2023 - The ECC Foundation launches $3 million ‘Bright Futures’ campaign to support students

The Elgin Community College Foundation launched its student-centered Bright Futures campaign to help more students achieve their dreams. With an end goal of $3 million, the Bright Futures campaign will help ensure students’ success and strengthen the region’s workforce.

The campaign’s three pillars focus on different areas to help ECC students thrive in their educational journey and enter the workforce with confidence. The initiatives include:

1. Student Success: Equipping ECC students with personalized coaching, financial support, and resources.
2. Complete to Compete: Providing targeted support to help at-risk students complete the final year of their ECC education.
3. Workforce Innovation: Investing in ECC’s proven career readiness programs that respond to our region’s most critical workforce needs.

With more than $1.8 million already committed, the public phase of the campaign kicked off in December 2023. Co-chairs Robin Seigle and Ian Lamp are leading the campaign. 

“The Bright Futures campaign will assist many of our students during their journey to enhance their ability to remain in school, complete their academic course of study, and reach the graduation stage,” said Susan Taylor-Demming, executive director of institutional advancement and the ECC Foundation. “Many of our students remain in the Fox Valley region and strongly contribute to our region’s economy.”

A critical pillar of the Bright Futures campaign focuses on the region’s most critical workforce needs, including career fields like health care, truck driving, automotive mechanics, welding specialists, and more. Through the Bright Futures campaign, students pursuing these career and technical degree programs can receive the necessary support to help them finish their program and immediately enter in-demand fields. 

To learn more about the ECC Foundation's Bright Futures campaign, visit elgin.edu/brightfutures.