The campus community is invited to participate in a comprehensive survey to identify top quality-of-life issues in DeKalb County. The survey was launched Wednesday and is available both in hard copy and online.
Advancing DeKalb County is an initiative led by the DeKalb County Community Foundation and involves more than two dozen area partners, including municipalities, schools, health care providers, economic development groups and social service providers, among others. The ADC survey will serve as the foundation for the coalition’s work by identifying the top two or three issues local citizens care about most. Survey results will be integrated with data and input from local experts to create a well-rounded view of county-wide issues.
In addition, hard copies will be available at nearly 40 high-traffic public locations throughout the county, including libraries, municipal buildings, senior centers, public housing complexes and other gathering spots that include the following locations:
- Kishwaukee YMCA
- DeKalb County Health Department
- DeKalb County Treasurer’s Office
- Municipal Buildings of DeKalb, Sycamore, and Genoa
- Town/Village Halls of Malta, Shabbona, Kingston, Maple Park, Kirkland, Somonauk, Waterman, Cortland, Lee, Hinckley, and Sandwich
- Family Service Agency and FSA Senior Centers in Cortland, DeKalb, Malta, Genoa and Sycamore
- Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C)
- DeKalb County Farm Bureau
- Civic Apartments, Taylor Street Plaza, Housing Authority of DeKalb County
- Barb Food Mart
- Conexion Comunidad
- Oak Crest
- Fox Valley Older Adult Services & Senior Center
- Public libraries in Cortland, DeKalb, Genoa, Hinkley, Kirkland, Malta, Maple Park, Sandwich, Somonauk, Sycamore and Clinton Township/Waterman and the Flewellin Memorial Library in Shabbona
“We are striving to make this survey as widely available as possible,” said Anita Zurbrugg, DCCF program director. “While many people will take it online, others will prefer a paper copy, so we’re working hard to accommodate all preferences.”
The initial survey will be open through Monday, June 30, after which underrepresented groups will be identified and their opinions solicited through telephone interviews.
“The results of this survey will be very important in terms of guiding our work in the years ahead,” Zurbrugg said. “We need widespread participation to really understand where our community would like all of us to invest our efforts and resources going forward.”
The survey is being managed by the Northern Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies.
Advancing DeKalb County is known as a collective impact initiative that connects public, private and nonprofit sectors to focus efforts on high-priority issues. The collective impact approach is gaining popularity across the country as communities are able to measure significant progress in meeting important challenges.
