Bartlett hires ECC's Spartan Consulting Group for marketing assignment
They have big-ticket clients and a professional look.
So it's a bit of a surprise when you learn that the team behind the Spartan Consulting is really a group of students at Elgin Community College.
Each semester, the students are handed an assignment: provide pro-bono consulting for nonprofits. This fall, the class will start working for the Village of Bartlett - their first venture outside of Elgin.
Village officials will visit with the students for the first time Friday. From there, both sides will meet face-to-face each month and adhere to the Open Meetings Act.
The students - mostly adults - will get a leg up on their resumes. Bartlett receives free consulting on promoting its downtown.
Together, they will evaluate the downtown's strengths (pedestrian-friendly) vs. weaknesses (isolated from major roads).
"We're looking forward to having a fresh set of eyes and minds thinking about these issues that may take a new perspective than we usually do," said Tony Fradin, the village's economic development coordinator.
In December, Spartan will present its strategies, part of a larger push to revitalize Bartlett's core business district.
"It is innovative," Fradin said.