OFHS Urges Students to 'Drive Wise Bengals'

For the fourth consecutive year, Oak Forest High School was selected by IDOT, the Ford Motor Company and AllState Insurance as a recipient of the Operation Teen Safe Driving Grant. The school will use the $2,000 in grant money to promote safe driving by high school students.

“Our slogan this year is, 'Drive Wise Bengals,'” said Dan Dunne, Associate Principal at Oak Forest High School. “Each year we've had a different slogan and that's our slogan this year."

The program kicks off Dec. 1 and will run through Feb. 29, 2013. The program will focus on keeping students aware of using seat belts, avoiding distracted driving and being aware of the dangers of driving impaired.

“Seat belts is the one we're mandated to use,” Dunne said. “The others, we did a a survey of the students and those were the two areas they picked to focus on.”

The money will be spent on more signs on school property to remind students to drive safely, for pens and pencils, and raffle and contest prizes, such as giftcards.

“We have different raffles and contests throughout the year where we're able to give out some incentives, giftcards, pens, pencils and other different things that will encourage students to drive carefully,” Dunne said.

Depending on the program's success, the school could receive between $500-$2,500 more in grant money, which could then be used to help fund post-prom activities.

For the previous three years, the additional money was used for a post-prom breakfast.

“The last three years we've done the breakfast, which has music and a senior slide show,” Dunne said. “So the kids come in the day after prom and get some food and hang out before they go to Great America or whatever other plans they have.”