Southern California Police Officer Wins National "Innovation In The Classroom" Award

HOOVER, Ala., July 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Officer Glen A. Johnsen, a school resource officer in the Fontana Unified School District in Fontana, CA, has been named the recipient of the 2021 "Innovation in the Classroom Award," given by The National Road Safety Foundation and NASRO, the National Association of School Resource Officers.  Officer Johnsen was selected by a panel of his peers in NASRO and will receive the award at the annual NASRO Conference in Orlando this week.

The award, which recognizes innovative teaching of traffic safety in schools by a police officer, carries with it full conference registration and an all-expenses-paid trip to the NASRO Conference.

Officer Johnsen is being recognized for an innovative computer game he developed with students in his school's computer sciences class.  The game uses role-playing to show students the possible consequences of making bad driving decisions, such as texting, driving recklessly or driving under the influence.  In order for students to get school parking pass privileges, they must pass the computer game.

Officer Johnsen has been a school resource officer in Fontana for 12 years, including ten years as a motorcycle safety officer.  The Fontana district has 45 schools, including five high schools with more than 11,000 students.

Officer Johnsen says he hopes to share the computer game as a teaching tool with other districts.

Mo Canady, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, said, "Officer Johnsen's creativity in the classroom is a great example of finding new and contemporary ways to educate young people about important traffic safety issues."

"We are pleased to recognize Officer Johnsen's innovative thinking that is having a positive impact on the safety of our young people," said Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations at The National Road Safety Foundation.

NASRO, the world's leader in school-based policing, is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1991 for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators and school security and/or safety professionals who work as partners to protect schools and their students, faculty and staff members.

NASRO developed the "triad" concept of school-based policing, which divides SRO responsibilities into three areas: educator, informal counselor/mentor and law enforcement officer. By training law enforcement officers to educate, counsel and protect school communities, the more than 3,000 men and women of NASRO continuously lead by example and promote a positive image of law enforcement to school children and school communities.  For more information, go to www.nasro.org

The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc. (NRSF) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that for nearly 60 years has been dedicated to reducing crashes, deaths and injuries on our nation's highways by promoting safe driving habits through greater public awareness.

NRSF programs deal with distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency and pedestrian safety. The Foundation also works with key youth advocacy groups and sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities.  For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org.  

Media Contact:
David Reich  
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SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation