Students in the Lenape Regional High School District's Heads Up, Eyes Forward safe-driving campaign were named grand prize winners in the 12th Annual Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ) Champion Schools Competition. The program challenges high schools throughout New Jersey to develop campaigns to address teen driving safety. Of the 54 schools that competed in this year's program, the Heads Up, Eyes Forward campaign was one of three grand prize winners. West Orange High School and Immaculate Heart Academy were also named winners.

 

The goal of the BIANJ Champion Schools Program is to partner with teens from schools across New Jersey to raise awareness of teen driving safety and to reduce teen driving injuries and deaths. The competition culminated in an in-person awards showcase at Six Flags Great Adventure celebrating the work of all schools as well as announcing the grand prize winners. Each grand prize winner receives $10,000 courtesy of NJM Insurance Group.

 

Since the inception of the Champion Schools Program twelve years ago, the LRHSD and Heads Up, Eyes Forward have taken the top spot eight times. Just a few weeks prior to winning the Champion Schools Competition, Heads Up, Eyes Forward was awarded the $15,000 grand prize in the NJM Insurance Just Drive NJ PSA Video Contest. Lenape High School senior Nick Volpe produced the winning 30-second public service announcement The Adventures of Just Drive Man.

This year's campaign was produced by Lenape District Television Option 2 students Nicco Caterina (Seneca), Cheyane Crozier (Cherokee), Robert Dovi (Shawnee), Daniel Krastek (Shawnee), Ethan Morrow (Lenape), Tessa Pofahl (Lenape), Jordyn Raiff (Lenape) and Nick Volpe (Lenape).

The mission of Heads Up, Eyes Forward is to sustain and further spread the message of safe driving and the dangers of being distracted using new and innovative methods - including the Safe Driver of the Month preferred parking spot and video PSAs. Our safe driving messages reach 65,000 homes and 40 South Jersey municipalities on our local television channel. To reach people beyond our local community, we continue to champion our cause on social media with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok accounts.