Project Ignition Winner Announced at Awards Ceremony
pi winners
By Siddharth Damania, NYLC Youth Advisory Council
On March 18, 2005, NYLC and State Farm® held the Licensed to Live Award Festival at The 16th Annual National Service-Learning Conference in Long Beach, Calif. Students from 10 high schools who were finalists in the first year of Project Ignition, a service-learning program promoting teen-driver safety, were recognized. All of the finalists had created media campaigns to educate their peers, with Mooresville (Ind.) High School's In a Flash taking top honors and the accompanying $10,000 grant.
The Mooresville High School team (pictured) advocated teen-driving safety through a four-part campaign focused on seat belt use, cell phone practices, impaired driving, and reckless driving. More than 30 participating students conveyed their messages through school television announcements, student-teacher activities, bulletins, posters, and creative initiatives such as Don't Punch the Numbers, focused on the dangers of using cell phones while driving; No Zone, which provided information from local police; and the Remember Them key chain campaign.
The Mooresville school district has a strong, established service-learning program. For the past five years, students at all grade levels have participated in service-learning projects.
"The commitment, dedication, creativeness, and ingenuity [Mooresville students] displayed, truly demonstrates the initiative and awareness these students have of the issues that face them. NYLC is very proud to have Mooresville High School as the inaugural winner of Project Ignition," NYLC President and CEO Jim Kielsmeier told the audience.
Mooresville was among 25 high schools from around the nation to receive an initial $2,000 grant from State Farm to create and promote a project on safe driving. The top 10 schools were invited to attend the conference.
"The students at Mooresville High School showed impressive creativity in delivering powerful messages about the importance of safe driving. One can only imagine the impact these young adults have had on the lives of their friends, family, and community," said Leif Roll, State Farm Vice President of Product and Customer Marketing.
