Peninsula High Wins Grant for Safe Driving Project

State Farm Insurance awarded a $2,000 grant to Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, just one of 25 schools in the country recognized for projects addressing teens and safe driving.

The school competed with others in the United States and Canada for the "Project Ignition" grants, which provide funds for innovative projects aimed at teen driving safety.

Peninsula High's PALS PLUS leadership organization wrote the grant proposal entitled, "Students Lead the Way: Focused Drivers for a Safer Future," and ran a week-long program Feb. 4-8 encouraging students to drive safely, school officials said in a news release.

The project included guest speakers, safe driving programs, demonstrations and sponsorships from Mercedes Benz, California Highway Patrol, Sheriff's Lomita Station, Impact Teen Drivers, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Master Drive. At week's end, students and staff were asked to take a Safe Driver Pledge.

"We believe service-learning empowers youths to transform themselves from recipients of information and resources into valuable, contributing members of a democracy," State Farm representative Zig Tekaste said at a luncheon honoring the grant recipients.

State Farm's "Project Ignition" program encourages teen safe driving campaigns and is a partnership with the National Youth Leadership Council.