BRYAN, TX — Across the nation, the Boys & Girls Club has partnered with UPS on a mission to save lives by making teens safer drivers.
UPS Road Code and the Boys & Girls Club want to give teenagers an opportunity to learn how to drive safely.
This summer, the Boys & Girls Club will offer anyone ages 13 to 18. The opportunity to learn safe driving skills.
”We want to give the kids an opportunity that they may not have outside of here for financial reasons for just lack of knowledge,” said Lakortney Hyson, the director of programs services for the Boys & Girls Club Brazos Valley.
Driving simulators will give them the chance to feel what it's like being behind the wheel of a real vehicle.
“It’s kind of like an incentive program for the kids and with completing the UPS road code program," added Hyson. "The kids get a discount for liberty mutual insurance,”
The skills they learn could be the difference between life or death.
”It’s never too early to teach young people the right way to drive, the right choices to make. When it comes to driving behind the wheel because there are so many distractions,” said Mary Jo Prince, program Manager for Brazos Valley Injury Prevention Coalition, statewide initiatives, and the Reality Education Driving program.
According to the CDC, the second leading cause of death for teens is motor vehicle accidents.
“More than 3,000 young teens die every year across our country and the more we can do to keep those numbers down the more important it is,” Prince added.
Mary Jo Prince the program manager for BVIPC and advocate for safe driving says these statistics are more than just numbers. She thinks about the pain each mother, father, brother, and sister feel when they lose a loved one.
The Boys & Girls Club summer membership application is now open!
Teens will also get the opportunity to build on career readiness skills. Through the career launch program, teens can explore different industries and learn how to write a resume.
Through a money matters program, teens will learn how to keep track of their finances. Teaching them how to save and manage their money through digital tools.
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