Starting in the winter, Steinert began their safe driving initiative with the U Got Brains Champion Schools Program. In this program, schools around the state create a project that aligns with issues in the school’s community regarding teen driving safety. Not only is this a campaign for awareness, it is also a competition. Schools participating in the Champion Schools Program aim to create the best campaign in order to win $10,000 for their school from the NJM insurance group. Alongside Jersey Drives and the New Jersey Brain Injury Alliance, a group of Steinert students are aiming to address ride focused problems in the car. Ride focused problems consist of the passengers' experience in the car. It is a topic that teens of any age, with their license or without, can relate to. 

Everyone has felt unsafe in the car with another person at some point. The driver may be on their phone queuing the next song or sending a text, drifting their attention from the road to their phone. Or maybe the passenger is putting their phone in the driver's face to show them something, putting both of their lives at risk. With this program,  the students intent is to spread awareness of these ride focused issues, and make car rides safer for everyone in the car.

The Steinert safe driving initiative is led by Amber DeWitt, Gracie Feijo, Jolea Terman, and Selin Yilmaz. If you look around the school, you can see some of their efforts to spread awareness. In the hallways, during passing periods, if you look at the television in the main lobby, you will see the account information for our school’s very own safe driving Instagram. On this account, every Tuesday, a new Instagram picture pertaining to road safety is posted, to spread awareness of various driving topics. Along with the weekly posts, the girls also post their own photos of how they are taking action, along with other safe driving content. The girls have started a Tiktok account, with the same username as their Instagram, to create their own videos, spreading awareness of certain driving topics, along with creating relatable and funny videos about driving.

The safe driving programs’ biggest project so far was the Valentine's Day campaign. They made posters, handed out lollipops, and gained a following on social media so they can get the attention of students. Similarly, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, the program posted a survey to see how passengers behave in the car. With this survey, the group will collect data and cater posts to the teens in our area. Right now, the girls are collaborating with the Teens on Fire program, who are beginning their own volunteer project for safe driving. With this group, they will attend an End Distracted Driving Assembly for the elementary school students of Sayen. Along with the assembly, they will read books to the young children, and help them make cards to Steinert teen drivers.

To better our community and win this contest, this program needs support. Please follow the Instagram and Tiktok accounts @safe.driving.shs, like the posts, and start a larger discussion on teen safe driving! Along with that, look out for a pledge to sign!