Members of the Hoosick Falls Central School Project Ignition Team were presented with a check for $2,000 from State Farm Insurance and the National Youth Leadership Council at the last HFCS Board of Education Meeting.
The students made a presentation to the Board about their local campaign to raise awareness among teens about the dangers of distracted driving and riding without seat belts. The check was presented to the team by local State Farm agent Karla Foxvog.
The team described the features of their campaign, which included a poster series featuring HFCS students, a day of activities on April 8 including State Police demonstrations, a “lock up your cell” backpack giveaway to provide a visual reminder to drivers, a “Buckled Up” raffle to encourage seat belt use and surveys of youth in Hoosick Falls, Cambridge and Hoosic Valley. The campaign was designed and implemented by the team, assisted by coaches from Hoosick Falls Central and the Hoosick Area Youth Center & Community Coalition.
Next the team will submit a DVD about its project to State Farm. If it is selected as one of the top ten projects, the students will be invited to continue their effort and to travel to a national conference in Minnesota next April. They will receive an additional $5,000.
Hoosick Falls is one of only 26 schools in the U.S. and Canada, and the only school in New York State, to receive the $2,000 grant. The campaign began in January and will conclude at the end of April.
