ECC In the News 2026
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Learn How to ‘Thrive After 55’
ECC will host a community resource fair on April 23 for community members ages 55 and older.
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Elgin Community College Speaker Series Examines Cultural Connection Through Archaeology
Lessons from Rapa Nui (Eastern Island) highlight how archaeology bridges cultures and communities
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Elgin Community College Student Maria Nino Named IACEA Adult Learner of the Year
ECC student Maria Niño of Carpentersville has been named the 2026 Paul Simon Adult Learner of the Year by the Illinois Adult and Continuing Education Association (IACEA), a statewide honor recognizing outstanding achievement in adult education.
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Novelist Dennard Dayle to Visit ECC and Talk About the “Value of Satire”
Author Dennard Dayle will visit ECC on April 14, 2026, as part of the college's Writers Center Reading Series. Dayle will speak about his book: “How to Dodge a Cannonball,” a satirical novel that follows a white flag-bearer posing as a Black soldier during the Civil War.
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Elgin Community College Highlights Indigenous Voices at Women’s History Month Panel
ECC and the Great Listening partnered to host “The Power of Her Voice: Native Matriarchs Leading Change” on March 11.
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ECC Awarded $50,000 Grant to Transform Mathematics Pathways and Close Equity Gaps
ECC has been awarded a $50,000 grant to implement a developmental mathematics reform initiative developed and submitted by Dr. Farah Bennani, dean of math, science, and engineering at ECC. The award reflects ECC’s forward‑thinking leadership and institutional commitment to advancing equitable student success through systemic, evidence‑based reform.
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ECC, North Central Partner to Support Future STEM Teachers
Through the partnership, ECC students interested in teaching science and mathematics (STEM) can transfer to North Central College and participate in the CREATE program, a National Science Foundation Noyce-funded initiative designed to recruit and support future educators.
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ECC Hosts Third Annual Job Fair
ECC will host its third annual Job Fair on Wednesday, April 22, from 9 am to 12 pm in the Building J Events Center.
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Experience ECC Returns April 15 With Open House For Community
ECC's free “Experience ECC” open house returns Wednesday, April 15, from 5:30 to 8 pm, inviting prospective students and community members to explore academic programs and connect with faculty and staff.
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Elgin Community College Recognized by Achieving the Dream as a 2026 Leader College
Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a partner and champion of more than 300 community colleges across the country. ECC has been designated a 2026 Leader College by ATD.
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Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle to host Open Mic Coffee House at ECC
ECC Writer's Center Open Mic Coffee House event on April 7 will feature a special host, Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda Del Valle. She will also lead a poetry workshop before the open mic event at 5 pm, followed by the coffee house event at 6 pm.
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ECC Receives $2 Million in Federal Funding for Manufacturing and Technology Center
Elgin Community College has been awarded $2,000,000 in federal funding secured by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi to support advanced manufacturing training at the college’s new Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC).
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ECC Student Selected as 2026 DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream
Bohdan Andrashko is one of eight students selected nationwide as a 2026 DREAM Scholar by Achieving the Dream.
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ECC Professors to Lead March Reading Series Event at Writers Center
ECC Writers Center will host an experimental fiction reading on Wednesday, March 18, led by English professors Jeff Weisman and Eckhard Gerdes.
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ECC Arts Center Hosts World Premiere of Seven Realms of Attar
ECC Arts Center hosts the world premiere of Niyaz in collaboration with Theron Pray and Jody Sparling Seven Realms of Attar on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
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ECC Musical Theatre Shines a Spotlight on Hidden Gems in Unsung Broadway
ECC Musical Theatre's Spring 2025 production, Unsung Broadway, will run from Friday, February 20 to Sunday, March 1, 2026, in the ECC Arts Center’s SecondSpace Theatre.
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New ECC Space Expands Access for Student Access and Disability Services
ECC celebrated the grand opening of the new Student Access and Disability Services space on February 3, bringing students, employees, and community leaders together. The new office in Building F has evolved from a computer lab to a storage area, and has now been thoughtfully renovated into a student-centered environment designed to support access, inclusion, and success.
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ECC Invites Community to Attend Nursing Program Accreditation Site Visit
Elgin Community College invites the community to attend its nursing accreditation site visit for ECC’s Associate Degree Nursing Program on Wednesday, March 11.
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ECC Welcomes Back Culinary Alumnus, Local Culinary Director for Visiting Chef Event
ECC Visiting Chef Alum Diner will feature an alumni culinary leader, Eric Olson. The dinner event will take place on Thursday, February 19. Tickets are now available!
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Socrates Cafe Spring 2026: Continuing Open Dialogue for Life’s Big Questions
ECC Associate Professor of Humanities Geoffrey Pynn will lead philosophical conversations in this semester's Socrates Cafe sessions. The group has always been a forum for open conversations among students, faculty, staff, and community members.
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ECC Celebrates Black History Month: 100 Years of Celebrations, Centuries of Legacy
ECC will celebrate 100 years of Black History Month throughout February with multiple events, including a Sneaker Ball on Friday, February 27.
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Spring 2026 Employee Convocation at ECC Focuses on Community
Centered on the theme “Our College, Our Community,” Spring Convocation highlighted partnerships that strengthen the college and communities it serves. Did you attend this event? Tell us what you thought in the survey linked in this story.