Heads Up, Eyes Forward!

Back Row: Thomas Alvarez, Gavin Murphy, Christian Barnaba & Peyton Ebbeson
Front Row: Napoleon Juliano, Cade Trozzo, David Coroniti, Adie Magram, Sue Quick, Dana Spera & Rebecca Potter
Not Pictured: Shelby McElwee

Students in the Lenape Regional High School District’s (LRHSD) Heads Up, Eyes Forward safe driving campaign were once again named grand prize winners in the annual Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ) Champion Schools Competition, marking the ninth time the district has earned the program’s top honor. Highlights from this year’s winning entry are available on the Heads Up, Eyes Forward YouTube page.

The BIANJ Champion Schools Program challenges high schools across New Jersey to develop innovative campaigns that promote teen driving safety and help reduce distracted driving-related injuries and deaths. This year’s competition included dozens of schools from throughout the state, with Heads Up, Eyes Forward recognized among the top programs for its continued leadership in peer-to-peer traffic safety education.

Since the inception of the Champion Schools Program, LRHSD students have consistently led the state in creating impactful messaging and community outreach focused on safe driving awareness. The campaign continues to evolve each year through student-produced public service announcements, school-wide activities, community engagement, and social media outreach.

A major new initiative this year involved a partnership with the district’s Transportation Department to install Heads Up, Eyes Forward safety magnets on all 80+ school buses across the LRHSD fleet. The initiative serves as a daily visual reminder for students, staff, parents, and motorists throughout the community to stay focused and distraction-free while driving.

“This program has become an important and meaningful part of our district culture,” said Matt Webb, Superintendent of Schools for the LRHSD. “For years, our students have continued to take ownership of this message and find new ways to positively influence others. The impact of Heads Up, Eyes Forward extends far beyond our schools; it reaches families, drivers, and communities throughout New Jersey. This recognition is well deserved, and we are incredibly proud of the work our students continue to do to help make our roads safer for everyone.”

As always, the Heads Up, Eyes Forward campaign was produced by students in the Lenape District Television Option 2 Program.

The mission of Heads Up, Eyes Forward is to sustain and further spread the message of safe driving and the dangers of distracted driving using creative and innovative methods. The campaign’s safe driving message reaches thousands of families across South Jersey through local television programming, school communications, and social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X.