Evanston Safety Town was founded in 1977 as a Standing Committee of the District 65 Evanston/Skokie Council of PTAs with representatives from the 13 elementary and middle schools. In 2023, the organization became an Illinois not-for-profit. The application for 501c status is pending. 

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4 to 7 year olds (and this year, 8 year olds who weren't able to attend before because of the pandemic) benefit the most from the program which consists of 20 hours of classroom and playground activity, separated into 10 two-hour modules over the 2 weeks. Campers must be 4 by June 1. We have learned that children younger than 4 do not benefit from the program. So, no exceptions.  

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Camp follows the District 65 summer school schedule. Choose between morning sessions (9:30-11:30 am) or afternoon sessions (1-3 pm). No food or drink is allowed. There are bathrooms in the rooms.

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About halfway through each day, the campers are divided into two groups. One group goes outside to the “town” to practice that day's safety rules. Then the groups switch so that the inside group goes out and the outside group comes in to work on projects that relate to the day's topic.

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The sequence of topics varies with the availability of Police, Fire Department representatives and the owner/trainer of a therapy/service dog. 

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On Bike Safety Day, the owners of Mack's Bike store (2948 Central Street) visit. The importance of helmets and the correct way to wear them is emphasized.

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Teen volunteers are an important part of the program. The teens work with groups of 2-3 campers and are available for a one-to-one relationship when requested. Every day before the campers enter, the teacher explains the topics for the day to the volunteers, the materials required and then oversees the teens as they cover the topics.