Oklahoma Students Awarded $10,000 to Combat Vehicle Crashes, the No. 1 Killer of Teens
State Farm(R) and the National Youth Leadership Council(R) Name Ada High Project Ignition's 'Best of the Best'
MINNEAPOLIS, April 11 -- Ada High School of Ada, Okla., won the "Best of the Best" award for its 2007-08 Project Ignition safe driving campaign at the 19th annual National Service-Learning Conference this week in Minneapolis. State Farm and the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) selected Ada High School's program from a pool of 25 school programs nationwide because of its statewide teen driver education outreach to schools, government and district courts.
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Nearly 7,000 15- to 20- year-old drivers were involved in fatal vehicle crashes in 2006(1), making auto accidents the No. 1 killer of teens. State Farm and NYLC joined forces to create a program that would educate teens on the hazards of driving and give them a platform to implement effective interventions among their peers and communities. The result was the development of the national service-learning program, Project Ignition.
"Every day vehicle crashes kill nearly 19 teens, which is an unacceptable number," said NYLC President and CEO Jim Kielsmeier. "Project Ignition empowers youth to create safety campaigns that instill safe driving practices in their peers. Ada High School's statewide impact over the past two years illustrates the power of today's youth to make positive changes in society."
After mourning the loss of two peers in two years, the students at Ada High School felt compelled to help reverse the epidemic of teen driver deaths in their community and state. The students created the Oklahoma Student Alliance for Smart Driving to support safe driving campaigns within schools. Using videos, billboards, commercials, public service announcements and other mass-media tools, they communicated their safe driving message to more than 100 schools and major universities. Additionally, the students went to the Oklahoma Legislature to help government leaders strengthen seat belt laws. Several district judges adopted the students' driving education videos into the punishment for DUI offenses. They recognize that their work is far from done, and with this award of $10,000 they are certain to make an incredible and positive difference.
Each year 25 high schools from across the country receive a $2,000 grant from State Farm to implement Project Ignition safe driving campaigns. Ten finalists are selected and invited to The National Service-Learning Conference where the "Best of the Best" is chosen. The "Best of the Best" winning school is awarded a $10,000 grant to continue its Project Ignition campaign. The 10 Project Ignition finalists from the 2007-08 included:
-- Ada High School - Ada, Okla. -- Bergen County Technical School - Paramus, N.J. -- Bishop McNamara High School - Forestville, Md. -- Harry D. Jacobs High School - Algonquin, Ill. -- Howenstine High Magnet School - Tucson, Ariz. -- Louisburg High School - Louisburg, Kan. -- Medina Valley High School - Castroville, Texas -- Nease High School - Ponte Vedra, Fla. -- Owen Valley High School - Spencer, Ind. -- Upper Arlington High School - Columbus, Ohio
"Project ignition has had an incredible impact in communities across the country," said Marcie McDonald, public affairs specialist in the education leadership unit at State Farm. "Even one teen death on the road is too many. These campaigns are saving lives and making the roads safer for everyone."
Project Ignition is currently accepting applications for the 2008-09 school year. Applications must be submitted online at http://www.sfprojectignition.com/ and are due July 3, 2008. The Project Ignition Web site has been updated to include program summaries of the 2007-08 top 25 schools, video footage of past participants and tools and tips for applicants. For more information about other safe driving initiatives and service-learning programs, visit http://www.betterteendriving.com/ or http://www.nylc.org/.
About State Farm
State Farm(R) insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 77 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com(r/) or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca(r/).
About NYLC
NYLC has been at the center of service-learning program and policy development since 1983. It annually convenes The National Service-Learning Conference, offers adult and youth trainings and develops service-learning resources. For more information, please visit http://www.nylc.org/.
1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Contact Dawn Fones State Farm Insurance (309) 766-2259 Cell: (309) 212-1492 dawn.fones.cv9s@statefarm.com Deborah Schaller GolinHarris (312) 729-4352 Cell: (847) 977-1101 dschaller@golinharris.com Michael VanKeulen NYLC (651) 999-7378 mvankeulen@nylc.orgPhoto: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061017/CGTU039LOGO-b
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