Alignment

Sophomore/Junior Postsecondary Day Reaches Over 3,600 Students!

March 10, 2026

More than 30 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the Sophomore/Junior Virtual Postsecondary Day on March 4. This large-scale Zoom event reached over 3,600 students, exposing them to a multitude of college and career pathways.

As they met with admissions counselors and visiting faculty, students gained valuable guidance for their academic and professional endeavors. Throughout the day and across 32 different Zoom sessions, students had access to key resources:

Industry-specific college panels highlighting top program offerings across the Arts, Automotive, Business, Education, Engineering, Healthcare and Manufacturing industries
Information regarding Elgin Community College’s FAFSA, Transfer, and Academic Services
Workshops sharing insights on College Athletics and Military opportunities

Whether a student is considering a four-year university, community college, technical institute, or military service, Postsecondary Day provides a unique learning opportunity where students can be encouraged and equipped in their postsecondary planning.

Thank you to the following colleges, universities, and organizations for partnering with Alignment and U-46 to offer the Sophomore/Junior Postsecondary Day:

Aurora University
Bradley University
Butler University
DePaul University
Dominican University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Grand Valley State University
Harper College
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
Illinois State University
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Judson University
Lincoln College of Technology
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 Notre Dame
University of Wisconsin Madison
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
U.S. Armed Forces
Valparaiso University
Western Illinois University
Xavier University

Thank you to all the volunteers from these organizations who made this event a huge success, as well as to our Alignment partners from the U-46 Postsecondary Success Team, and Northern Kane County Region 110, who facilitated 32 different sessions for students.

Region 110 Celebrates Nancy Coleman as the IACTE Carl Perkins Community Service Award Winner

February 24, 2026

Northern Kane County Vocational Region 110 proudly announces that Nancy Coleman, Executive Director of the Alignment Collaborative for Education, has been named the State of Illinois Carl Perkins Community Service Award Winner by the Illinois Association of Career and Technical Education (IACTE).

Named in honor of the late Congressman Carl Perkins, this prestigious award recognizes IACTE members who use Career and Technical Education (CTE) to make a significant, humanitarian impact on their communities. Nancy’s selection exemplifies her spirit of collaboration, relentless innovation, and unwavering commitment to student success.

As Executive Director of the Alignment Collaborative for Education, Nancy has built a powerful, partnership-driven workforce model across northern Kane County. By mobilizing a 30-member board and more than 200 business and community partners, she has successfully expanded equitable career pathways and meaningful service-learning opportunities for thousands of local students.

Under her visionary leadership, the collaborative has achieved remarkable milestones:

Skill Development: 3,418 students strengthened their resumes through regional workshops.
Exponential Growth: Internship applications skyrocketed from 65 in 2022 to 1,006 in 2025, alongside the engagement of 55 dedicated employer partners.
Career Placements: Student internship placements increased from 52 to 243, supported by $240,000 in student stipends.
Community Investment: Employers contributed 14,580 volunteer hours, representing an estimated $729,000 investment into the local community.

Beyond these achievements, Nancy spearheads the U-46 Explore initiative, which serves 2,300 eighth graders annually, ensuring that career readiness begins early. In 2025 alone, Alignment and its partners contributed more than 14,000 volunteer hours to local schools. Her transformative work has previously earned recognition from United Way Metro Chicago and School District U-46.

Nancy’s leadership serves as a prime example of how strategic community partnerships create lasting, generational impact. As the Illinois state winner, she will advance to regional consideration late this spring, with the potential for national consideration in the fall of 2026.

Nancy Coleman of Alignment accepts the IACTE Carl Perkins Community Service Award — Dr. Chris Merrill, Executive Director, Illinois ACTE (left), Nancy Coleman (center), Kaleb Smith, President, Illinois ACTE (right). Nancy Coleman, Executive Director of the Alignment Collaborative for Education, has been named the State of Illinois Carl Perkins Community Service Award Winner by the Illinois Association of Career and Technical Education (IACTE).

Camcraft and Matrix Attracts Students to Automation, Manufacturing and Robotics Careers

February 12, 2026

Northern Kane County Region 110, in partnership with Camcraft and Matrix, offered Central High School students the opportunity to study the latest automation and robotics applications in manufacturing. The February 12 visit attracted students interested in engineering and manufacturing careers to highly automated operations beyond the classroom. Thank you to Camcraft and Matrix for championing these experiences for the region’s future engineering and precision manufacturing workforce.

ECC Education Day Focuses on Preparing Future Teachers

February 10, 2026

ECC Education Day on February 10 attracted future teachers from School Districts 300 and U-46. More than 140 students interested in the education career pathway were joined by Elgin Community College along with Aurora University and Northern Illinois University education professionals to learn about transfer opportunities for students interested in the teaching profession. Students toured facilities, learned about 2+2 programs with Aurora and NIU, visited with educational professionals in leadership roles across the region’s school districts, and learned about upcoming paid internship opportunities dedicated to building the region’s teacher pipeline.

Student Resource Day at Elgin High School Reaches 500 Students

January 31, 2026

On January 29, in partnership with School District U-46, the Alignment Collaborative for Education hosted Student Resource Day at Elgin High School. The event reached nearly 500 students and provided students with essential life and career readiness resources.

Working alongside community partners including Color Code Personality Science Educator Tena Raglin, Elgin Community College, Elgin Neighborhood Network, Fox Valley Fire & Safety, IHC, NAMI Kane-south, DeKalb and Kendall Counties (NAMI KDK), Northern Kane County Region 110, Pregis, and Wintrust Bank, the event featured a morning of targeted programming for each grade level. Students engaged in three different presentations designed to meet specific needs as they progress through different phases of their high school careers.

For freshmen, the morning prioritized the development of healthy mental and academic foundations. Students explored career pathways through CTE courses with Northern Kane County Region 110 and participated in a Color Code Personality Science workshop with educator Tena Raglin to identify personal strengths that drive academic success.

The Elgin Neighborhood Network and NAMI KDK also delivered “Ending the Silence,” a vital training session on recognizing the warning signs of mental health conditions. Presented to both Freshmen and Sophomores, this essential resource ensured that all underclassmen were equipped with the tools to support their mental health.

Sophomores gained a unique perspective on postsecondary planning through a student-led panel that shared firsthand accounts of their internship experiences and the college search process. This peer-to-peer engagement, combined with a preview of the upcoming Virtual Postsecondary Day and Junior year summer internship opportunities, gave students a realistic roadmap for becoming career-minded upperclassmen.

As postsecondary planning intensifies for Juniors, the morning offered a “deep dive” into postsecondary options. Students coordinated their attendance for the Virtual Postsecondary Day and heard from Elgin Community College regarding transfer opportunities. Representatives from Wintrust Bank also provided a presentation focused on financial literacy, specifically building strong financial histories and credit scores for both juniors and seniors.

Seniors received career-focused resources, emphasizing the immediate need for real-world skills as they prepare to graduate. Learning about top careers for 2026 and participating in behavioral interviewing, the seniors are prepared for their entry into the workforce. Human Resource professionals from Fox Valley Fire & Safety, IHC, and Pregis volunteered their expertise to provide coaching and professional advice necessary to navigate the competitive job market.

What would have been an idle day waiting for peers to conclude schoolwide testing became a day where students learned how to actively take their future into their own hands. The success of the Student Resource Day at Elgin High School underscores the importance of providing students with essential tools for academic and career success, ensuring every student graduates academic and career ready.

Article by Annabelle Mique, Program Coordinator

Elgin High School Student Resource Day - Student Internship Panel — Internship Panel

Elgin High School Student Resource Day - Behavioral Interviewing Session — Internship Panel

Alignment wishes you Happy Holidays and a Prosperous 2026!

December 18, 2025

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

Alignment

Together we conclude an impactful 2025.

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