Twenty-Five High Schools Receive Project Ignition Grants to Promote Safer, Smarter Driving

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council® and funded by State Farm®, Project Ignition has selected 25 high schools from throughout the United States and Canada to receive $2,000 service-learning teen driver safety grants in 2012.

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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, auto crashes are the number one cause of death for teens in this country. Project Ignition is a youth- and schools-led response that connects academic goals to address the issue of teen driver safety through service-learning. The grants will support student-designed and student-led campaigns aimed at preventing car crashes in their community.

"Young people have unique capacity to influence their peers' behaviors. Especially when supported by adult allies, students can save lives by changing practices such as seat-belt use or the decision to not drive under the influence," said Kelita Svoboda Bak, NYLC CEO. "Together with State Farm, we are honored to provide students and teachers the support they need to transform their ideas into realities and make a measurable difference in teen driver safety. Recognition of these efforts affirms the capabilities of young people to lead effectively on issues that affect their community."

School and youth commitment to address this problem is on the increase as record number of applications were developed and submitted this year. Their plans were evaluated during a rigorous judging process and 25 were selected, in part, based on a commitment to service-learning and the use of proven-effective strategies in changing teen driver behavior. Students will inform, engage and motivate their peers while teachers will simultaneously link these activities to academic curriculum.

Students' plans ranged from integrating their project with physics, chemistry, calculus, health, physical education, and driver's education curriculum at Pine Lake Preparatory in Mooresville, N.C. to having students in Algonquin High School, North Bay, Ontario learn about issues related to teen driver safety and then sign a contract to drive smart. Other schools will lead through student-based research projects, demonstrations that help youth understand the impact of distractions while driving, and efforts to inform and increase parent engagement. For a complete list of schools, visit www.sfprojectignition.com.

The 10 most effective campaigns that emerge from these 25 will be given the opportunity to receive additional funding (up to $7,500), joining the ranks of Project Ignition's 22 current National Leader Schools as they implement longer-term teen driver safety campaigns. Ten youth representatives from these National Leader Schools are in Washington, D.C. today for a reception where their ongoing campaigns will be recognized by Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood.

For more information about NYLC and service-learning go to www.nylc.org.

For more information about State Farm go to statefarm.com® or, in Canada, statefarm.ca®.

SOURCE National Youth Leadership Council

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