What’s New

Alignment’s first Visual Arts interns paint original mural for Golden Corridor YMCA

On August 4th, the Golden Corridor YMCA hosted a grand reveal of an original mural painted by Alignment’s first visual art interns. The YMCA and Elgin community came together to celebrate this new art installation by adding their colorful handprints around a custom design created by Larkin High School Academy senior Malcolm Wilson. Alongside him in bringing the piece to life was Larkin High School Academy senior Avrie Lilly and Bartlett High School junior Gia Mangriotis, the three of them creating the blueprint for future creative projects that demonstrate the artistic talents of our students.

In addition to creating the original mural, interns also gained valuable hands-on experience in executing client work, building their personal artist brand, and developing professional skills as a freelance artist. Guiding them in navigating the ins and outs of freelance art was Sugey Mondragon of Side Street Studios, recent Columbia College Chicago grad and U-46 alum. By the end of their internship, the interns presented their personal art portfolios through individually crafted websites and unique business card designs, all contributing to their burgeoning art careers. This internship encapsulates the beginning of a vibrant investment in student artists.

Thank you to Golden Corridor YMCA and Sugey Mondragon of Side Street Studios.

Read more about the Mural Reveal, a front-page story by Rick West, published by the Daily Herald.

Article by Annabelle Mique
Alignment Collaborative for Education Staff

Students Explore Careers in the Dentistry Profession

For students interested in a career in the dentistry field, the best place to be this summer was at Well Child Center. The 60-hour internship included visiting with dental professionals, shadowing their work, and spending time in Well Child Center’s dental clinic. Interns also had the opportunity to visit dental programs at both Elgin Community College and the College of DuPage as possible starting points for their education in the dentistry field beyond high school. “Full implementation of the 60-hour Project SMILE internship focused on careers in dental professions was nothing short of amazing,” reported Michelle Zajac Esquivel, MPH, Executive Director, Well Child Center. “Every intern expressed enthusiasm for how much they learned and noted how much they enjoyed the observation and shadowing time in Well Child Center’s dental clinic, as well as other local dental and oral surgery practices.”

While at Well Child Center, interns also learned more about public health and the contribution that clinics like Well Child Center contribute to the community’s overall healthcare services. Interns focused on removing barriers to dental hygiene practices and encouraging healthy nutritional choices through communications and education to families. Interns even had the opportunity to deploy their marketing skills, creating social media posts and infographics directed to families in the community.

All nine students that completed the “Project Smile” internship gave it rave reviews. Haniya Malkani, a senior from Hampshire High School, described the internship as “a great learning experience where I got to connect with professionals, ask meaningful questions, and contribute to creative projects like social media posts and bulletin boards. It helped me grow my confidence and communication skills while working as part of a team.”

In this internship, the Well Child Center team was committed to creating an experience for high school students that focused on both their professional and personal growth while also allowing students to exercise their creativity and communication skills. From this experience, students developed mentors in the healthcare profession as well as friendships with peers from multiple high schools in the region.

Thank you to the Well Child Center for providing this opportunity to students to pursue their career interests, learn more about their community, and to build solid career plans for the future.

For more student highlights, view the Project Smile slideshow.