Drive 2 Stay Alive Teen Driver Safety Campaign Receives Grant
Eureka, CA, January 26, 2010 – Drive 2 Stay Alive has been selected as one of ten finalists nationwide in the 2009-2010 Project Ignition (PI) program.
The program, designed by students at Eureka High Schoo,l is focusing on the dangers of distractions while driving and driving while impaired.
To help the students with implementation of their project, they will receive $5,000 from the National Youth Leadership Council® (NYLC) through funding provided by State Farm Companies Foundation.
The ten finalists will have the opportunity to present their campaigns at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference in San Jose, Calif., March 24-27, 2010. One school will then be chosen as “Best of the Best” and awarded a $10,000 grant from NYLC through funding provided by State Farm Companies Foundation to further their project.
Project Ignition is a program through which students develop public awareness campaigns focusing on teen driver safety that targets their peers and communities. Students in grades 9 – 12 (ages 13 and older) are challenged to create a service-learning project focused on teen driver safety in an inspirational and creative way. Since 2004, State Farm has sponsored PI and NYLC coordinates the program on State Farm’s behalf.
“As the nation’s No. 1 insurer of vehicles, State Farm makes it a priority to promote teen driver safety through programs like Project Ignition,” said Kathy Havens Payne, Director of Education Leadership at State Farm. “Project Ignition gives teens the opportunity to inform their peers on the importance of safe driving habits in an innovative way that is both educational and rewarding.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for American teenagers. In 2007, nearly 7000 young people (ages 15-20) were killed in motor vehicle crashes (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). In California alone, 435 young people were killed. Students working onDrive 2 Stay Alive are working to reduce these tragic statistics.
“Now in its sixth year, Project Ignition has raised awareness, helped to prevent crashes, and ultimately saved lives,” said Payne. “That is something we want to continue to see for a long, long time.”
“Each year, I'm amazed by the creativity, passion and commitment these young people bring to their campaigns," said NYLC President and CEO Jim Kielsmeier. “Even more striking is the way their peers respond to their campaigns. This work really is saving lives."
Lonny Haskins, Public Affairs Specialist at (707) 588-6241.
State Farm 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 about 80 million policies and accounts: more than 78 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. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
