welding.

Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 are working to identify all internship opportunities with completed position descriptions by March 3, 2025 opening the application process to 11 high schools by March 10, 2025. If your organization is interested in offering internships for Summer 2025, please contact Nancy Coleman at colemanace@align4edu.org or Terry Stroh at terry.stroh@central301.net for further information.

For highlights of the Breakfast, please see Rick West’s Daily Herald article ‘We really are changing lives’: Internship program helps students make post-high school plans

Filed Under: Alignment, Education, Internships

Happy Holidays to our business, community and school partners!

December 18, 2024

Happy Holidays 2024

Happy Holidays to our business, community and school partners! 
We wish you a prosperous 2025.

Your time and talents are critical to the success of Alignment’s work as we launch programs throughout school districts U-46, 300, and 301. Upcoming events include:

  • January 15 – Streamwood HS Career and Technical Panel
  • January 16 – U-46 Resume, Interview, and Internship Preparation Workshop
  • January 22 – ECC Education Day
  • January 23 – D301 Resume, Interview, and Internship Preparation Workshop
  • January 29 – Internship Host Breakfast
  • February 6 – U-46 Resume, Interview, and Internship Preparation Workshop
  • February 25 – D300 Resume, Interview, and Internship Preparation Workshop
  • March 4 – U-46 Sophomore/Junior Postsecondary Day
  • March 13 – U-46 Resume, Interview, and Internship Preparation Workshop
  • April 15 – Judson University Education Visit
  • April 24 – Career & Technical Education (CTE) Job Fair
  • June/July – Summer Internships

Our goal is simple:
Give students the opportunity to graduate academic and career ready by exposing them to quality, work-based learning opportunities aligned with their interest and talents.

Thank you for all you do to help us achieve that goal.

Filed Under: Education

Senior Postsecondary Virtual Day

October 23, 2024

More than 25 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the third annual Senior Postsecondary Virtual Day on October 16. A record number of students attended with 794 individual seniors participating. Seniors who attended the event were able to get information from university and college admissions staff, current college students, FAFSA, military service, and NCAA eligibility, etc.

For students who are undecided about their interest in postsecondary colleges and universities, a session was included about future employment and apprenticeship opportunities with information about Elgin Community College’s apprenticeship programs and the outlook for future employment in the region and state.

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

Aurora University
Bradley University
DePaul University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Harper College
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
Illinois Department of Employment Security
Illinois State University
Judson University
Lincoln College of Technology
Loyola University
Marquette University
North Central College
Northern Illinois University
Nova Southeastern University
Purdue University
Southern Illinois University
Universal Technical Institute
University of Dayton
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
U.S. Armed Forces
Western Illinois University
Xavier University

Filed Under: Alignment, Career Education, Education, Post Secondary Education

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Recent Posts

  • Nancy Coleman Awarded YWCA Leadership Award in Education
  • Please Join Us in Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week
  • Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 Job Fair Attracts Students Across the Region
  • Summer Internship Program Attracts Over 800 Student Applications
  • Hanover Township Recognition

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Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE

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