Every two years, OPRF High School administers the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS) to all 10th– and 12th-grade students. In 2015 Oak Park Township received a Positive Youth Development IDHS grant to address a survey-identified concern for underage drinking at OPRF. Vicki Scaman was hired as the full-time grant coordinator to recruit, assemble, and lead a working group of community stakeholders to meet quarterly to plan and implement strategies to address the problem.
The grant-required broad representation from Oak Park and River Forest, including school districts, law enforcement, liquor control, youth, parents, faith-based groups, media, health care, and public health — initially a total of 26 diverse representatives — was a challenge to assemble, orient to the grant, lead, and hold together. With the work group well established in organization and direction, Vicki decided to run in 2017 for village clerk, and now village president since 2021.
In 2020, a University of Illinois evaluation reported 10 of the original work-group organizations were still working together.* In 2021, the Alcohol Policy Resource Center** featured the program’s success in three areas:
• Responsible Beverage Service and Liquor Compliance Checks
• Communication Campaigns for both Adults and Youth
• Youth Prevention Education in schools
Now in 2025, Oak Park Township continues the Positive Youth Development program Vicki established. ***
Her leadership and communication abilities were right for the Township, and now to continue as Village President.
* SPF-PFS-Evaluation-Report-Addendum
*** https://oakparktownship.org/download/positive-youth-development-pyd-2023-4-calendar
David Boulanger
Township Supervisor
2002-2017