40 Stories

West40 believes that every student deserves a chance for success in the classroom and in the future. In fact, a goal of West40’s new...

A West40 Safe School student is already leaving her mark as an artist with her creations on display for hundreds of people to see at a...

Antony Sanchez arrived at West40's Heart 2 Heart pantry in Westchester with his mother and younger brother earlier this month expecting...

There could be any number of reasons why a student routinely does not attend school. Truancy impacts students in different ways. But with...

Providing nutritional support is one of the many ways West40 remains committed to being what our communities need. And now our food...

How new uniforms can make a lasting impact for young athletes New and sharp-looking uniforms can make sports teams feel a sense of pride....

In recent years, there has been a shift away from traditional school discipline, like detention and suspension, toward restorative...

It’s an annual West40 tradition that transforms and flies away to the delight of students across West Cook County. Each year, West40...

In the Words of Vicki Dimitrakakos, Remote School Lead Advocate As the Lead Advocate in the Remote School, it is important to ensure that...

The job listing for principal at Mannheim Middle School in District 83 immediately drew the attention of former student Tom Herion. “I...

Prices for nearly all consumer goods are at record highs as the country grapples with inflation, but West40 is offering relief to its...

As told by Vince Harper and Angela Horton, West40 Safe Schools teachers “As the COVID-19 pandemic really set in in early March, things...

As told by Karen Tiemann, Program Director of the West40 Safe Schools “In the 1990s, I was a U.S. history teacher and I was working at a...

As told by Dr. Mary Mycyk, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, and Dr. Anthony Grazzini, Director of Grants and...

As told by Dion Flowers, former West40 Safe Schools student “The biggest lessons in my life are the ones I learned at the West40 Safe...

As told by Frank Giosa, Principal of the West40 Safe Schools Middle School “It’s funny that I’m in education, because where I grew up,...

As told by: Karen Tiemann, president of ICEARY; Dr. Mark Klaisner, former president of ICEARY; Ben Lewis, ICEARY member; John Milosovic,...

As told by Bill Stewart, parent of a West40 Safe School student “Before my son Michael went to a West40 Safe School, he went to a middle...

As told by Joshua Easter, Charles Carter and Cody K. Cotton, West40 mentors and founders of A Greater Good Foundation “Let’s say you have...

As told by Renee Makris, Area Director of Leyden ALOP Programs “Growing up, I never thought I’d be in education. If you had told me that...

As told by Dr. Mike Popp, Assistant Executive Director of West40 and former school superintendent “When I was a school superintendent, I...

As told by Maria Rivera, former West40 ALOP student and current college student “I grew up in the U.S., but when I was in first grade, my...

As told by Loreah Boyle, Karina Carbajal and Jimmy Mortillaro, West40 ALOP advocates at Proviso East High School “If a student enters our...

As told by Dr. Mark Klaisner, Executive Director of West40 and President of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of...

Anyone who follows the news can see headlines about the rising cost of living: whether that’s an increase in housing costs, food costs or...

As told by Fran Pike, West40 ALOP advocate “A lot of organizations talk about treating people like family. But at West40, it’s true. The...

As told by Phil Salemi, Superintendent of Westchester School District 92.5, and Greg Leban, Principal at Westchester Middle School “When...

As told by Juan Silva, former Safe School and ALOP student, current student advocate Read Part 1 of Juan’s story here. “After attending...

As told by Juan Silva, former Safe School and ALOP student “I was fine in grade school. Just a normal kid in the neighborhood. But things...

As told by Nancy Debre, West40 Truancy and Pregnancy Services “People see statistics about truancy, but they don’t usually think about...

As told by Sharon Balderas, West40 Education Licensure Specialist “When parents or the general public think about the life of an...

As told by Shannon Bidlo, Seniors Plus Coordinator “Aaron started with West40 as a student at our Safe Schools Middle School. He entered...

As told by Laura Guzman Lopez, Lead Advocate “When a student at East Leyden High School named Max was first referred to our program, he...

Advocating for students means supporting them at school and providing a listening ear. It’s also about organizing activities to keep...

As told by Emily Molson and Pedro Peralta, West40 Seniors Plus Advocates “In the West40 Seniors Plus program, we work with high school...

West40’s goals are audacious. We don’t just want to help students graduate, or just get them back on track. We want to turn each and...

Summer wasn’t quite the same in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country and disrupted almost everything about our...

What if West40’s approach to teaching at-risk kids could influence the way we teach every student in the state of Illinois? That was the...

For most kids, the holiday season is filled with magic and wonder. They write wish lists. They daydream about what presents they might...

School is a place to learn. To improve your knowledge and prepare for a bright future. But it can also be a place where families...

For many administrators, the word “compliance” fills them with a sense of dread. They imagine regulators coming into their schools to...

Tim Stafford is joined by student advocate, DeAndre McClaurin, to discuss working with at-risk youth. DeAndre shares the strengths of...

Karen Young discusses the partnership between Woz Ed and West40. Karen joins the podcast to share her experience with Woz Ed and Steve...