Ontario schools awarded for promoting safer, smarter teen driving

Burlington and North Bay high schools receive $2,000 Project Ignition grants with a chance at $7,500 more

Aurora, Ontario.  January 12, 2012.  – Burlington Central High School and North Bay’s Algonquin High School have been selected as two of just 25 schools across the U.S. and Canada to receive a $2,000 Project Ignition grant for 2012.

Project Ignition - www.sfprojectignition.com, now in its 8th year, is a student-led teen driver safety program funded by State Farm® and coordinated by the National Youth Leadership Council. It was developed because car crashes are the No. 1 killer of youth in North America. With a little help from Project Ignition, students at these schools are working to change that devastating reality.

“Teen driver safety is a serious topic at State Farm. With car crashes being the number 1 cause of death amongst Canadian teens, we make it a priority to help them have a safe and enjoyable experience on our roads,” says Zac Stevenson, Community Relations Specialist at State Farm. “We are proud to have programs such as Project Ignition that empower teens to make positive changes in their lives and to help spread the message of safety to their peers.”

The ten most effective campaigns that emerge from these 25 schools will be given the opportunity to receive additional funding of up to $7,500, joining the ranks of Project Ignition’s National Leader Schools - www.sfprojectignition.com/showcase/2011_12_leaders.htm - as they implement longer-term teen driver safety campaigns.

To see the details of Burlington Central High’s “Distracted Driving – Is it Worth it?”, or Algonquin’s “Superheroes are Invincible – You Aren’t” campaigns visit - www.sfprojectignition.com/showcase/2011_12_top25.htm.

“The focus of our student team at Algonquin this year is to create awareness about avoidable risks and tragedies such as drinking and driving and texting while driving,” explains Karen Ducharme, Teacher/Advisor at Algonquin. “We are thrilled to have won this grant and look forward to implementing some wonderful activities that will impact our student population; a mock crash and drunk driving simulations are just a few of the planned activities.”

About State Farm®

State Farm has been serving Canadians since 1938. State Farm and its affiliates are the fourth largest auto insurance provider, and the seventh largest property and casualty insurer in Canada. In addition to providing affordable car insurance rates, State Farm has more than 540 Canadian agents and 1300 employees providing insurance and financial services including mutual funds, life insurance, vehicle loans, critical illness, disability, home and auto insurance to our customers in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. For more information, please visit statefarm.ca, join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or see us on YouTube.