For the third consecutive year, our Broadcasting & Video Production and Digital Marketing programs, located at Berea-Midpark High School, placed first in the Just Drive/Create Real Impact Social Media Campaign Contest. This national program is hosted by Impact Teen Drivers (ITD), a national non-profit organization whose vision is to change the teen driving culture to one that is distraction-free. ITD works with champions of all ages and backgrounds - from students and teachers to doctors and first responders - to disseminate evidence-based tools and programming to empower good decision-making while driving. The contest encourages high schools, classrooms and student groups across the United States to develop creative solutions to address the critical issue of distracted driving.
This year’s award-winning theme, “Roadtrip: Ready to Ride,” included students from Berea-Midpark High School who traveled virtually to various tourist spots around the country (including Cleveland) demonstrating safe driving techniques. As the winning team, Polaris illustrated the collective effort of high school students, school staff, Berea Police Department officers and other community members. The campaign effectively highlighted the role of community involvement in combating reckless and distracted driving. Throughout the campaign month, students led numerous initiatives, including the production of public service announcements, content for social media, daily school announcements and a community safe driving fair designed to increase awareness of preventable car crashes caused by reckless and distracted driving. Their work exemplifies a strong commitment to making a tangible impact on traffic safety. As the top team in the nation, the programs were awarded a $10,000 educational grant.
The following students created the project under the direction of Polaris instructors, Melissa Burchett and Katie Street:
Max Januszewski
Ash Patton
Maya Perry
Emma Rivera
Bethany Sitko
Delaney Thomas
Aidan Winkler
Heba Zebdawi
Congratulations to these AMAZING students and dedicated teachers!