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Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE

Education

Larkin High School CTE Awards Day

Larkin High School seniors were recognized for their achievements while enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) courses including culinary, education, engineering and healthcare programs. Career and technical education (CTE) teachers had the opportunity to celebrate the students’ accomplishments as these seniors prepare to graduate on May 27, 2023 at the NOW Arena.  

Alignment’s executive director, Nancy Coleman, participated in the awards ceremony by providing the keynote address. Coleman praised the students for utilizing their high school experience to prepare for future careers where many of these students graduate with highly marketable skills and certifications. As Coleman asked students “What’s Next?”, she encouraged “seniors to take advantage of opportunities, set goals, and find a career that challenges you to showcase your best performance”.

Alignment wishes to recognize all U-46 career and technical education (CTE) teachers for their contributions to ensuring students have the opportunity to graduate academic and career ready. 

CTE teachers: Amanda Long, Healthcare; Diane Kriescher, Engineering; Aurora Scarpaci, Education; and Katie Thompson, Business.

Elgin High School’s Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) Students Visit NIU

Elgin High School YEP Students Tour NIU Campus

Northern Illinois University (NIU) hosted Elgin High School’s (EHS) Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) sophomores on April 25, 2023. The purpose of the visit was to introduce YEP students to postsecondary opportunities early in the decision-making process giving them time to prepare during their junior and senior years for the next steps after graduation.

Students during their visit met NIU College of Education faculty, visited classroom and lab environments, and toured the residence halls. Students shared these experiences with EHS administrators, coaches, and counselors. 

Alignment was excited to partner with NIU and EHS to offer this experience to the YEP students.  The YEP program focuses on a critical time in the student’s high school experience.  Originally proposed in 2021 as a partnership between U-46, the City of Elgin, and the Elgin Police Department, the program offers leadership development opportunities to students in the middle of their high school experience helping to ensure each student develops a viable plan of success for high school and the future.

Aaron Cobbs, EHS assistant football coach and Kimball Middle School teacher, has helped launch the program at both Elgin and Larkin high schools.  Cobbs credits the success of the program this year to “a dedicated group of U-46 staff and community leaders coming together to do what’s best for students”.  One of those leaders Nick Billone, EHS’s Dean of Students, describes the program “as an opportunity to go the extra mile with a committed high school administration and community”.

Alignment wishes to express its appreciation to NIU for participating in this collaboration and to recognize Christopher Lowe from the College of Education for coordinating the visit.  Lowe also represents NIU on Alignment’s Teacher Pipeline regional initiative with U-46, District 300, District 301, ECC, Judson, and the Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL).

YEP Students visit with Chris Lowe and NIU’s College of Education

United Way of Metro Chicago Launches Neighborhood Network in Elgin with Leadership Gift from Nicor Gas Foundation

Alignment Collaborative for Education will lead
the vision and work of the Elgin Neighborhood Network

United Way of Metro Chicago, in collaboration with founding supporter Nicor Gas Foundation and lead partner agency Alignment Collaborative for Education, has announced the expansion of its Neighborhood Network Initiative in Elgin. Establishing a Neighborhood Network in Elgin empowers local neighborhood leaders to leverage a multi-year investment from Nicor Gas Foundation and support from United Way to identify and solve issues important to their community.
   
“United Way has a long-standing relationship and partnership with the Elgin community,” said United Way of Metro Chicago President and CEO Sean Garrett. “Along with the Nicor Gas Foundation, we are thrilled to work with our partners at Alignment Collaborative for Education to launch the Elgin Neighborhood Network and reaffirm United Way’s commitment to the residents of Elgin. Our goal is to continue to work together to build a community where everyone can reach their potential and thrive.”  

“As the founding supporter of the Elgin Neighborhood Network, the Nicor Gas Foundation is honored to join United Way of Metro Chicago and our community partners on this transformative investment,” said Nicor Gas President and CEO Wendell Dallas. “We are committed to advancing equity in education for all young people. Nicor Gas is proud to support the Elgin Neighborhood Network and work in partnership with Alignment Collaborative for Education to provide workforce training opportunities and job readiness programs to better prepare high school students to pursue fulfilling careers.”

“The launch of the Elgin Neighborhood Network is a gamechanger for the Elgin community,” said Alignment Collaborative for Education Executive Director Nancy Coleman. “We are grateful for United Way of Metro Chicago and the Nicor Gas Foundation for believing in our work and joining our strong coalition of community leaders to ensure all people can thrive in Elgin, starting with crucial education and workforce development programming for our youth.”

Please join us on Giving Tuesday…

Please join us on Giving Tuesday to grow the more than 6,000 students served in 2022 to over 8,000 students by 2023.

“The hands-on experience of getting to create our own project and doing activities that are practiced in the real world was a truly rewarding experience.”

– Emily Gilmore, intern, Bartlett High School

“Today was very fun. It gave me some experiences I would never usually get.”

– Kunal Modi, Explore, Eastview Middle School

Invest in Alignment to prepare students to graduate academic and career ready. Our future workforce depends on it.

“I learned to seek good opportunities that will allow me to combine something that I’m good at with something I really care about. ”

– Anaid Braun, intern, South Elgin High School

“Overall the internship was a future changing experience.”

– Andrew Calles Cortez, intern, Larkin High School

To see our impact, view our Annual Report
To make an impact, Donate Today

Alignment Announces its 2022-23 Executive Committee

We are proud to announce our 2022-2023 Executive Committee. Bill Wright will be serving as Governing Board Chair and Sara Sabo will be serving as Operating Board Chair.

Alignment Collaborative For Education
2022-2023 Executive Committee

Bill Wright
President and Chair
Managing Director
The Overture Group

Jeni Lyon
Vice-Chair, Resource Development
President and CEO
Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick

Corey Dixon
Secretary
Senior Assistant Director
Kane County Sheriff’s Office

Peter Sikorski
Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer
Western Smokehouse Partners

Pam Cumpata
Resource Development
Community Volunteer

Bill Hoffer
Resource Development 
Chairman
Hoffer Plastics Corporation

Sara Sabo
Operating Board Chair
Deputy Director
Gail Borden Public Library

Tony Sanders
Superintendent
School District U-46

Nancy Coleman
Executive Director
Alignment Collaborative for Education

Post Secondary Senior Day Highlights

More than 25 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 to feature its first Senior Post Secondary Virtual Day on October 12. There were 750 individual seniors that attended the event participating in more than 2,100 sessions with university and college admissions staff and visiting faculty along with receiving assistance with FAFSA, future employment opportunities, military service, and NCAA eligibility.

Seniors had the opportunity to have visits with some of the most competitive post secondary institutions of their choice before applications are due November 1. Sessions were also offered on FAFSA and NCAA Academic Eligibility. For students that are undecided about their interest in post secondary colleges and universities, sessions were also facilitated by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) about the current labor market, hiring projections within the local community, and tips on how to best access job openings and navigate the application process.

Michele Chapman, U-46 Director of Post Secondary Success, described the day as “a great opportunity for some seniors to help finalize their search prior to November 1st and for other seniors to begin the planning of their post secondary plans after graduation. The goal was to try to reach as many seniors as possible with sessions that met their future academic and career preparation needs. We thank Alignment for partnering with us to provide all U-46 seniors this experience.”

Students and parents also had the opportunity following the virtual event to visit Elgin Community College’s Post Secondary Fair held that evening to further visit with college and university representatives that they met during the day.

Thank you to the following colleges, universities, and organizations for partnering with Alignment and U-46 to offer the Senior Post Secondary 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
Lewis University
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 Missouri
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
U.S. Armed Forces
Valparaiso University
Western Illinois University