Waukegan Installs Stop Sign After Student Project

Three Waukegan High School seniors' safety project led to a new stop sign near Glenwood Elementary School.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Civic Engagement

Waukegan Installs Stop Sign After Student Project

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City officials installed a stop sign at the Flossmoor Avenue and Nemery Court intersection near Glenwood Elementary School after a student-designed Mikva Challenge project. Mayor Sam Cunningham and Ald. Juan Martinez dedicated the sign on Oct. 2.

Why it matters

The intersection was previously unprotected and close to a school, and drivers were observed hesitating or speeding there. The project is the only one from last spring's Mikva Challenge Issues-to-Action Showcase to be fully implemented, showing how student proposals can translate into city action in Waukegan.

The stop sign was dedicated on Oct. 2 and is the sole project from last spring's Mikva Challenge Issues-to-Action Showcase to be fully implemented. The source does not report post-installation traffic data or whether other showcase projects are moving forward.

The players

Sam Cunningham

Sam Cunningham is the mayor of Waukegan, who attended the stop sign dedication with the student designers.

Juan Martinez

Juan Martinez is the alderman for Waukegan's 3rd Ward, who had long sought a stop sign at the intersection and helped bring the students' proposal to city officials.

The details

Ivan On, Sequece Frye, and Jamarion Monette, Waukegan High School seniors, researched areas around schools to find where a stop sign would make a difference. They presented their proposal to Ald. Juan Martinez, 3rd Ward, who brought them to City Hall to present it to the mayor, police, and the Public Works Department.

Spring (prior year): Students selected the project for the Mikva Challenge Issues-to-Action Showcase.
Oct. 2: Mayor Sam Cunningham and Martinez met the students at the intersection to dedicate the stop sign.

Civic Engagement Pipeline

The project shows how the Mikva Challenge Issues-to-Action Showcase can move a student proposal from classroom research through a city alderman to the mayor and Public Works. Its implementation is the only one of that spring's showcase projects reported as complete, so it stands as the program's clearest documented result in Waukegan.

Drivers near Glenwood Elementary School at Flossmoor Avenue and Nemery Court now face a stop sign where none existed before. Residents of the surrounding neighborhood gain a controlled intersection at a point where drivers were previously observed hesitating or speeding.

The takeaway

Student-led proposals can produce concrete changes in a city's streets when they are paired with a local advocate and a clear research case. Residents interested in similar projects can look to the Mikva Challenge program as a model for turning local safety concerns into city action.