The City’s SGF Yields pedestrian safety program has partnered with Springfield Public Schools to offer a variety of education opportunities in the new year.
Launched in 2017, the SGF Yields program is an effort to combat a growing trend in pedestrian-involved crashes on Springfield roadways. The program is aimed at encouraging motorists to actively watch for pedestrians and yield to them in crosswalks while also urging pedestrians to do their part to travel responsibly.
Made possible through a Blueprint for Safer Roadways grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation, SGF Yields has expanded from outreach to the general public to a focus on educating kids – making safety education resources available to Springfield schools and adding Mr. Walker statue installations near school crosswalk locations.
“From the beginning, the goal of SGF Yields has been to change the culture in Springfield to be more pedestrian-friendly,” says Traffic Safety Professional Mandy Buettgen-Quinn. “The best way to encourage that cultural shift is through reaching kids. They represent a vulnerable pedestrian population and will soon be behind the driver seat, themselves.”
The partnership will launch three separate opportunities in early 2019 – a classroom presentation opportunity, an art project social media challenge and, first up, a public service announcement (PSA) video competition.
"The safety and well-being of our 25,000 students is always the number-one priority of Springfield Public Schools," said Marty Moore, executive director of learning support and partnerships. "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the City of Springfield to address the important issue of pedestrian safety. We appreciate the creativity of our teachers in suggesting student-produced public service announcements as a unique and engaging way to ensure this effort is memorable for a larger audience."
The PSA video competition, launching Jan. 8, will be open to middle and high school classes throughout the district. Classes are asked to write, film and produce their own PSAs promoting pedestrian safety. Submitted PSAs in separate middle school and high school categories will be judged by Public Works traffic professionals, Public Information Department video producers and other City officials. PSA teams from each school will be invited to “pitch” their videos to the judges at an event to be held at the end of March. Winning PSAs will be featured on CityView public access channel, social media and provided to local television stations for possible airtime.
All PSAs must be submitted by Friday, March 1. Please contact Mandy Buettgen-Quinn at [email protected] for submission details, questions and resources.
For more details on SGF Yields education opportunities, visit springfieldmo.gov/sgfyields.
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For more information, please contact Kristen Milam at [email protected] or 573-819-3713.