Submitting innovative safe driving messages has paid off for students with the 2016 Fall Create Real Impact contest, presented by Impact Teen Drivers and California Casualty. After sorting through thousands of entries, awards totaling $13,000 were given for art, music, video and writing.
$1,500 Grand prizes winners are:
Carley Calfee, Toano, VA, for the poster, “You Only Have One Life”
Esteban Hiracheta, Corpus Christi, TX, for the song, “It’s Not Worth It”
Miles Kent-Pettit, Eugene, OR, for the video, “Gluv B4 U Go”
Johnathan Joyce, Madison, MS, for the poem, “Just a Passenger”
Based on the number of entries, the winning schools are Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington, DE; Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, OH; and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, FL. Each of the schools received $1,500 prizes.
Twice a year, students ages 14-22 are encouraged to submit essays or poems, artwork, videos, and music to address the critical teen distracted driving danger. Winners are determined by a panel of judges and by online voting for prizes ranging from $1,500 to $500. The contest encourages peer-to-peer messages and creative expression from students to help end the number one killer of young drivers.
“The Create Real Impact contest is a creative way to empower youth to develop life-saving messaging which is both relevant and effective at reaching peers in their social media comfort zone,” said Kelly Browning, Ph.D., Executive Director, Impact Teen Drivers.
Impact Teen Drivers has reached more than two million teens since 2007 and the Create Real Impact contest began in 2009. California Casualty is a founding partner of the nonprofit and continues to provide support for the contest. California Casualty representatives will help present checks to the winning schools and awardees.
“The importance of this contest can’t be overstated,” said California Casualty CEO Beau Brown. “While insurance can replace a mangled vehicle, we can’t replace a teenager’s life. In a split second, everything for that family changes forever; it’s a terrible tragedy that no one should endure.”
At the end of the video below, there is information regarding our “Promise to Drive Focused” giveaway. Educators who promise to drive without distractions will be entered to win a new car! Click here to enter/learn more.
Teaching can be an enormously challenging job. As a result, it’s not uncommon for teachers to sometimes wonder if the impact they make is worth the challenges they face. We thought it would be helpful to create a space where educators could come together to discuss these challenges.
And that’s exactly what we did. Thanks to help from SoulPancake, we brought 5 teachers together to discuss the challenges they face. There were a few laughs, a few tears, and some pretty incredible surprises.
Eduardo Niebla’s passion for teaching high school science is getting a boost with a $2,500 Academic Award from California Casualty. Eduardo was shocked when he was announced as the winner during a recent staff meeting.
“It was such a surprise because I have never won anything before,” he said. “I thought I was in trouble when they called my name.”
The anxiety turned out to be a blessing for Mr. Niebla, who will be able to purchase much needed equipment for his chemistry and forensic science classes; technology that will enhance the high-level learning he provides for the students at Calexico High School in Calexico, California.
“Budgets are always tight,” Mr. Niebla said, “This will help ensure that our students have the supplies and materials they need to succeed.”
The Academic Award was created to ease the economic impact felt by educators who often spend their own money to outfit their classrooms with essential supplies and materials. This is the 11th Academic Award from California Casualty since the program began in 2012.
“This award is a reflection of the proud 65 year relationship we have with educators,” said Sr. VP Mike McCormick. “We are committed to serving them and helping them make a difference for children.”
“I am very glad to have the support of a company like California Casualty who believes in investing in education and the future. I see the results when students get into universities and colleges, and when they come back to show me their diplomas and tell me they decided to go into the science field because of what they learned here,’” he said. Mr. Niebla is proud that Calexico High School has such a high level of students who are accepted into University of California and California State University colleges.
Mr. Niebla said that he developed his love of learning from his parents, who were both chemists. After working as a chemist himself, he decided he wanted to teach others instead. He has taught for 18 years, the past 12 at Calexico High School. He and his wife have a daughter who works as a graphic designer and a son who is a sophomore at Calexico High School.
Entries for the next California Casualty $2,500 Academic Award are now being taken at www.calcasacademicaward.com. The entry deadline is December 4, 2016, with a winner announced after the New Year.
They work long hours supporting and educating our children. How often have you taken the time to say thank you? Here are 25 simple ways to say thanks:
Give a sincere thank you in person
Slip a thank you card on their desk
Write a special note in your child’s homework folder
Send a kind email to thank them for something specific they did for your child
Have your child write a note or draw a picture for them
Stop in for a brief moment before or after school to say thanks
Tell the principal and other administrators how much you appreciate your child’s teacher
Send in supplies for the classroom
Volunteer in the classroom
Chaperone a field trip
Volunteer to help with something at home (cutting out lamination, organizing files, etc.)
Offer to come in and help make copies or work on a special project
Give a gift card for Teacher Appreciation Week
Donate an iTunes gift cards so the class can download new apps
Buy a book to donate to the class library
Bring in homemade treats
Deliver a cookie, or other tasty treat from a local bakery
Find out what their favorite snack is and bring it to them
Recognize them with some takeout for lunch
Make a bouquet of pencils or highlighters or other school supplies
Compliment them on Facebook
Bring in their favorite soft drink or tea
Give them flowers
Buy a gift certificate they can use at a bookstore
Help with stress; bring a relaxing gift – bath salts, soothing lotions or gift certificate for a pedicure
Here’s another way to show appreciation for a teacher that made a difference in you or your child’s life; join the National Teachers Hall of Fame’s (NTHF) “One In A Million – Teachers Who Make A Difference” campaign. Anyone in the U.S. can place a teacher’s name into the Hall of Fame archives with a $1 donation. Donations of $125 will also get the teacher’s name placed on a brick of the NTHF donor’s wall of fame. Learn more about honoring a teacher at https://www.nthf.org/honor-an-educator.
California Casualty appreciates educators. Our relationship spans 65 years. We thank them with numerous giving programs that make a real difference:
$2,500 Academic Award – for classroom supplies and learning materials (calcasacademicaward.com)
Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grants – to help high school sports programs affected by budget cuts (calcasathleticsgrant.com)
California Casualty auto and home insurance is also specifically tailored for educator’s lifestyle with exclusive benefits not available to the general public:
$500 personal property coverage for items stolen, damaged or destroyed in your vehicle
Reduced or zero deductible for vandalism or damage to your vehicle when it is parked at work
Rates guaranteed for a full year (not six months)
Free identity theft protection with each policy
Multiple payment options including EZ Pay and holiday or summer skips
The confetti has been cleaned up and the noise-makers are put away for another year. But, with the New Year comes a new bout of aches, fever and coughs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that flu cases have reached epidemic levels in the U.S. As of January 5, 2015, 43 states are now reporting widespread influenza-like illness, with outbreaks in every region of the country. This year’s flu is sending more people to hospitals than last season, with the H3N2 virus the most prevalent strain. Unfortunately, this year’s vaccination is less effective against H3N2, which has mutated. So what can you do to lessen your chances of getting the flu?
Avoid others who are sick, and stay home if you are feeling unwell
Get plenty of sleep and stay hydrated with water, teas and other non-caffeinated drinks
If you think you have the flu, ask your physician about antiviral drugs that can shorten the effects if prescribed within the first 48 hours of the first symptoms.
Public health experts say that sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have a cold or the flu, but here are some things to know: while both colds and the flu are upper respiratory illnesses, a cold is milder and will ease in a few days; flu symptoms are much more severe, will last up to 10 days, and can result in serious health problems like pneumonia and hospitalization. Here are other ways you can differentiate between the two:
COLDS
Symptoms usually last a few days to a week
Normally begin with a sore throat that diminishes in a day or two
Fever is very uncommon with colds (except for younger children)
A cough usually develops by the fourth or fifth days
FLU
Symptoms come on strongly and swiftly (3 to 6 hours) and will persist for five days or longer
Will include a sore throat
Often there is a high fever accompanied by chills
Extreme, sudden tiredness and exhaustion are common
This award is a reflection of the proud 65 year relationship we have with educators,” said Sr. VP Mike McCormick. “We are committed to serving them and helping them make a difference for children.”