Transactional vs Transformational Relationships
Alignment Rockford is a Ford NGL community. What does this mean? Not only are students at the center of everything we do, but just like Alignment, Ford NGL is a larger organization that helps communities prepare a collaborative community-driven approach to achieve a new way of learning. You’ve already seen this in action with our
Trauma Informed Care – NICNE Community of Practice
Rockford, IL – Today, Alignment Rockford ventured to the Unitarian Universalist Church for the NIU Center of Nonpofit Excellence Community of Practice for Case Managers. This session we learned about how trauma affects children and adults. Lori Poppen from Children’s Home and Aid and Mary Ellen Commare from Youth Services Network led a presentation on
Katy Haun and Earl Wilsey talk Expo on the morning news
This year, Alignment Rockford will host its 7th Annual Academy Expo on October 24th. The Expo is an event that provides an opportunity for all Rockford Public Schools’ 9th graders to engage with area businesses to explore potential career opportunities and helps forge a relevant link between student curriculum and future careers. The event also
Rockford’s finest rock out for lip sync challenge
Source: Rockford’s finest rock out for lip sync challenge ROCKFORD — Rockford Police Department officers released their “lip sync challenge” video Friday, set to songs by AC/DC and Rockford’s own Cheap Trick. The three-minute video is among many law enforcement “lip sync challenge” videos being released by police agencies across the country as part of a popular
Do You Know These People?

In Judy Gustafson’s first teaching job, some of her students were the exact same age as she was. She was a young 21 year old graduate who was teaching developmental English. Jay Larson began his career in the financial sector. Nik Butenhoff was recognized as the Conference Coach of the Year for volleyball. And Chris
Exactly What We Hoped For
This week our Pathways team recapped sophomore site visits that occurred during the last couple of weeks in March. All RPS205 sophomores must visit a business in order to meet this college and career readiness benchmark requirement. Alignment Rockford worked with local businesses to arrange site visits for students. We worked with local businesses and
Community Leaders Assist in Shark Tank Project

A team from this year’s Chamber of Commerce Leadership Rockford graduating class has been working with the BAMIT (Business, Arts, Modern World Languages, and Information Technology) College and Career Readiness Council to support Academy efforts within the Rockford public high schools. One major effort consisted of a first-ever Shark Tank event in Mrs. Nicole Frazer’s Economic classes
Impact of Community and Education Collaboration

As community engagement coordinator for Alignment Rockford I had the privilege of attending site visits last week with RPS205 teachers and sophomores. Until I actually attended my first visit to Larson & Darby Group with 25 East High School students interested in architecture, I wondered if I was more excited than the students would be. It soon
The Power of the Volunteer
Today we hosted a meeting for the businesses who are participating in Sophomore Site Visits. Over 55 local businesses are hosting 10th graders for an interactive tour and discussion at their place of business this spring. Alignment Rockford aligns community resources to the needs of the Rockford Public Schools. A new College and Career Readiness
Relationships vs. Authority
This morning in our College Readiness A-Team meeting, we discussed how to scale up a program that is taking place at Lincoln Middle School. Started by employees of UTAS, this mentor/tutor program focuses on working with 6th through 8th grade students to increase their math skills. Currently students are taken out of math class for