Align4edu

Alignment Collaborative for Education - ACE

Internships

What a Difference a Week Makes!

Investing in youth…
Preparing the future workforce.

1 drones
Inaugural drone internship is a hit, hosted by Central School District 301.
2 elgin swat
First Responder interns meet and train with the City of Elgin SWAT team.
3 ecker center
Ecker Center partnering with Alignment and the Elgin Neighborhood Network launches the first behavioral health internship program.
4 bartlett hills
Culinary students prepare for guests at Village of Bartlett’s Bartlett Hills, experimenting with culinary and hospitality professions.
5 west side tractor
Automotive students from School Districts U-46 and 300 experience careers in heavy equipment maintenance at West Side Tractor.
6 abc toon town
ABC Toon Town helps students experience early education professions partnering together and building the future teacher pipeline.
7 hanover park fire
Future First Responder interns are welcomed at the Hanover Park Fire Department summer internship in its third year.
8 hanover township aging services
Hanover Township introduces students to human services professions specializing in aging services.
9 elgin sweeper
For over five years Elgin Sweeper continues to partner, preparing high school interns for critical roles in manufacturing.
10 pharmacy double
Future pharmacists work with professional pharmacists in the classroom, visit Midwestern University School of Pharmacy, and shadow in the pharmacies of Advocate Good Shepherd and Advocate Sherman hospitals.
11 hanover township emergency services
Partnering with Bartlett Police, Hanover Park Fire, and Hanover Township prepares First Responder interns for emergency services.
12 judson architecture
Students interested in architectural and design careers visit Judson University’s Department of Architecture.

The First 12 Days of Internships

camera image next to text: On the first 12 days of internships, we captured snapshots of work in progress
alignment 1 bartlett police
Bartlett Police Department interns search and seize.
alignment 2 bennigans
First-time host Bennigan’s hires intern after 60 hours!
alignment 3 baird warner
Baird & Warner interns apply marketing best-practices to the real estate industry.
alignment 4 medical scholars
Northern Illinois Medical Scholars shadow operating room procedures hosted by Advocate Sherman physicians.
alignment 5 hoffer
Hoffer Plastics equips interns with engineering and manufacturing experience.
alignment 6 ai
AI internship equips the future workforce with projects sponsored by Explore Elgin, Industrial Treasures, Lakeview Precision Machining and St. Charles American Legion.
alignment 7 well child
ECC’s Dental Assisting Program works with Well Child Center’s interns to keep those smiles bright!
alignment 8 precious angels
Precious Angels interns help children soar as they learn and play.
alignment 9 hampton lenzini renwick
Hampton Lenzini & Renwick internship launches its 7th year.
alignment 10 elgin fire
Elgin Fire Department’s future First Responder recruits train hard and swing with a purpose!
alignment 11 rosatis
Rosati’s corporate internship program prepares future restaurant entrepeneurs.
alignment 12 lakeview precision machining
Lakeview Precision interns get turn-key machining and problem-solving experience.

Over 300 Students Entering Paid Internships in June

Over 300 Students Entering Paid Internships in June

Beginning June 2, over 300 high school students from School Districts 300, 301, 303 and U-46 will begin paid internships through our summer internship program – a work-based learning opportunity that allows students to explore a career through placement with a local employer. Students placed in the internships are primarily juniors entering their senior year of high school.

Thank You to our Host Organizations
for providing these opportunities!

Arts, Communication & Marketing

  • Baird and Warner Real Estate
  • Centro de Informacion (Communications and Outreach)
  • City of Elgin (Marketing & Communications)
  • District 300 Central Office Communication Department Social Media & Marketing
  • District 300 Communications (Website)
  • District 300 Jacobs High School Social Media
  • Downtown Neighborhood Association (Marketing & Promotions)
  • Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce (Marketing)
  • Explore Elgin Area
  • Rosati’s Pizza (Marketing)
  • Rosati’s Pizza (Social Media)
  • Side Street Studio Arts
  • U-46 Athletics and Activities Internship (Bartlett High School)
  • U-46 Athletics and Activities Office Student Intern (Larkin High School)
  • U-46 Audio and Video Internship – Beacon Academy Projects
  • U-46 Student Leadership Summit Planning Internship (Bartlett High School)

Automotive, Diesel & Heavy Equipment

  • AHW (John Deere) Parts
  • AHW (John Deere) Technician
  • Bartlett Hills Golf Course (Golf Course Equipment Maintenance Technician)
  • Bob Loquercio Auto Group (Parts Specialist)
  • Bob Loquercio Auto Group (Service Advisor)
  • KS Autocare (Technician)
  • U-46 Transportation Department (Maintenance Technician)
  • West Side Tractor (Heavy Equipment Technician)
  • Wicked Wrench (Technician)

Business, Finance & IT

  • AI in Industry
  • City of Elgin (Information Technology Systems)
  • District 300 Information Technology Department
  • District 301 Accounting & Finance
  • District 301 Information Technology Department
  • Elgin Area Chamber EDG Group (Economic Development)
  • Microsoft
  • Opiquad
  • Rosati’s Pizza (Accounting)
  • U-46 (Plant Operations: Facility Administration)
  • U-46 Information Services (Network Support and Cable Management)
  • Wintrust: Greater Elgin Area (Banking)

Culinary & Hospitality

  • Bartlett Hills Golf Course (Culinary)
  • Central 301 (Food Service Department)
  • Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Chicago NW/Bennigans
  • Rosati’s Pizza (Culinary) Rosati’s Pizza (Restaurant Operations)

Education & Youth Services

  • ABC Toon Town
  • Advance Preschool (Early Education)
  • Bartlett Park District (Early Education)
  • District 300 Career & Technical Education (CTE) Summer Camp Teacher Aid
  • District 300 Educational Leadership – D300 Superintendent
  • District 300 Education Services Department – Northwestern Illinois Association (NIA)
  • District 300 Extended School Year (ESY)
  • Mid-Valley Special Education (Education)
  • Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
  • Precious Angels
  • Two Rivers Head Start (Early Childhood Education)
  • U-46 (I am LEAD) Records & Registration
  • Village of South Elgin (Summer Camp Counselor)
  • YMCA (Child Care)

Engineering, Manufacturing & Trades

  • Advanced Compressor Technology
  • ATI (Assurance Technologies Inc.)
  • Bucher Hydraulics
  • City Of Elgin (Environmental Sustainability)
  • District 300 Facility Maintenance Department
  • District 300 Welding
  • District 301 Drone Piloting (FAA 107 Certification)
  • Elgin Sweeper (Part Design, Test and Inspection)
  • Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick (Engineering and Surveying)
  • Hoffer Plastics (Engineering and Manufacturing Rotation)
  • ITW Shakeproof (Engineering)
  • Judson University School of Architecture
  • Lakeview Precision Machining
  • Lauderdale Electric (Electrician Assistant)
  • Matrix Design
  • Shales McNutt Construction (Project Manager)
  • WT Group (Architecture and Engineering)

First Responder

  • City of Elgin Fire and Police Departments
  • Bartlett Police, Hanover Park Fire, and Hanover Township Emergency Services

Government, Human & Public Services

  • City of Elgin (Community Development)
  • City of Elgin (Public Administration)
  • Hanover Township (Aging Services)
  • The Office of State Representative Anna Moeller
  • The Office of State Representative Suzanne Ness
  • The Office of State Senator Cristina Castro

Healthcare

  • Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital (Pharmacy Tech)
  • Advocate Sherman Hospital (Medical Rotation)
  • Advocate Sherman Hospital (Pharmacy Tech)
  • Advocate Sherman Outpatient Centers (Medical Assisting)
  • Athletico
  • Diamond Physical Therapy
  • Ecker Center
  • Family Service Association
  • Luna Behavioral Health Center
  • Mid-Valley OT/PT
  • Northern Illinois Medical Scholars Program
  • OrthoIllinois Physical Therapy
  • Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System
  • VNA Health Care
  • Well Child Center Community Health and Dental

Veterinary Science

  • Anderson Humane Vet Clinic
  • Army Trail Animal Hospital
  • City of Elgin Lords Park (Zoology)
  • Dundee Animal Hospital
  • Pet Vet Animal Clinic
  • Tails Animal Hospital

Alignment wishes you Happy Holidays and a Prosperous 2026!

Alignment's 2025 Holiday Message

Together we conclude an impactful 2025.

As we prepare to celebrate the holidays, we want to take a moment to rejoice in each of you, our business, community, and school partners. Together, we will conclude 2025 serving over 15,000 students where you have invested more than 13,000 volunteer hours.

Yes, the numbers are strong and are expected to grow to over 17,000 students in 2026 with an estimated volunteer contribution of more than 18,000 hours. However, it is also about our efforts to reach the students that need the resources the most.  

It is about starting in middle school ensuring students and parents are informed about all the career pathway opportunities available in our 11 regional high schools. It is also about you being willing to invest a minimum of 60 hours in individual students that have never had the experience to work in their career field of choice. It’s about being a champion for youth beyond the walls of the high school showing them early how to best succeed in a competitive and challenging world.

Having a positive impact on the lives of students beyond what the schools can provide alone is why the Alignment partnership is critical to the future of those individuals, their families, and the community. Because of you, we can be the difference between no career plan and one that leads to a successful future.

Adriana, Annabelle, Edgar, and I thank you for investing in Alignment’s mission. We wish you all Happy Holidays, and a prosperous New Year in 2026!

Best regards,

Nancy

Nancy Coleman
Executive Director
Alignment Collaborative for Education

Internship Recognition Breakfast Celebrates 2025 Industry Host Partners

Alignment's 2025 Internship Host Breakfast

Sponsored by the AED Foundation and in partnership with Northern Kane County Region 110, Alignment hosted its 2025 Internship Host Recognition Breakfast on December 4 at Bartlett Hills Golf Club. More than 50 organizations came together for the event to recognize all host sites that provided a total of 243 students with paid internship experiences during 2025.

Welcomed to Bartlett by City Manager Paula Schumacher, the morning’s program highlighted the profound success and impact of this growing internship initiative that originally began five years ago with the first interns placed with the Village of Bartlett.

Alongside presenting awards to each 2025 host organization, the event featured compelling testimonies from past interns, industry representatives, and elected officials Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig and City of Elgin Mayor David Kaptain, embodying the significance of creating internship experiences that invest in the future success of the community.

Partners from Advocate Sherman Hospital, AED Foundation, Elgin Community College, Hoffer Plastics, Seigle Foundation, and Wintrust echoed the students’ sentiments in the importance of students being in the workplace to engage with industry professionals. Sharing their internship host experiences, these partners emphasized the reward and return of this future workforce investment to the region. With 243 interns placed for a minimum of 60 hours, the 55 host sites invested over 13,000 hours in these internship experiences representing more than a $700,000 return on investment to the school districts and the community.

Two student panels representing Bartlett, Central, Hampshire, Larkin, South Elgin, St. Charles East, and Streamwood high schools highlighted how their internship experiences have shaped their future career goals. From skill development to gaining stark clarity on what careers to pursue, interns expressed their immense gratitude to host organizations and confidently encouraged all the organizations in the room to support students and the future workforce by becoming a host site in 2026.

Superintendents from School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303 each announced increased financial commitments to sponsor internships next year. Elgin Community College (ECC), confirming on Monday following the breakfast, a third year of funding under the Taking Back the Trades grant securing a 33% increase from 2025 resulting in 100 high school students receiving paid summer internship opportunities in 2026.

Combining the financial support from the school districts, ECC, and the business partners that have already committed funding for 2026, the goal is to match 300 students to their career goal in this paid work opportunity. Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 are working to identify all internship opportunities by March 1. If your organization is interested in offering internships for Summer 2026, please contact Nancy Coleman at colemanace@align4edu.org, Terry Stroh at terry.stroh@central301.net, or Dr. Todd Stirn at efe.stirn@central301.net for further information.

Thank you to our 2025 Internship Host Organizations

Automotive, Engineering, Heavy Equipment, Manufacturing and Trade Professions

Advanced Compressor Technologies
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Bucher Hydraulics
Elgin Sweeper
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, LLC
Hoffer Plastics
ITW Shakeproof
Judson University
KS Auto Care
Lakeview Precision Machining
Service Concepts
Shales McNutt Construction
Village of Bartlett
West Side Tractor
WT Group

Business, Culinary, Finance, Government, and IT

Bartlett Hills Golf Club and Banquets
Centro de Información
City of Elgin – City Manager’s Office
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce
Elgin Development Group
Elgin Symphony Orchestra
Explore Elgin Area
Gather Pingree Grove
Gowns for Good
The Haight
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
Keith French Photography
Microsoft
Office of State Representative Anna Moeller
Opiquad, LLC
Rosati’s
Wintrust

Education, Human Services, and Veterinary Science

Advance Preschool
Anderson Humane Veterinary Clinic
Bartlett Park District
Central Community School District 301
Community Unit School District 300
Hanover Township
Mid-Valley Special Education Cooperative
Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
Pet Vet Animal Clinic
Precious Angels
School District U-46
South Elgin Parks & Recreation
Tails Humane Society
Two Rivers Head Start

First Responder

Bartlett Police Department
Elgin Fire Department
Elgin Police Department
Hanover Park Fire Department
Hanover Township Emergency Services

Healthcare

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Advocate Sherman Hospital
Athletico
Diamond Physical Therapy
OrthoIllinois
VNA Health Care
Well Child Center

Automotive, Engineering, Heavy Equipment, Manufacturing and Trade Professions Hosts
Business, Culinary, Finance, Government, and IT Hosts
Education, Human Services, and Veterinary Science Hosts
First Responder Hosts
Healthcare Hosts
City of Elgin Mayor Kaptain, Bill Hoffer and Yaneth Medina with Santa
Student Interns with Santa (Bill Wright)

Central Community School District 301 Launches Healthcare Pathway

District 301 interns visit a resident at the Atirum Oak Crest

With the launch of a new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program, students at Central High School can now earn their CNA certification while still in high school, building a strong foundation for a wide range of healthcare careers responding to the growing demand for skilled medical professionals. Dr. Todd Stirn, retired 301 superintendent and current work based learning specialist for Northern Kane County Region 110, described it best as a rocket launch into healthcare careers.

Stephen Buchs, Director of Curriculum 6–12 and College Partnerships, led the initiative alongside Department Chair Kelly Greene, noting students’ strong and growing interest in healthcare fields. Certified School Nurse Joyce Turnipseed now supervises the clinical coursework and supports students earning dual credit through Elgin Community College (ECC).

“This project has been a long overdue need to provide an option for students with an interest in any future healthcare profession,” said Stephen Buchs. “The investment by the district is minor in comparison to the student lives that will be changed by the pathway, even when it required overcoming challenges surrounding building space, finding licensed instructors, and managing student growth. The work invested by so many people to make the program a success is well worth it. District 301 is proud to stay a student-focused district so that every student today and in the future has access to a variety of careers.”

District 301 Group 1 interns at the Atrium Oak Crest
District 301 Group 1 Interns at the Atrium Oak Crest
District 301 Group 2 interns at the Atrium Oak Crest
District 301 Group 2 Interns at the Atrium Oak Crest

This work could not be done without our business and community partners. The Atrium at Oak Crest is now the clinical rotation site for the 11 CNA students. When asked about the clinical supervision and the partnership with The Atrium, Joyce Turnipseed praised the opportunity for students to transfer “their classroom learning into compassionate care gaining valuable hands-on experience in a real healthcare setting”.

Susan Cincinelli, Executive Director of The Atrium, enthusiastically greeted students the first day of the clinical experience.  “It is a privilege to welcome District 301 CNA students to Oak Crest, where our 122-year tradition of dignity and caring continues to define our mission. Sharing the Oak Crest philosophy with the future leaders of healthcare is a true honor, and we are proud to partner with these dedicated learners—and share our mission-based approach. At Oak Crest, our goal is to continue to move toward an inclusive community where youth and aged people live together and learn from one another; these young people are reminders of what can be accomplished when the barriers of ageism are removed.”

Northern Kane County Region 110 and the Alignment Collaborative for Education applaud Central 301 and The Atrium at Oak Crest for launching this program and creating strong partnerships that connect students with real-world experience. The collaboration between Central 301 and The Atrium at Oak Crest exemplifies how schools and community organizations can work together to develop the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Stephen Buchs and Joyce Turnipseed (301) joined Terry Stroh, Todd Stirn and Nancy Coleman to visit with The Atrium's mother and daughter management team, Susan and Wendy, to finalize plans for District 301's first clinical rotation.
Stephen Buchs and Joyce Turnipseed (301) joined Terry Stroh, Todd Stirn and Nancy Coleman to visit with the Atrium’s mother and daughter management team, Susan and Wendy, to finalize plans for District 301’s first clinical rotation.