Broadband is coming… and other important updates in the County
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Resume McHenryCounty Update!
Through our collaboration with McHenryCounty, we will continue to share important information on stimulus programs, COVID-19 updates, and where the county is opening up through Resume McHenryCounty Updates.
Please take a moment to scroll down to see new advancements this week as more and more are opening up in McHenryCounty. If MCEDC can be of any help, please call. Forward this email to your friends and family to help get the word out!
McHenryCounty moving forward to expand broadband
McHenryCounty government is taking the next step in its goal to ensure that residents and businesses have access to high-speed broadband Internet.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the lock downs that forced remote learning and working from home, made this abundantly apparent. The McHenryCounty Connects initiative seeks to expand the county‘s existing fiber network, especially to rural and under served areas lacking reliable service.
You can learn more about the project, and the call McHenryCounty has put out to interested providers, by clicking here.
A fiber network currently runs from McHenryCounty College to McHenryCounty‘s government complex in Woodstock, connecting all City of Woodstock and School District 200 buildings in between. The county is eyeing two potential expansions – a westward loop through Harvard and Marengo (also connecting the new I-90 and Route 23 interchange), and a northeast expansion through Hebron, Richmond and Spring Grove.
Naturally McHenryCounty celebrates rebranding
Naturally McHenryCounty hosted a March 3 gathering and dinner at The Dole to celebrate the creation of its new name, and the new branding that unifies its marketing efforts with County Government and the EconomicDevelopment Corp.
The branding, which you can spot in the newsletter’s header and the lead story in this week’s edition, aligns these three entities’ common goal to promote McHenryCounty as the best place to live, work, visit, and start a business.
Last Thursday’s event was postponed from January because of the omicron variant of COVID-19, but it was worth the wait – especially seeing a lot of happy, unmasked faces! We’re very much looking forward to seeing where this new unified brand takes us!
Besides the many local businesses and governments represented at the event, a big thank you goes out to the Illinois Office of Tourism, and Deputy Director Karla Flannery, for coming out to show support.
Advance McHenryCounty funds new manufacturing internship program
Applications for Advance McHenryCounty funding grants are still open! Click here to learn more and to apply!
A $717,300 grant from the Advance McHenryCounty program will create a new pathway for local youth seeking careers in manufacturing.
The award to McHenryCounty College, on behalf of the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, will create a Summer Rotational Internship to provide 100 students each summer the opportunity to participate in a 10-week, paid program to expose them to local manufacturing career opportunities. The consortium, which you can read more about here, is composed of local manufacturers, educators and professionals working to secure a steady talent pipeline of skilled manufacturing employees.
Advance McHenryCounty is a groundbreaking program investing tens of millions of federal COVID-19 recovery dollars directly into eligible projects to improve the community. You can learn more by visiting www.mchenrycountyil.gov/advance.
Learn about workforce retraining opportunities – with FREE pizza!
Are you, or someone you know, in need of help upgrading their job skills and training?
The WIOA program serves workers who need training to enter, or re-enter, the labor force; training for eligible workers comes at no cost.
The event starts at noon Thursday, March 24, at Nick’s Pizza & Pub, 856 Pyott Road, Crystal Lake. Free pizza will be provided for attendees.
You can make a reservation to attend by calling Centro de Información at 847-695-9050.
ComEd offering $250,000 in STEM scholarships
ComEd has launched a Future of Energy scholarship program to give women and minority students pursuing STEM degrees.
The scholarship program, open to Illinois students, provides scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, which can be used to cover tuition and related expenses. The program also offers applicants the chance to pursue a ComEd internship to gain direct career experience in the energy industry.
Eligible students must be accepted into an eligible four-year degree program and have a minimum 2.8 GPA; priority will be given to women and people of color.
Click here to learn more, and click here to apply; the deadline is Monday, March 28.
Check out fine local art at the Dole
We don’t know about you, but a fresh start after the past two years sounds like an absolutely great idea.
The Creative Arts Inc. nonprofit arts studio is putting “New Beginnings: A Discovery and Exploration of Expression” from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 18 at The Dole, 401 Country Club Road, Crystal Lake.
The theme of the art display of students and instructors is celebrating a new year and new beginnings after two years of a world thrown into turmoil by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Besides live music (and a cash bar for adults), enjoy family-friendly activities, admire great local art including a scavenger hunt, glitter tattoos, watercolor and coloring stations, prizes, and more.
The event is free, but donations are welcome and encouraged. Click here to learn more about the display and The Dole.
We hope we got your attention. We need your help reaching more McHenryCounty residents and businesses to share this important information about the COVID-19 response and connect them with vital resources.
Please take these four steps:
1. Share/forward to your email/newsletter contacts.
2. Post information to your website.
3. Follow us on social media (see below); share our posts with your followers.
Staying connected and informed is more important now than ever! Follow McHenryCounty on social media for regular updates on COVID-19 in our region, resources to help you navigate the pandemic, safety tips and more!
Resume McHenryCounty is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenryCounty and the McHenryCountyEconomicDevelopmentCorporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenryCounty community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents. The goal is to ensure a successful reopening of our economy so that we can return to our lifestyles safely and responsibly.
