Economic Development partners,

ComEd remains committed to stimulating economic growth across Illinois as we support the clean energy transition. Our efforts to ensure continued reliable power are giving confidence to the companies who want to grow and relocate here and yielding significant levels of investment and job creation for our communities every year. These wins simply would not be possible without our close and continued collaboration with you, our state, regional, local, and other development partners throughout the region.

Thank you to our DCEDC partner, ComEd!

For Immediate Release:
Kishwaukee College continues increased enrollment trend

Kishwaukee College’s enrollment continues to increase, with Fall 2023 10th day enrollment reporting 9.4% higher than Fall 2022. The College saw a significant increase in enrollment this past summer, showing a total enrollment increase of 10.5% for the year to date.

The positive trend continues from the 2022-2023 school year when the College reported a 5.3% enrollment increase from the previous year.

“We are pleased to see so many students choosing to attend Kishwaukee College. The College is committed to meeting the needs of our community, helping students create the life they want,” said Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President of Kishwaukee College.

Fall enrollment highlights at the College include new student enrollments up more than 17%, with more students physically on campus than in the last four years. Kish also continues to offer online instruction to meet the educational needs of student’s busy schedules, with more than 36% of enrollments in online classes.

“The enrollment increases are a sign we are providing the best possible opportunities for our students. Kishwaukee College will continue to adapt to the changing needs of our students and the community,” said Bob Johnson, Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Kishwaukee College serves approximately 4,000 students annually, offering transfer programs, career-ready degrees and certificates, short-term training and more. For more information on Kishwaukee College, visit www.kish.edu.

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For Immediate Release:
Kish College to host final Early Childhood Education series speaker

Kishwaukee College will host educator Candace Exline for her discussion “Mentoring: Formula for Guidance, Expanding Skills and Reflective Practice” as part of Kish’s Cultivating Leaders in Early Childhood Education (ECE) professional development series.

The event will take place from 5:30-7:30 pm Wednesday, Sept. 27, in C1133-1134 at the College or online via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public.

Exline currently works as the Director of the Children First Organization in Sarasota, Fla. She is a Devereaux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) certified trainer/mentor and an Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale and Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale evaluator.

Kish’s Cultivating Leaders in ECE series focuses on current early childhood education and care topics. Those interested in a career in ECE are encouraged to attend. The event is supported by the Illinois Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE).

To learn more or register for the event, visit kish.edu/ecespeakers. To learn more about ECE opportunities at Kish, visit kish.edu/ece.

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DeKalb County is part of the Northeast IL Area Health Education Center (AHEC) that is currently working to address medically underserved areas and populations. Northern Illinois University’s College of Health and Human Sciences hosts the NE IL Area Health Education Center Partnership Initiative currently looking for partners to support current and future AHEC students and programs. AHEC students receive additional educational and mentorship opportunities as well as experiential learning opportunities.

For more information on AHEC and ways you can help support students and programs, please view the following resources:

AHEC Scholars Flyer

AHEC Partners Flyer

NE IL AHEC HPSA Region Needs

OR, contact NE IL AHEC Director, Dr. Giselle Hernandez Navarro (Ph.D., LCSW, CADC) at gnavarro5@niu.edu .

The Meta Data Center Community Action Grants program launched today in DeKalb County in support of DeKalb County nonprofits and schools.

Grants are available to projects in the county that address critical community needs by doing one or more of the following:

• Putting the power of technology to use for community benefit.
• Connecting people online or off.
• Improving local science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

Submissions are due by October 20; grant recipients will be announced in spring of 2024. More information on how to apply and the applicable terms and conditions can be found at https://datacenters.atmeta.com/community-action-grants/.

Helping people do more together

On August 25, DCEDC member Waste Management held a formal launch event for the DeKalb Recycling & Disposal Facility renewable gas initiative.

Thank you for your continued commitment to renewable energy in DeKalb County!

Kraft Heinz held its groundbreaking ceremony for its new facility coming to DeKalb. This new automated facility is set to be one of the largest of its kind in North America! The approximately 775,000 sq ft distribution center will bring 150+ jobs to the DeKalb County area.

Welcome to DeKalb County Kraft Heinz!

“Since 2008, hundreds of thousands of families and businesses across northern Illinois have saved a total of more than $8 billion on their energy bills by participating in the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program.

“The award-winning program, which is funded in compliance with state law, is one of the largest in the nation offering residents, businesses and the public sector a variety of options that help them cut back on their energy use, which reduces energy bills and helps the environment.

“In addition to saving customers more than $8 billion on their energy bills, the program also helped customers save approximately 76 million megawatt-hours of electricity, which is enough energy to power more than 8.6 million ComEd customers’ homes for one year. The program has also helped reduce from the air nearly 65 billion pounds of carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, which is the equivalent of removing more than 6.3 million cars off the road for one year or planting nearly 35 million acres of trees.”

Read the full press release here!

Congratulations to long-time DCEDC member, ComEd! Keep up the good work – your community support is appreciated.

For Immediate Release:

The Kishwaukee College SkillsUSA chapter had a strong showing in competitions this year, including champions and medalists at the state and national levels.

Photo Caption: Members of the Kish SkillsUSA team competed in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference Championships in Atlanta, Georgia. Pictured left to right are Ethan Gieseke, fourth place finisher in Power Equipment Technology; Tyler Faber, first place finisher and national champion in Heavy Equipment Technology; and Don Flink, Assistant Professor of Diesel Power Technology and coach of the Kish SkillsUSA team.

SkillsUSA is a national organization helping prepare students for trade professions. SkillsUSA annually hosts competitions for career and technical education (CTE) students to showcase their hands-on training and abilities.

In April, Kish’s SkillsUSA chapter had 19 students qualify for the SkillsUSA Illinois State Leadership & Skills Conference Championships in East Peoria, competing in Heavy Equipment Operation, Power Equipment Technology and Diesel Equipment Technology with finalists in each field.

In Heavy Equipment Operation, Tyler Faber finished in first place to earn the state title. In Power Equipment Technology, Jacob Schmidt earned first place and a state title, Faber finished in second place, and Ethan Gieseke earned third place. In Diesel Equipment Technology, Warren Flink earned fifth place.

Faber and Gieseke qualified to compete with more than 5,000 students in the week-long SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, in June. Faber earned the gold medal and national championship in the Heavy Equipment Operation category, and Gieseke earned fourth place in the Power Equipment Technology category.

The Kish team was coached by Assistant Professor of Diesel Power Technology Don Flink.

“We are proud of all the hard work and dedication our team showed throughout the year in competition,” Flink said. “These are fantastic results for our students and showcase the skills you can learn and build upon at Kishwaukee College.”

Kish’s SkillsUSA team includes members from the various Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs the College offers. To learn more about CTE opportunities at Kish, visit kish.edu/cte.

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Long-time DCEDC member, ComEd, is now accepting applications for its Powering the Holidays Program!

“ComEd has partnered with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for the third year to launch this program that awards grants of up to $2,500 throughout ComEd’s service territory for community-based holiday lights events. The program will focus on municipalities, townships, counties, and other local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations and cultural institutions that partner with at least one municipality.

The ComEd Powering the Holidays Program grant recipients will receive funding for any community-based holiday lights events between November 1, 2023 – February 13, 2024.

Applications are open through September 1, 2023. The application, guidelines, and more information regarding the program can be found here. I encourage you to share this with your community partners and stakeholders.”

Please visit the above link for additional details.