October 2009 Issue

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Sara, 18, used to break windows and cause trouble, but now she’s trying to think before she acts.

Breanna, 17, got her family to help the environment by recycling.

We asked our teen staff if they agreed with laws that requires teens to be off the streets by a certain time.

These are letters we received about stories that appeared in the September 2009 issue of L.A. Youth.

L.A. Youth writers say crowded classes and fewer supplies mean less time for teaching.

Thumbs up for CDs from The Aquabats, The Upwelling and HIM.

L.A. Youth writers recommend the books Looking for Alaska and Carrie.

Five teens share how an alternative school helped them succeed.

After ditching and a serious illness, an alternative high school got Patricia, 18, back on track to graduate.

Growing up my parents would tell me almost every week how important my education was. They would tell me not to end up like them—waking up early for work and coming home late just to get paid a low salary for a job you don’t like. So I studied hard and got good grades.

But beginning in middle school I started to lose interest in school and my grades got worse.