Alignment Collaborative for Education

07/28/2026

This summer, the Alignment Collaborative for Education partnered with Northern Kane County Region 110 and Central Unit School District 301 to launch our inaugural Drone Internship, introducing students to the exciting world of commercial drone operations and aviation careers. A special thank you to Central Unit School District 301.

07/22/2026

Our high school summer internships are wrapping up soon. Yesterday, interns placed at Hoffer Plastics Corporation gave presentations showcasing their time at Hoffer. The students not only shared what they learned in their manufacturing internship but also exhibited their personal growth through the 60-hour internship.

07/15/2026

Now Hiring: Help us find our new Community and School Program Coordinator!

Alignment is seeking an energetic and passionate individual committed to future workforce development who can plan and deliver coaching and career preparation planning and programming for students residing in school districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303. This planning and programming must be inclusive o...

06/28/2026

It was a great week with the Hanover Park Fire Department!

06/11/2026

It’s been a great start to the 2026 summer internship program! Students are excited for the opportunity to expand their knowledge in the various fields in which they are placed. This is just a small peek of the interns who stared this week.

03/09/2026

It's been over a week since Summer Internship Program Applications have opened!

From March 2-16, high school students will be applying for over 300 placements across a multitude of careers and industries.

Here's a snapshot of our time at Central High School where we met with students for resume review and interview skill development ahead of the application's launch.

In total, we've equipped over 1,900 students across all four school districts with in-person and virtual career skill workshops in preparation for the internship program and other summer employment opportunities.

We are cheering on our students as they complete the application process and excited to place outstanding interns throughout the region in June 2026!

02/26/2026

Congratulations to our very own Nancy Coleman as she is named the State of Illinois Carl Perkins Community Service Award Winner by the Illinois Association of Career and Technical Education (IACTE)! 🎉

Nominated by Northern Kane County Vocational Region 110, this prestigious award recognizes Nancy's impactful use of Career and Technical Education (CTE) to make a significant, humanitarian impact on the community.

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

📍 3,418 students strengthened their resumes through regional workshops.

📍Student internship placements increased from 52 to 243, supported by $240,000 in student stipends.

📍Employers contributed 14,580 volunteer hours, representing an estimated $729,000 investment into the local community.

We are so proud and inspired by Nancy's dedication to our students and the local community. 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.

Read more about Nancy's impact and IACTE award in the link below.

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).

02/24/2026

On February 12, 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 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!

02/11/2026

Our Student Resource Day at Elgin High School on January 29 was an exciting success! Our team alongside dedicated community partners came together to provide nearly 500 students with essential life and career readiness resources, curating the morning's program specifically for each grade level.

Here’s just an overview what we were able to share with the students:
❤️ Career Planning and Mental health workshop with freshmen
📆 Postsecondary planning and Mental health workshop with sophomores
💼 Postsecondary planning, Summer internship opportunities, and Financial Literacy Workshop with juniors
💵 Career Planning, Financial Literacy Workshop, and Mock Behavioral Interviewing with seniors

Thank you to Elgin Community College, Fox Valley Fire & Safety, IHC, NAMI Kane-south, DeKalb and Kendall Counties, Northern Kane County Region 110, Pregis, Tena Raglin with Color Code Personality Science, Wintrust Bank, and Elgin High School for helping us bring this pilot program to the students.

02/05/2026

We are getting ready for the summer internships!