Videos

The West40 main office and regional safe school are located in Maywood, Illinois. We look forward to working together with our neighbors. In this video, Maywood mayor Nathaniel George Booker explains how West40's renovation of the former Lexington School is helping to "reimagine" Maywood. WEST40.ORG

Welcome to Heart 2 Heart, a store open to all of our West40 families. Our families are surprised to hear that there is absolutely no cost to them. For more information visit: https://www.west40.org/heart-2-heart-program

Go behind the scenes as West40 truancy liaison Brucal Green explains the importance of having a positive impact on a student so they can complete school and finish strong.

West40 reaches every student through the adults who support them. Our professional learning team listens to and collaborates with districts to turn their visions into a reality. Learn more at www.west40.org/professional-learning #professionallearning #schooldistrictsupport #schooldistricts #west40

West40 shares how the Illinois Holocaust Museum is making mobile virtual reality teaching trunks available to schools across Illinois. Included in the trunks are VR headsets, which can enhance Holocaust education through 360-degree immersive technology as students "walk" with Holocaust survivors through childhood hometowns and concentration camps as they share their stories of survival. For more information on how to reserve a trunk visit www.ilholocaustmuseum.org #holocauststories #vrexperience #holocaust #holocausteducation #illinois #illinoisholocaustmuseum #museum #education #virtualreality

Alternative Learning Opportunities Programs (ALOP) in Illinois provide a support system for students in grades 4-12 in their home school setting and allow for students to improve their behavior, attendance, and grades. Making ALOP available to students in grades K-3 would require legislative approval. Video by Pexels: 'Person Teaching the Students' By: Max Fischer 'Kindergarten Students Paying with their Teacher' By: RDNE Stock project

Recorded between the Fall of 2022 and Spring of 2024, go behind the scenes as West40 building engineer Chris Raffen prepares the Lexington Building for the arrival of students and staff. Chris explains what this process looked like in the early days of Lexington Building up until today.

Dorothy is a current West40 ALOP student who is nearing graduation at Leyden East High School. We featured Dorothy in a video in late 2022. In this follow up interview, Dorothy talks about her senior year and her exciting plans for the future.

A master's degree student with decades of experience working in schools spoke to West40 about her experiences taking an Illinois educator content exam several times, which prospective teachers must pass to obtain licensure. Additionally, lawmakers are proposing changes to the exam process to prevent prospective educators from giving up on their teaching dreams.