A miniature city painted on the asphalt at Lincolnwood Elementary School is back in business for summer 2026, as Evanston Safety Town runs its second two-week session for children ages 4 to 8.

The day camp, founded in 1977 as a committee of the District 65 Council of PTAs, teaches young children 15 safety topics over 20 hours of instruction. Campers practice crossing streets, riding bikes safely, calling 911, and recognizing dangerous situations on a blacktop "town" complete with painted roads, sidewalks, railroad tracks, and cardboard buildings.

"It's a big project. They lay out a plan that has streets and sidewalks and green space … railroad tracks, one-way streets, two-way streets," director Emily Guthrie said in a 2024 interview with the Evanston Roundtable. Guthrie has been involved with Safety Town since 1984.

Session 2 began Monday, July 6, at Lincolnwood Elementary, 2600 Colfax St., according to the program's website, and runs through Friday, July 17. Morning hours are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The camp follows the District 65 summer school calendar.

Guthrie told the Roundtable in 2024 that campers use small trikes to simulate traffic while other children practice crossing as pedestrians. Each day follows a theme. On the first day, the lesson is always street crossing, and campers cut out and color a red stop sign. On the final day, each child receives a memory book containing every project completed during the session.

The program has grown multigenerational. Guthrie said former campers in their 30s have returned to say they still have their memory books. The camp has enrolled second-generation campers and at least one third-generation participant.

Alyssa Kimmel, a teacher in Skokie, serves as camp leader for the 2026 season, according to the Safety Town website. Visiting instructors include Evanston Police and Fire Department representatives and staff from a local bike shop who refit children's helmets during a bike safety lesson.

Teen volunteers play a central role. Working unpaid, they pair with campers in groups of two or three, creating counselor-to-camper ratios as close as two-to-one. Guthrie said the program could not function without them. The teens earn community service hours and often pick up babysitting jobs through camper families.

The curriculum, developed with help from a child psychologist, includes sensitive topics such as stranger danger and appropriate versus inappropriate touch. The camp became an Illinois nonprofit corporation in 2023 and was pursuing 501(c)(3) status as of 2024.

Registration costs $160 per child by check or $165 by credit or debit card. Scholarships are available for families who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Families can check availability and register at evanstonsafetytown.org, by email at [email protected], or by phone at 847-867-4826.