ECC ANNOUNCES STUDENT LEADERS CHOSEN FOR SCHOOL YEAR
Elgin Community College students have been elected to school government offices for the 2026-27 school year.
Lynn Singh, a South Elgin resident, will serve as student trustee to the ECC District 509 Board; Ian Smith, of St. Charles, is the student body government president; and Radhika Chaudhari, of South Elgin, will serve as vice president, a news release said.
Singh is an elementary education major and is part of Partnering to Lead and Empower District-grown Educators, an ECC collaboration with Northern Illinois University, where she plans to get her bachelor’s degree.
Smith, who moved to the U.S. from Pretoria, South Africa, about a year ago, is starting his second year at ECC. After he completes his associate degree in May 2027, he plans to transfer to a university to study medicine.
Chaudhari is a nursing student and plans to transfer to the University of Illinois Chicago to obtain her bachelor’s degree. She works as a nursing assistant at the Avondale Rehab Facility in Elgin.
STARGAZING AT CREEK BEND NATURE CENTER SET FOR SEPT. 17
The Fox Valley Astronomical Society will present, “What’s Up Tonight?” from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at Creek Bend Nature Center, 37W700 Dean St., St. Charles.
After a short talk about what can be seen in the night sky, weather permitting, attendees will take a look for themselves through multiple telescopes, according to a social media post.
The fee is $2 per person and advance registration is required. To register, call 630-444-3190, email [email protected] or go to www.kaneforest.com/register.
LITERACY CONNECTION HOLDING SEPT. 17 RESOURCE FAIR IN ELGIN
Literacy Connection will host a resource fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Ed Schock Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way.
The free event, with a theme of “Every Hand Holds a Story,” celebrates National Literacy Month and will feature resources and materials from local social service organizations, snacks, beverages, games, activities and entertainment, a social media post said.
For more information, go to elginliteracy.org/upcoming-events.
CHICAGO POET LAUREATE TO LEAD WORKSHOP, HOLD READING
Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle will kick off the fall Reading Series at Elgin Community College with events on Thursday, Sept. 17.
del Valle will lead a workshop at 2 p.m. in Building C, Room C120, followed by a reading at 6 p.m. in Building B, Room 181, according to a news release. The poet was at ECC in April to host the Writers Center’s monthly Open Mic Coffee House and to lead a workshop.
More Top Picks Breville The 3x Bluicer
“I’m excited to return to ECC and spend more time with the incredible students,” del Valle said in the release. “I’m really looking forward to sharing more of my work this time as well as being in conversation with the community during a Q&A. Having the opportunity to connect with new audiences and talk about my work and process is always a treat for me.”
For more information, go to elgin.edu/news/ecc-in-the-news/2026/chicago-poet-laureate-to-kick-off-fall-2026-reading-series-at-ecc.php.