What’s New

Future Teacher Pipeline Conference Hosted at NIU

October 20, 2023

On Wednesday, October 18, students from School District U-46, District 300, and District 301 spent the day at Northern Illinois University’s Teacher Pipeline Conference. The morning started for students from Larkin, Elgin, Dundee Crown, and Central with a keynote address, followed by various breakout sessions. Students finished the day listening to a panel of current education students who talked about classes and postsecondary advice.

“A day like today is important for two reasons,” says Jason Kline, Senior Director of Learning Partnerships at NIU. “The teacher pipeline pathway work that we all partner in is critical for ensuring high-quality teachers that represent our diverse student population. The second reason is being sure that NIU attracts students that represent this regional diversity with success for all students being central to our mission.”

Thank you Northern Illinois University and Northern Kane County Region 110 for your partnership hosting this event!

Senior Postsecondary Day Reaches Over 600 Students

October 19, 2023

More than 25 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the second Senior Postsecondary Virtual Day on October 11. There were 683 individual seniors who attended the event with university and college admissions staff and visiting faculty along with receiving assistance with FAFSA, future employment opportunities, military service, and NCAA eligibility.

For students who are undecided about their interest in postsecondary colleges and universities, sessions were also facilitated by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The session reviewed the current labor market, hiring projections within the local community, and tips on how to best access job openings and navigate the application process.

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

Aurora University
Bradley University
College of DuPage
DePaul University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Harper College
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
Illinois Department of Employment Security
Illinois State University
Iowa State University
Judson University
Lewis University
Loyola University
Marquette University
Milwaukee School of Engineering

Morehouse College
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
U.S. Armed Forces
Western Illinois University

Explore 2023 Highlights

October 11, 2023

Thank you to exhibitors, volunteers, and sponsors

One of our first steps in preparing students to graduate academic and career ready is ensuring middle school students transition to high school knowing the career opportunities available to them as part of their high school experience. On October 4 and 5 Alignment offered, in partnership with School District U-46, its annual Explore event to more than 2,400 8th grade students. Greater than 300 business community volunteers, U-46 teachers, administrators, and high school students joined together to fill the NOW Arena with career exploration. The student photos in the Gallery below tell the story.

U-46 Automotive Teachers Benefit from ALTORFER CAT Training

September 5, 2023

U-46 automotive teachers from Bartlett, Elgin, South Elgin, and Streamwood spent the day with Altorfer’s trainers to learn more about the large equipment maintenance industry. The Altorfer team highlighted troubleshooting and research processes commonly used in the industry. This training held at Elgin High School was provided “hands on” because of the generous donation of engines to U-46’s automotive programs. The day also gave opportunities for networking and team building across the high schools.

Clint Peterson, automotive teacher and event host from Elgin High School, described the training as a “valuable opportunity to learn together and a great experience for collaborating with peers and business partners.” The Alignment Collaborative for Education thanks Altorfer and the AED Foundation for introducing teachers and students to career exploration and employment opportunities in the large equipment maintenance industry.

Interns Explore Careers in Large Equipment Maintenance, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, and Welding

August 8, 2023

This summer, Alignment was fortunate enough to partner with ALTA, Elgin Sweeper, ITW Shakeproof, and the Village of Bartlett to provide several promising high school students with the opportunity to spend 60 hours in “hands on” exploration of large equipment maintenance, manufacturing, mechanical engineering, and welding careers.

One high school intern from District 301 working at Elgin Sweeper, Reiker Cho, stated, “At Elgin Sweeper, it didn’t matter how much I knew from class. It mattered how I was able to apply different skills and adapt to new techniques to get the job done. It was a good challenge to see where I had strengths and where I need to improve.” Reiker was able to gain 60 hours of experience with Elgin Sweeper’s experienced welders showcasing what knowledge he brought from the Hampshire High School welding program, a regional program offered to both District 300 and 301 students. Reiker was so successful that Elgin Sweeper extended his experience for the full summer.

For the first time working in partnership with the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Foundation, ALTA offered two experienced automotive students from U-46’s South Elgin High School the opportunity to transition their skills to the large equipment maintenance industry. “You have to think about what you’re doing. You have to find the problem half the time, and it’s not always just right in front of you.” says Jonathan (John) Cowley, one of two interns at Alta Equipment Company. John worked with the ALTA maintenance team to both assemble and disassemble heavy machinery and provide repairs when needed. Both interns commented they would love to keep working with the mechanics at ALTA having a passion for both the automotive and large equipment maintenance industries.

As always, Alignment would like to thank our partner organizations involved in this sector of the summer internship program. Each individual company played an integral role in the establishment and recruitment of these promising high school students. Alignment hopes to provide even more opportunities next summer for another group of students hoping to expand their career experiences.

Thank you to Alignment’s interns for documenting through presentations, news releases, photos and videos the experiences of our 82 interns.

Left to right in photo:
Maison Preuss, Larkin High School
Emaad Dar, Bartlett High School
Jasmine Fox, Bartlett High School
Bryanna Cole, Elgin High School

Interns Gain Experience Helping to Fill the Teacher Pipeline

August 3, 2023

YMCA high school intern works as a camp counselor.

Alignment partners with children and youth service organizations

This summer, Alignment partnered with several organizations to provide high school students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the fields of education and youth services. These organizations included the Bartlett Park District, Elgin Partnership for Early Learning (EPEL), Hanover Township, Streamwood Park District, and the Taylor Family YMCA. Each one of these organizations was able to host one or more interns to gain experience in the field while also being paid for their hard work and dedication.

Many of these interns have a passion for educating youth and working within the community. These internships allowed students to shadow teachers and youth services employees as they consider a career in teaching and social services. One of the YMCA camp counselors, Priea Anthony, stated “It was amazing to be able to work together with both teachers and kids. I’ve learned a lot about teamwork because I was able to work together with both the teachers here, as well as a much larger group of kids.”

Once again, Alignment would like to thank its partner organizations for fostering a learning environment for these hard-working students that have a passion for education and working alongside children. Without the generosity of the various park districts and organizations, these students would not have been able to spend their summer working in an environment that fosters their interest in teaching and youth services.

What’s New

Thank you to exhibitors, volunteers, and sponsors

Alignment partners with children and youth service organizations

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