YOUTH SERVICES > INFORMATION & REFERRAL
Oak Park Township Youth Services Contracted Programs 2008
Unless otherwise noted, programs are open to both Oak Park and River
Forest youth. The contract agencies are italicized. Contact name and phone # are included.
* denotes programs open to both OPRF residents.
Community Of Congregations
Holiday Food & Gift Basket*
HolidayBasket@hotmail.com
A holiday gift and food drive for Oak Park and River Forest families in need through referrals made through local social service agencies, villages, townships, congregations, and schools.
Family Service & MHC
Peer Power Programs*
Katherine Goldberg, 383.7500
A set of 2 programs administered by Family Services: Snowball (3-day retreat about drug prevention), and Learning Seminar (summer program designed to help at-risk youth transition from middle school to high school).
Fellowship Community Services
Friday Night Place
Deacon Wiley Samuels, 386.6712
75 to 100 youth in middle school and high school participate on Friday nights and over the summer in recreational activities, workshops, lectures, and field trips.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97
School Daze and Band Camp
Felicia Starks-Turner, 524.3000
Scholarships for youth in grades 4-7 for 3-wk summer school or bandcamp 4-7.
Together We Can
Felicia Starks-Turner, 524.3000
14 programs that offer homework help, socialization, and recreation opportunities in some schools in District 97:
| Beye Homework Helper |
Gr 3/4/5, meet M/T/Th; |
| Beye Pool |
3x/wk 6 wk summer; 1 day is field trip; target students |
| Brooks Power Hour |
Gr6/7/8 to improve test skills, 30 sessions, current 17 |
| Hatch Homework Helper |
Tu/Th Oct –Apr |
| Holmes Chess Club |
86 students currently, afterschool 2x/wk |
| Holmes Lunchtime Literature |
Ages 8-12 meet during lunch 2x/wk |
| Holmes Lunch Pals |
6 current, students socialize w/spec needs student over lunch once/week |
| Irving SMART club |
Gr 4 & 5 improve test skills for ISAT, 17 sessions |
| Julian Jump Start |
Those below ISAT standards meet M/Tu to improve test skills |
| Lincoln After School Media Center |
Gr 2-5 homework assistance, M/Tu/Th; will serve 50-70/day |
| Lincoln Flow |
Gr 4 & 5, 18 sessions, 1x/mo, 35m/f; leader development |
| Longfellow Flow |
Gr 4 & 5, 2x/mo, 16-24; leader development |
| Longfellow Rainbows |
14 weeks (two 7/wk sessions) for approx 6-7 students. |
| Whittier Afterschool Homework Helper |
Afterschool help M/Tu/Th |
Oak Park Police Department
Explorers Post
Cmmdr. Phyliss Howard, 386.3800
OP Police Officers meet weekly with 6th graders for mentoring. Several field trips per year are scheduled.
OPRFHS
Intramurals Sports + additional activities*
Ricky Baker, 434.3039
Flag Football, Floor Hockey, Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer and Badminton.
Involves competitive and informal free plays sports to students, ages 14-18, four evenings a week at OPRFHS throughout the year.
OPRFHS
Summer School*
Dale Craft, 434.3501
Students, who would not be able to afford tuition, earn money to attend summer school by volunteering at various community organizations.
Parenthesis
Hear Our Stories*
Mary Strizak, 848.2227
Selected Parenteen participants visiting area schools and organizations and sharing their experiences about being young mothers, who will also co-facilitate focus groups at the sites.
Parenthesis
Parenteen*
Mary Strizak, 848.2227
A community-based program that seeks to foster healthy growth & development in teen parents and their children.
Park District of Oak Park
Youth Opportunity Scholarships
Charity Luter, 725.2250
Scholarships for Oak Park youth and their families in financial need.
River Forest Community Center
Clear Sky Festival*
Dick Chappell, 771.6159
A fall festival that includes games and recreation, especially targeting families.
River Forest Police Department
I-Search*
Linda Conway, 366.7125
A personal safety curriculum for children ages 4 – 14, enrolled in OP and RF schools – public and private.
Steckman Studio of Music
African Drumming Program
Victoria Scaman, 524.1954
30 students drum 2x week at the two middle schools.
Volunteer Center
TIME*
Abby Schmelling, 386.3393
A court-diversion program that places youth offenders ages 13-17 in community service agencies as an alternative to court while also providing training in proper job behaviors and pertinent life skills.
Volunteer Center
YouthConnect*
Abby Schmelling, 386.3393
A mentoring program that provides at-risk youth of middle and high school age (13-17 yrs old) an opportunity to receive the encouragement and support of caring adult mentors in both a group and one-to-one setting
For additional contact information of youth service organizations
and resources, click
here.
