Elgin Community College recently announced a significant increase in fall enrollment, marking the highest numbers the college has seen in eight years.
Fall 2024’s student enrollment is more than 10,000, a 7% increase from fall 2023, according to a news release. Fall enrollment also surpasses pre-pandemic enrollment levels by 3%.
Additional enrollment highlights for the fall 2024 semester include a rise in ECC’s Hispanic/Latinx student population, which has surged by 30% since fall 2018, reaching 52% of the total enrollment for the fall 2024 semester. ECC currently has 5,329 Hispanic students enrolled.
Adult basic education program enrollment increased by 1.4% since fall 2018. Current enrollment is 216 students. According to the release, ECC has also seen significant enrollment increases since 2018 in nursing, paralegal and massage therapy programs.
Dual credit enrollment has increased by 229% since fall 2018, with a record-high 1,176 students earning college credit while still attending high school either at their home school or on ECC’s campus.
For more information about ECC, go to elgin.edu.
Carpentersville Fire Department selling bomberos-themed items
The Carpentersville Fire Department is selling bomberos-themed T-shirts, other tops and caps to raise money for the Breast Cancer Center at Elgin’s Advocate Sherman Hospital and in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Items must be ordered online by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, according to the fundraiser’s website. Orders will be shipped Friday, Sept. 27.
To place an order, go to cville-bomberos-pink-wear-2024.itemorder.com
Scarecrows sought for East Dundee Oktoberfest
East Dundee is inviting people, local businesses and organizations to create and decorate scarecrows that will be displayed outside The Depot, 319 River St., as part of the town’s sixth annual Oktoberfest, which takes place Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28.
People will be able to vote for their favorite scarecrow on the Oktoberfest Facebook Page, according to a social media post. Scarecrows will be judged based upon the number of “likes/loves” received to their photos. The final counts will be tallied at noon, Sunday, Sept. 29.
For more information, call 847-426-2822 or email kdiehl@eastdundee.net.
Kane County Health Department launches new data-sharing website
The Kane County Health Department recently launched a new website designed to empower the community with access to local health data.
The Kane Health Atlas, available at kanehealthatlas.org, is an interactive platform that enables users to explore, analyze and visualize health information, according to a news release.
Users can create personalized maps, graphs and charts, offering multiple perspectives on health data. The site is accessible in 10 different languages.
For more information, call the Kane County Health Department at 630-208-3801.
Gail Borden Public Library seeking photos for community ofrenda
The Gail Borden Library is asking the public to send digital photos of departed loved ones that will be displayed on its community ofrenda.
An ofrenda is a home altar traditonally set up to honor the deceased during Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations.
To be included in the library’s ofrenda, digital photos must be received by Saturday, Oct. 12, according to the library’s Facebook page.
Photos should be sent by email to photos@gailborden.info or by text to 847-857-7740. Include your name, loved one’s name and your phone number.
The ofrenda will be on display from Saturday, Oct 26 to Saturday, Nov. 9 in the main library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.