Located just 20 miles north of Chicago in a suburban setting, sit the cities of Glenview and Northbrook in Illinois. Glenview covers approximately 13.95 square miles and Northbrook, a neighboring community, covers approximately 13 .19 square miles. An estimate from the United States Census Bureau placed the population of Glenview at 50,692 people with 33.7% of households having children under the age of 18. Glenview's median household income is $80,037 and 4.6% of the population falls below the poverty level. Glenview is home to a diverse religious community, including Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. An estimate from the United States Census Bureau placed the population of Northbrook at 33,311 people with 32.5% of households having children under the age of 18. Northbrook's median household income is $103,053, and 4.1 % of the population falls below the poverty level.
Glenbrook High School District 225, commonly referred to as the Glenbrooks, offer a high-level of public education to approximately 5,200 high school students, ages 14-21 in Glenview, Northbrook and portions of unincorporated Northfield Township. According to the Illinois School Report Card from 2019, the racial and ethnic background data for District 225 as a whole was as follows: 51.1% white, 0.9 % black, 8% Hispanic, 12.5 % Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander and 27.3% multiracial. 14% of the students received services through an Individualized Education Plan and 96% of students graduate in four years. Seven middle schools are located within the communities providing public education to 12-14 year olds and feed into the Glenbrook high schools. The largest middle school district, which accounts for over 50% of the elementary population, reports approximately 24% of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
The Glenbrooks have reputation for offering students an excellent, well-rounded educational experience. However, permissive parental attitudes towards youth substance use and perceived social norms directly correlate to the increase in use of drugs and alcohol in the community.
The Glenview Northbrook Coalition for Youth (GNCY) is a Drug-Free Communities Coalition dedicated to empowering
youth (ages 11-18) of Glenview and Northbrook, Illinois to live safe, drug and alcohol-free lives. Through community and family partnership, the coalition aims to increase community collaboration in substance abuse prevention and to prevent and reduce youth alcohol, marijuana and tobacco use. The strategies employed by the coalition include raising community awareness, promoting substance prevention best practices and data-driven decision making through outreach and education, building capacity in environmental strategies, changing social norms and awareness through youth and parent communication campaigns, and changing physical to reduce youth access to substances.