Schools

Celebrating teen driver safety in the Central District

Posted

The message is simple –– Keep two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel. Sadly, however, it’s too often ignored by teen drivers, with tragic consequences. Last year the State Farm insurance company began its “Celebrate My Drive” campaign to telegraph such messages to young people. Now the Bellmore-Merrick Community Parent Center is urging students from the Central District’s five schools to join in the effort.

It works like this: Students log on to www.celebratemydrive.com, where they can register, commit to road safety and answer a series of simple questions about driving. Every time students sign on, they accrue points for their local high schools, making them eligible for prizes.

The top 10 schools with the most number of commitments between Oct. 15 and 24 will receive $100,000 grants, with the top two also earning a concert with The Band Perry at the schools. Ninety other schools will receive $25,000 grants. In all, State Farm will give away $3.2 million. An administrator from a school only need register once for the commitments to count for that school. Last year Calhoun signed up for the challenge.

According to Naomi Johnson, a State Farm public affairs specialist, Central District officials could register one school and have students from throughout the district sign commitments on behalf of that school, bettering the district’s chances of winning a prize. After, any grant money could be split among the district’s schools.

Ten percent of prize money must go toward driver-safety education. Otherwise, the money can be spent however a school or district sees fit.

As of press time, 860 schools across the country had signed up for the challenge. Last year the campaign elicited 6.3 million commitments.

Johnson suggested that students get the word out through email blasts and morning announcements.

“This is a good opportunity for us,” said Wendy Tepfer, the parent center executive director, of the Celebrate My Drive campaign. “We have tried to change the [driving] culture in our district…We started small. Now our driver education goes throughout the year.

Page 1 / 2