A national video challenge for highschool students to encourage their peers to avoid distractions and stay safe behind the wheel opened this week.
The competition – the 2020 TeenDrive365 Video Challenge by Toyota and Discovery Education – invites students in grades 9-12 to submit an original 30-60 second Public Service Announcement (PSA) about distracted driving to encourage their peers to stay safe behind the wheel.
Now in its ninth year, the challenge’s grand prize includes $15,000 and the opportunity to work with a Discovery, Inc. film crew to re-shoot the entry video into a TV-ready PSA. Also, as a new program component, the video challenge will announce up to 50 state merit winners, the winning individual or team will receive a TeenDrive365 prize pack. Teens can register and submit their entries today through Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at TeenDrive365.com.
“The ‘TeenDrive365 Video Challenge’ combines student collaboration, critical thinking and the use of immersive digital resources to help students to express their deepest concerns about safe and responsible driving,” said Tom Clowes, assistant principal, Westminster High School, Westminster, Md., Carroll County Public Schools. “Through this partnership, Toyota and Discovery Education are empowering students, educators and communities to have critical conversations about the power of making safe choices behind the wheel.”
A panel of judges comprised of community leaders, educators, communications experts and Toyota representatives will convene in March 2020 to select challenge winners. Since the inception of the competition, thousands of video submissions have been considered, and the effort has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in student prizes. The top ten finalists’ videos – some amusing and others more serious in tone – communicate the importance of maintaining safe driving habits and avoiding fatal distractions while behind the wheel.
Other prizes include:
Second place prize: $10,000
Third place prize: $7,500
Fourth to tenth place prizes: Each receives $2,500
Four regional prizes: Each receives $1,000
People’s Choice: $5,000
State Merit winners: Prize pack valued at approx. $300
The video challenge is part of TeenDrive365, an educational initiative that encourages teens to avoid distractions and stay safe behind the wheel. The TeenDrive365 offers a range of content, tools and resources designed specifically for educators, teens and parents at no cost.
“With the reduction of safe driving programs from the school day, Toyota’s efforts to empower teens to make the right choices behind the wheel are more important than ever,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. “When it comes the issue of safe driving, teens play a major role in influencing the behavior of their peers, and we are proud to collaborate with Toyota and educators nationwide, because we know that their work is literally saving lives.”
