The El Paso region of Teens in the Driver Seat represents one of the strongest concentrations of activity in Texas for the Teens in the Driver Seat® program. Teens in the Driver Seat is the nation’s first peer-to-peer program focusing solely on teen-driver safety. The program is different from other teen-driver safety initiatives in two ways. First, it focuses on the most common dangers for young drivers: driving at night; distractions such as cell phones, texting and other teen passengers; and speeding. Second, the program relies on the teen audience to both develop and deliver safety messages to their peers, minimizing the “adult fingerprints” that characterize other teen-driver safety efforts. During 2013, the Teens in the Driver Seat program was active in 10 area high schools and 8 junior high schools. Teen participants planned and led a wide array of activities that creatively reached thousands of their peers, as well as school administrators and parents. Other examples of the region’s standout status include the awarding of the TDS Cup to six area schools and student awards presented to 10 students for their service in the name of TDS in their local schools. The following teachers received the SponStar award this year: Laura Rizo (Desert View Middle School), Janice Briones (El Dorado 9th Grade Academy), and Sylvia Garcia (Jefferson/ Silva High School). For more information contact Russell Henk at (210) 321-1205 or [email protected].