Winter scavenger hunt extended through January

Cook County Public Health has extended its youth winter scavenger hunt through Jan. 30, citing low participation during the holiday break.

Youth Prevention Coordinator Rocio Rivas said all nine participating businesses agreed to the extension.

“We had a lack of participation, to be honest. The winter break was short this year, and also it was really, really cold and icy,” Rivas told WTIP.  “So we thought a little bit more about it, and wanted to give them, give the youth the chance to participate in this activity that will help them know a little bit more about their community.”

Rivas said students told her they felt intimidated by the cold-call nature of contacting businesses, particularly when doing so alone. This led to Rivas adjusting the rules to allow students to participate in groups.

Rivas spends time at ISD 166 connecting with students and said she is using that opportunity to remind them about the scavenger hunt and encourage participation.

“They are interested.  The part that is tricky is they are like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to call somebody,'” Rivas said. “Now they can do it with a partner. With a group of friends, they can get together and do a call all together to make it possible to get that little bit of shyness away.”

Rivas advised parents this is an opportunity to encourage them to be more outgoing and connect with their community.

“This is the opportunity for parents to engage with their kids,” Rivas said. “Maybe you can call with your kid and just make your kid ask the questions and give them that support that they need to open up.”

Josh Hinke January 25, 2026