Canon-McMillan High School earns top spot in safe driving video contest

Canon-McMillan High School was named the first-place winner in NJM Insurance Group’s “Just Drive” public service announcement video contest.
The annual contest, held in partnership with the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and Impact Teen Driver, welcomed high schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to submit a 30-second video outlining the danger of distracted driving, an epidemic that continues to plague our nation’s roadways.
Students from 92 high schools created PSAs.
Canon-McMillan received the $15,000 first-place prize for their video, “Just Drive,” produced by students in technology education teacher Zach Maisner’s advanced digital media class.
Their video cautions against risky driving behavior such as cellphone usage and speeding.
“I think anytime students can use a real-world situation to create something meaningful, it’s a perfect opportunity to take that on,” Maisner said.
Maisner said students in the media class were divided into three groups and each created their own version of a PSA. The staff voted on which video they believed was best, and that video was submitted for the contest.
“I was honestly shocked. I was sitting in my classroom before the start of classes and heard the news and jumped with excitement. I’m more excited and proud of the students, who together pushed each other to create wonderful videos, more than any prize money,” said Maisner.
In conjunction with Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the winners were announced in virtual presentations on Facebook and Instagram, where the winning submissions were viewed.
Over 1,600 students also registered to “Take the Just Drive Pledge,” a campaign to help put an end to distracted driving. According to the National Safety Council, car crashes are the No. 1 cause of preventable deaths for teens.
A total of $60,000 was awarded to the winning high schools.
The second-place Pennsylvania school was Fox Chapel Area high School, which was awarded $10,000. Berks Career and Technology Center earned $5,000 for its third-place finish.
The contest aims to work collaboratively with teens to raise awareness and end distracted driving.
“Our partners at the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and Impact Teen Drivers inspire students to promote a culture of safety within their schools,” said Erica Rosso, NJM Consumer Safety Partnership and Program Supervisor. “Year over year this contest amplifies the power of teen voices. Their collaborative work to raise awareness and end distracted driving gives us promise that safer roads are achievable.”
The winning video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VCrwSEKngQ/.