TDS ANNOUNCES ANNUAL GEORGIA AWARD WINNERS

Pepperell High School, Lakota Withrow, Halle Hanks, Hope Boyd and Alana Ellenburg will be recognized by Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) for their efforts to prevent teen driver crashes through the TDS program. The program recently announced its annual awards honoring schools, student leaders and sponsors for their efforts to prevent teen driver crashes through the TDS program.

• Pepperell High School, Lindale, GA, TDS Cup, $1,000
• Lakota Withrow, Murray County High School, Chatsworth, GA, recognized for service on the 2012-2013 TDS Teen Advisory Board
• Halle Hanks, Pepperell High School, Lindale, GA, appointed to the 2013-2014 TDS Teen Advisory Board
• Hope Boyd, Rome High School, Rome, GA, appointed to the 2013-2014 TDS Teen Advisory Board
• Alana Ellenburg, Pepperell High School, Lindale, GA, 2013 SponStar award recipient

The TDS Cup is the award given to the top TDS Program schools each year. Schools receive points for completing various project outreach activities and achieving program goals. At the end of each year, the school with the most points in each size category is declared the winner and receives the TDS Cup.

The Teen Advisory Board (TAB) consists of students who are selected to be representatives for the TDS Program, offering guidance and leadership relative to the content and direction of the program. Some duties of TAB members include providing insight on how to engage their peers and sustain their interest in TDS, assisting in organizing program-oriented events and activities, providing feedback, ideas and opinions on new program materials, safety messages, promotional items and related elements, participating in quarterly meetings and serving as traffic safety ambassadors and leaders for the program.

The SponStar award recognizes teachers/sponsors that give extraordinary amounts of their limited and valuable time to provide leadership and guidance to TDS student teams, thereby significantly enhancing the experience of those teens and the impact of the TDS program.

Started in 2002, Teens in the Driver Seat is a peer-to-peer safety program that educates teens about the top five dangers of teen driving – driving at night; speeding and street racing; distractions, such as cell phones and teen passengers; not wearing a seat belt; and alcohol/drug use. Thanks to funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation and State Farm, program resources and technical support are available at no cost to schools in Georgia. For more information, please visit http://t-driver.com.