Teen Drivers' Safety Campaigns: Teens Teaching Teens

ST. PAUL, MN--May 31, 2011: The teen driver safety initiative Project Ignition, sponsored by State FarmŪ and coordinated by the National Youth Leadership CouncilŪ, has selected its top ten teen driver safety campaigns for 2010-2011.

These ten campaigns, led by public high school students in the United States and Canada, sought to reduce risky driving attitudes and behaviors. For their successful efforts, each high school will receive $5,000 to support their participation in the National Service-Learning Conference in the spring of 2012 in Minneapolis, Minn. In addition, each has an opportunity to receive continued funding of $2,500 in the coming school year to expand upon the campaign's previous success.

The 2010-2011 Project Ignition Top Ten Teen Driver Safety Campaigns are:

• Belton High School Freshman Center, Belton, Mo.
• Fieldcrest High School, Minonk, Ill.
• Freedom High School, Bethlehem, Pa.
• Hoosick Falls Central School, Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
• Idabel High School, Idabel, Okla.
• London High School, London, Ohio
• Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
• R.O.W.V.A. High School, Oneida, Ill.
• Shelton High School, Shelton, Wash.
• Springlake-Earth High School, Earth, Texas

"Project Ignition uses service-learning to help teens create safe driving campaigns they believe will influence their peers' driving behaviors," said Kellie Clapper, Assistant Vice President -- Community Relations for State Farm. "As a company committed to reducing teen car crashes, we are very interested in learning from these remarkable young people."

Project Ignition believes that youth leadership is a critical component to effectively changing teen driving behaviors and saving lives. "In partnership with State Farm, we are amazed by the students leading these Project Ignition campaigns. These youth are well informed and uniquely positioned to offer a critical voice to help influence their peers' risky driving behaviors. The fact that youth work with teachers to link the campaigns to their academic coursework, gives us confidence that this program strengthens schools as it also helps to save young lives," said Kelita Svoboda Bak, NYLC CEO.

For more information about Project Ignition, contact Michael VanKeulen, Project Ignition National Program Director at mvankeulen@nylc.org or 651-999-7378.