Education

Large Equipment Career Day Attracts the Region’s Automotive Students

October 18, 2024

Johnsburg High School was the site for the first, Large Equipment Career Day attended by automotive students from high schools in school districts U-46, 300, and 301. Students had the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills gained in the high schools’ Automotive CTE programs to diesel applications within the Large Equipment industry. Sponsored by the AED Foundation, SkillsUSA, and the Youth Workforce Development Foundation, more than 400 students from Illinois and Wisconsin benefited from this “hands on” career experience operating large equipment on the Johnsburg High School campus.

Thank you to Johnsburg High School and West Side Tractor for hosting the experience for our region’s students.

Teacher Pipeline Education Day at Northern Illinois University

October 16, 2024

On Thursday, October 3, 225 students from School District U-46, District 300, and District 301 spent the day at Northern Illinois University’s Teacher Pipeline Conference. The morning started for students with a keynote address from 2023 North Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year, Amber Jirsa, followed by a couple of breakout sessions. Students finished the day listening to a panel of current education students who talked about classes and postsecondary advice.

Thank you, Northern Illinois University and Northern Kane County Region 110, for your partnership hosting this event!

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

August 15, 2024

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

Manufacturing Internships Lead to Future Career Choices

August 2, 2024

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

Larkin High School Students Awarded at State Competition

March 5, 2024

Four (4) students from Larkin High School’s Education CTE program, Maya Nail, Zeke Rodriguez, Izzy Lopez, and Izeti Chavez, represented U-46 with their teacher Aurora Scarpaci at their first ever Educators Rising State competition at Illinois State University on March 4. Maya and Zeke earned 2nd place in the Children’s Literature competition with their original book, “The ABC’s of your Emotion.” Izeti Chavez was also awarded 3rd place for her Job Interview event. Congratulations to these Larkin students, our future teachers!

Izzy Lopez, Izeti Chavis, CTE Teacher Aurora Scarpaci, Maya Nail, and Zach Rodriguez

Salute to our Region’s CTE Teachers at School Districts 300, 301, and U-46!

February 14, 2024

February is CTE Month!

The month of February is dedicated to recognizing the contributions that career and technical education (CTE) programs have contributed to preparing the nation’s future workforce. Thank you to our CTE teachers and Northern Kane County Region 110 for their commitment to graduate students academic and career ready providing students the opportunity to exit high school with industry recognized credentials ready for the workplace.

These exceptional teachers bring their industry experience and knowledge to the classroom preparing our region’s future workforce. Their work is valued and greatly appreciated.