More than 3,700 DeKalb County middle and high school students participated in the 2012 Illinois Youth Survey. The IYS is a key part of a statewide effort to inform local schools and communities about youth attitudes and behaviors regarding substance abuse, school violence, school climate and other health and mental health topics.

Students who do not engage in substance use have better attendance, get higher grades and test scores and are less likely to skip school, drop out or engage in risky behaviors.

2012 marks the first year that all nine DeKalb County public school districts participated in the survey. Getting 100 percent of local public middle and high schools to participate was in large part due to the work of the Ben Gordon Center Prevention and Education Program.