College scholarships awarded as part of nationwide safe driving program with Discovery Education
Silver Spring, Md. (April 28, 2011) – Toyot a and Discovery Education announced today the ten high school student winners of the 2011 Toyota Teen Driver Sweepstakes. Teenagers across the country were eligible to participate in the sweepstakes after playing an interactive road challenge game, Heads Up!, designed to promote safe driving habits. Each of the winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize to be used for educational purposes at an accredited college or university.
“Toyota is dedicated to building awareness among teens about the dangers of distracted driving and encouraging responsible and safe driving habits,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, group vice president, national philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation. “With Discovery Education, we congratulate the winners of the Toyota Teen Driver Sweepstak es and all those who participated in the Heads Up! challenge for their commitment to safety.”
The ten grand-prize winners are:
- Shelby Bennett of Bedford, IN
- Alexandra Calvanese of East Longmeadow, MA
- Gregory Ciuba of Colonia, NJ
- Kara Hardister of Mt. Airy, MD
- Will Hopkins of Centennial, CO
- Jake Lovett of Westfield, IL
- Sam Miller of Annapolis, MD
- Jeena White of Rochester, NY
The Toyota Teen Driver Sweepstakes is just one part of a joint program from Toyota and Discovery Education called “Toyota Teen Driver” that aims to provide resources to schools, educators, parents and teens to help educate teens and keep them safer behind the wheel.
In order to enter the Toyota Teen Driver Sweepstakes, teens played the online, interactive road challenge, Head’s Up, which allows teens to put their driving skills to the test and see how they handle distracting scenarios, such as sending text messages, changing a radio station or drinking a soda. By experiencing the consequences of their actions through the challenge, students learn best practices for safe driving. The individual’s score on the game did not determine their eligibility or chance of winning the grand prize.
“Discovery Education recognizes the importance of educating America’s youth on the dangers and consequences of distracted driving and we are thrilled that so many teens shared our commitment to safety by participating in the Toyota Teen Driver Sweepstakes,” said Mary Rollins, vice president of education partnerships, Discovery Education. “Heads Up! is an effective and engaging challenge that allow s teens to experience the consequences of distracted driving while fostering safe behaviors behind the wheel.”
To play the Head’s Up game and for more information, tools and resources for teens, parents and educators to help teens stay safe behind the wheel, please visit toyotateendriver.com.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States i n 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, including one under construction. Toyota directly employs nearly
30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.
Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to philanthropic programs in the U.S.
For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving co mmunities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.
