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Schools

Lacey Township High School Students Educate The Community

LTHS Emergency Services Club are awarded the 'Excellent Execution Award' from the NJ Brain Injury Association

Health and safety fair, PSAs and real-life stories of fatal car crashes. This was how the Lacey High School students helped to educate fellow students and the community.

In March, the through the New Jersey Brain Injury Association (NJBIA).  They were given a $1,000 to create a project that would educate the public on the dangers of texting and driving, as well as how to prevent other types of car crashes.

The students held a during the school the day. During the fair, local EMS, Fire and Police departments and health agencies were on-hand to speak to the students.

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In May, the students had to present their projects in West Trenton to the NJBIA, along with the other 18 schools that were competing. They presented their project in video form. 

In the video, a student spoke about her step-mother being killed in a car crash when she wasn’t wearing her seatbelt. The video also included PSA’s, the Health and Safety Fair and car crash re-enactments from the students. 

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Although the LTHS students did not win the grand prize, a driving simulator, they did win the “Excellent Execution Award” and $500 to continue their work. This award was presented to them for the fact that they performed several smaller projects. The award money will be used to purchase new videos for the Health Department.

When asked what the students took away from this experience, advisor Renee Gurgacz sayid, “They were a little bummed, but they are determined to do that much better next year. They were so impressed with the driving simulators that they want to do fundraisers to purchase one.”

The main message they want to leave the public is, “Be mindful of what your kids are doing behind the wheel. Set an example, don’t drive and text. Wear your seatbelts, even in the backseat.”

On Thursday, June 2, there will be a crash re-enactment behind the school. They will have crashed cars, students as victims and drunk drivers, a helicopter landing, extractions, paramedics, fire department and police arresting the “drunk driver.”  The entire re-enactment will run approximately 40 minutes.

In the summer, there will be an on-line voting for the 19 schools that participated in the NJBIA's competition, so that they may win additional money to continue their projects.

For more information, please go to www.bianj.org.

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