Just got your driver’s license? Can’t wait to floor it? Wait — two Memphis-area teens have a grand-prize winning video message about how to “Stay Alive While You Drive.” High school sophomores Emi Otsuki (age 15) and Summer Knowles (age 14) sung all the right safety notes with a PSA tune to warn their driving-age peers about the dangers of distracted driving. Today Toyota and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, announced that the Faith Heritage Christian Academy students in Millington, Tennessee won the grand prize in the Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge for their video “Stay Alive While You Drive.” View their video here.
Now in its sixth year, the TeenDrive365 challenge invites teens across the country to create public service video announcements to inspire their friends and peers to drive without distraction. Emi and Summer’s video uses catchy song lyrics to describe distractions “as the enemy” faced by teens behind the wheel. “Turn down that radio / Keep focused mind / Tell your friends to quiet down / And suddenly you will Find / You’re a great driver, you drive safe,” part of the PSA goes. The teens will receive $15,000 and will collaborate with a Discovery film crew to reshoot their video into a TV-ready PSA to air on a variety of Discovery networks.
“We were impressed by Emi and Summer’s lighthearted, yet clear message on distracted driving,” said Mike Goss, general manager, Social Innovation, Toyota Motor North America. “Their original song gets in your head and reminds you to drive safely. We’re excited to help spread the ‘staying alive’ message to teens nationwide.”
“Emi's and Summer’s driver safety video has made us incredibly proud,” said Terry Wade, associate headmaster, Faith Heritage Christian Academy, Millington Tennessee. “Their PSA is a message for our community, and for communities around the country, about how to stay safe: don’t text, put your seat belt on, focus on the road, and quiet down!”
Emi and Summer’s video was chosen by a panel of judges at Toyota and Discovery Education from nearly 1,500 submissions. The other winners include:
- Second Place and People’s Choice: Gabe Hostetler, student at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minnesota will receive $10,000 for coming in second place. Hostetler’s video was also voted the People’s Choice winner and will receive an additional $5,000, and a behind-the-scenes trip to a live taping of a Velocity network show for his video, “One Decision.”
- Third Place: William Thomason, a student at Atlanta Public School’s North Atlanta High School in Atlanta, GA will receive $7,500 for “Building Safe Drivers.”
The additional six finalists will receive $2,500, and four regional winners will receive $1,000. Their videos can be viewed here.
“We applaud this year’s grand prize winners Emi and Summer for their memorable peer-to-peer PSA to engage teens in driver safety conversations,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president, Discovery Education. “Discovery Education strongly believes in creating digital learning environments that support students as they navigate life behind the wheel and we are proud to partner with Toyota in this effort to amplify driver safety messages in school and across selected Discovery networks.”
The challenge is part of Toyota TeenDrive365 (www.TeenDrive365.com), a comprehensive initiative to increase awareness for teens and parents on safe driving. Building on the programs Toyota has offered for more than a decade, it offers a collection of online tools, events, expert advice and tips as well as social media elements.
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