Ray LaHood To Recognize Project Ignition At National Service-Learning Conference

March 28, 2012

NYLC is thrilled to announce that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood will be in Minneapolis at the National Service-Learning Conference and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference to recognize Project Ignition Leader Schools for their outstanding efforts to improve driver safety and save lives through service-learning.

This commendation builds on a job shadow day the Department of Transportation hosted for Project Ignition students and advisors in January, when representatives from the schools had a chance to meet Secretary LaHood. After the January event, one Project Ignition advisor remarked that “it brought tears to my eyes several times to see how my student took the educational tools provided to her, learned from them, and truly took ownership of many people's hard work — including her own — as she spoke passionately about our program. I was simply amazed at how much one person could grow as a leader in two short days.” The National Service-Learning Conference offers a similar opportunity for even more student leaders.

Michael VanKeulen, Outreach Director at NYLC who oversees Project Ignition, notes that Secretary LaHood’s involvement serves as a testament to the importance of youth leadership in addressing the very serious issue of teen driver safety. “We are proud to reconnect with the Secretary at the National Service-Learning Conference,” said VanKeulen. “It is another chance to share our message that youth can and must take serious leadership in such important public problems.”

Secretary LaHood will present the awards to winning schools from the national teen driver safety program at the opening of the conference exhibit hall on Wednesday, April 11.

Photo: Project Ignition youth pose with Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

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Ray LaHood To Recognize Project Ignition At National Service-Learning Conference