Goshen, Kent. - Car crashes are the number one killer of young people. And in the wake of a tragic accident last year, students at North Oldham High School are taking steps to make sure they don’t lose any more of their own. The school is one of 25 across the country to be awarded a $2,000 grant to implement a program to promote teen driver safety.
The goal of Project Horsepower is to increase teen awareness of the dangers of not using seatbelts, of distracted driving, drinking and driving, and of speeding. Activities will include a North Oldham High School-created video of the aftermath of automobile accidents, a display of wrecked cars, teen-parent safe driver pledges, a drunk-goggle course, and a student assembly with a Grim Reaper presentation including student "accident victims."
The stimulus for this program is a wreck last July. One teen was killed and two friends were critically injured in a car crash just one month after their graduation from the school.
This is the seventh year for “Project Ignition,” a program coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council and sponsored by State Farm®. The 25 schools are competing to be selected to move on to the next phase, in which 10 schools will be selected to receive another grant to continue their work.
Contact
Kip Diggs, State Farm Insurance, (615) 692-6682
About State Farm®:
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
About The National Youth Leadership Council
The National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) has been a leading advocate of service-learning since 1983. A Minnesota-based, national non-profit organization, NYLC works in partnership with young people, educators, administrators and community leaders to integrate service-learning practices into elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools. For more information visit the NYLC Web Site.
