TEAMING UP TO HELP TROUBLED TEENS
As told by Loreah Boyle, Karina Carbajal and Jimmy Mortillaro, West40 ALOP advocates at Proviso East High School “If a student enters our...
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LATEST NEWS
THE POWER OF ‘ONE PERSON AT A TIME’
As told by Dr. Mark Klaisner, Executive Director of West40 and President of the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of...
SUPPLYING HOPE WITH BACKPACK GIVEBACK
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...
A FAMILY-FIRST APPROACH TO EDUCATION
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...
A SAFETY NET FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
As told by Phil Salemi, Superintendent of Westchester School District 92.5, and Greg Leban, Principal at Westchester Middle School “When...
JUAN'S JOURNEY TO REDEMPTION: PART 2
As told by Juan Silva, former Safe School and ALOP student, current student advocate Read Part 1 of Juan’s story here. “After attending...
JUAN’S JOURNEY TO REDEMPTION: PART 1
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...
HELPING TEEN MOTHERS STAY IN SCHOOL
As told by Nancy Debre, West40 Truancy and Pregnancy Services “People see statistics about truancy, but they don’t usually think about...
BECOMING THE LIFELINE FOR LOCAL EDUCATORS
As told by Sharon Balderas, West40 Education Licensure Specialist “When parents or the general public think about the life of an...
AARON EARNS HIS STRIPES
As told by Shannon Bidlo, Seniors Plus Coordinator “Aaron started with West40 as a student at our Safe Schools Middle School. He entered...
TRIUMPH OVER TRAGEDY
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...
SUPPORTING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL GROWTH THROUGH ARTS AND ACTIVITIES
Advocating for students means supporting them at school and providing a listening ear. It’s also about organizing activities to keep...
A NEW KIND OF CELEBRATION
As told by Emily Molson and Pedro Peralta, West40 Seniors Plus Advocates “In the West40 Seniors Plus program, we work with high school...
THE NEXT GENERATION OF FEMALE LEADERS
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...
CONNECTING WITH STUDENTS DURING COVID-19
Summer wasn’t quite the same in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country and disrupted almost everything about our...
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION
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...
GIVING THE GIFT OF HOPE: WEST40 CHRISTMAS BINGO
For most kids, the holiday season is filled with magic and wonder. They write wish lists. They daydream about what presents they might...
A WEST40 THANKSGIVING
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...
THE CHANGING FACE OF COMPLIANCE
For many administrators, the word “compliance” fills them with a sense of dread. They imagine regulators coming into their schools to...
DEANDRE MCLAURIN
Tim Stafford is joined by student advocate, DeAndre McClaurin, to discuss working with at-risk youth. DeAndre shares the strengths of...
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