The Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL) in partnership with School District U-46, Gail Borden Public Library and the Alignment Collaborative for Education hosted a Call to Community on April 12, 2019 as part of the Week of the Young Child. The event was held at Gail Borden Public Library from 8:00 to 9:45 am.

The Larkin High School Career Panel was held as an all day event on March 7, 2019. In partnership with Junior Achievement (JA), Alignment recruited an industry panel composed of banking and finance, education, healthcare and public safety. Thank you to Berto Valdez from PNC Bank, Rose Diaz and Fatima Reyes from the AVID CNA program, Kathy Potts and Matt Jacobucci from the Elgin Police Department, and Ronald Raglin from School District U-46 for serving as our career panelists and to Edgar Montes from Junior Achievement. The event attracted over 400 students, including freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Vaughn Küerschner, Public Sector Representative of Waste Management, met with Alignment’s Executive Committees on February 26, 2019, to award a check of $5,000 to support Alignment’s work to improve early education offerings, build schools with trauma informed care cultures, and offer all students the opportunity to benefit from educational pathways graduating academic and career ready. Alignment greatly appreciates this donation and Waste Management’s continued support of its work for the last three years.
The Alignment Collaborative for Education received $5,000 in funding under Nicor’s The Path to Social Mobility and Enhanced Opportunities Includes Education and Career Readiness grant program. Alignment’s role is to build business and community partnerships that collaboratively offer students within School District U-46, opportunities to participate in a comprehensive career education and work readiness program. This program prepares students to gain industry recognized credentials while still in high school so that students upon graduation can immediately enter the workforce and have the necessary foundation for post-secondary education and training. We greatly appreciate the support of Jim Griffin, Nicor’s Vice President of Operations and member of Alignment’s Governing Board.
Elgin Chamber hosts annual meeting, award ceremony Feb. 20th
The Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL) opened its second laundromat early learning space at Blue Kangaroo in Elgin. The space is dedicated to families as an opportunity for early learning in non-traditional locations. Amber Peters, the Executive Director of EPEL, commented “that meaningful learning can occur in unconventional settings where families come together to work and play.”
ACE is a member of the Alignment USA communities of collaboration and collective impact.

