This week, the Living with Intent Focus and Enthusiasm (L.I.F.E.) board is hosting a road safety awareness campaign on campus in order to inform students about the importance of driving carefully.
After losing family members in a car accident, Gwen Howard (9) became committed to establishing awareness about road safety. She has partnered with the L.I.F.E. board to reach out to the Upper School community and encourage attentiveness while driving.
“I wanted to bring driver awareness to Harker because it’s something that affects our everyday lives,” Gwen said. “Road safety is a cause that I’m immensely passionate about and I feel it is overlooked too often. Especially in high school when students are just learning how to drive, it’s important to get the message out there that roads can be seriously dangerous, but they don’t have to be.”
Driver awareness week was introduced during Tuesday’s school meeting with a short video about Gwen’s personal connection to safe driving and her fundraising efforts thus far. She began street performing in Palo Alto and proceeded to host benefit concerts; as a result, she has raised over $14,000. Following the video, Gwen and the L.I.F.E board announced that donations for the cause will be accepted this week during both lunches.
“We decided to [focus on road safety] after receiving some information regarding teen deaths due to texting, goofing around, and other distractions,” L.I.F.E. board advisor Jane Keller said. “The one common thread [between students] is that they all ride in cars with their parents, friends, etc. Part of being mindful and present in our lives is to be open and aware.”
Students will have the opportunity to pick up free wristbands and decals with a short message to promote road safety: “Think. See. Be.” With this fundraiser, L.I.F.E hopes to emphasize the importance of awareness when driving, especially since many students are new to driving.
“I think a lot of drivers on this campus take it for granted that they have this privilege, but we would just really like to get out this message to be aware, stay aware, and know that you can affect a lot of lives when you’re driving,” L.I.F.E. board member Joseph Wang (12) said.
Several students reflected about the significance of careful driving after the meeting.
“I think that as many of us teenagers are getting our licenses and beginning to drive, safe driving is especially important for us to promote and practice in order to minimize further injuries or lives lost from unsafe driving,” said Anika Gupta (11), who sported wristbands throughout the day.
While wristbands are distributed for free in the Edge during lunch this week, donations are encouraged to support the cause.