Teen Journalists Use Power of the Pen to Build Awareness of Texting While Driving Dangers

Online, June 27, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Six U.S. high school students were selected from nearly 300 journalism entries around the country as winners of the national Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards to curb distracted driving, earning prizes totaling $7,500. The Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards, sponsored by The Allstate Foundation, encourage high school journalists to educate their peers about the dangers of texting while driving, to raise awareness about youth traffic safety and empower teens to take on the issue locally.

Students were challenged to either write an article and have it published in the school paper, or write and produce a news segment and air it for the entire student body to view. Winners were selected with the help of Quill & Scroll, the International Honorary Society for High School Journalists.

The winners of the 2011 Keep the Drive High School Journalism Awards are:

Broadcast winners

1st Place ($2,000 prize) - Robert Jancsura, Amherst Steele High School, Amherst, Ohio

2nd Place ($1,000 prize) - Brianna MacNaught, Allen D. Nease High School, Verda, Fla.

3rd Place ($750 prize) - Jolaina Jesser, Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, Broadview Heights, Ohio

Print winners

1st Place ($2,000 prize) - Abbygale Reynolds, Kinston High School, Kinston, N.C.

2nd Place ($1,000 prize) - Cole Sawyer, Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park, Texas

3rd Place ($750 prize) - Brin Wilk, Kaneland High School, Maple Park, Ill.

"Spreading the word about the dangers of texting while driving is important to all of us at Allstate. We couldn't ask for better ambassadors than the student journalists who participated in our program," said Vicky Dinges, vice president of public social responsibility at Allstate. "All of the teen writers who submitted stories should be quite proud of the success they've had in leading the conversation with their peers about safer driving habits."

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S. - more than alcohol, drugs, violence and suicide - killing 4,000 teens each year. The Allstate Foundation's website www.keepthedrive.com offers a resource for teens to learn more about the issue and interact with one another to raise awareness about smart driving.

To read the rest of this release, please visit: Allstate Newsroom

This release was originally posted to the Allstate Newsroom on June 22, 2011

Meri A is an advocate for the Allstate Newsroom