HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 26, 2011 – In honor of National Teen Driver Safety Week, held Oct. 17-21, the first stage of The High Point Safe Driving Campaign was implemented in five High Point high schools with a variety of events, including a texting while driving simulation and presentations from members of the High Point Police Department.
The multimedia campaign was developed by High Point University graduate students in the strategic communication program who worked for months with students from the five high schools – High Point Central High School, T. Wingate Andrews High School, Southwest Guilford High School, High Point Christian Academy and Wesleyan Christian Academy – to create promotional posters, fliers, PSAs and educational videos that display the importance of safe driving habits.
For example, Wesleyan Christian Academy created the slogan, “Control your fate. The call can wait,” and printed it on promotional items such as bumper stickers that were handed out to students.
The campaign was funded by $25,000 from the HPU Think Big grant program. Dr. Virginia McDermott, associate professor of strategic communication, received the grant after she submitted a proposal for the idea, and she oversaw the completion of the project.
The campaign will continue to be implemented in the high schools throughout the year. This week, High Point Christian Academy displayed the safe driving posters throughout the school. All HPCA juniors and seniors watched the videos created for their school.
“If we want teenagers to drive more safely, we need to take the time to show them the consequences of what happens when they don’t,” said McDermott. “The High Point Safe Driving Campaign will be effective because it includes High Point teenagers talking about the risks and consequences of distracted driving.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students from 51 countries and 46 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Forbes.com ranks HPU in the top 7 percent among “America’s Best Colleges.” Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 50 undergraduate majors, 43 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]