Questions about the Champions School Program
What is the Champion Schools Program?
The Champion Schools Program is a peer-to-peer program about teen driving safety presented by The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ). We challenge teams of high school students from across the state to create safe driving campaigns that they promote to the students in their school and their communities.
How do we become a Champion School?
This program is open to all NJ high schools. Online applications are accepted now through January 31, 2025. Chosen schools are notified and each Champion School is awarded a cash stipend to help implement their campaigns.
What happens after we become a Champion School?
After schools have been chosen, they are notified by a staff person from BIANJ who will be their technical support person. The technical support person will be in contact with you to set up a virtual visit with you and your students. Prior to the virtual visit, faculty advisors will be advised by BIANJ staff about necessary paperwork and steps they can take to familiarize themselves with the program.
When will we meet with our BIANJ technical support person?
BIANJ technical support staff will schedule virtual visits between the months of October-January. Prior to the virtual visit, an electronic version of the participation agreement and W9 forms will be emailed to you to sign. The stipend check will be mailed to you.
When can we begin work on our project?
Any teen safety programs or projects that your school team works on during the 2024-2025 school year can count as part of your Champion Schools teen driving safety campaign. Some schools host presentations or social media events in the beginning of the school year before they know that they are selected or at the end of the year, after the final reporting is due. They can still add these events in their final report. As soon as your school is notified that you have been selected, you will want to begin selecting your team members and holding virtual meetings to help get the project started. At one of your first meetings, you will want to watch this video and get an overview of the program. You can also begin researching your chosen topic, deciding the roles and responsibilities of your team members, and reaching out to other community groups to partner with you. All schools should begin work on their project by January at the latest.
How many students should be on our team?
Each school picks their own team. Some schools have small teams and other schools try to involve as many students as they can with the project. There is no minimum or maximum number of team members’ requirement, but you should decide what style of project management will work best for your campaign.
What types of items can our cash stipends be spent on?
You can use your cash stipend to help implement your teen safe driving campaign and on any materials related to teen driving safety. Some schools use the money to purchase articles for giveaways or to buy t-shirts or wristbands. Some schools use the money to host speakers or events at their school, or to buy equipment to help create their projects. Other schools buy materials for their driver education classes. One school used the stipend to offset the cost of renting a bus that would drive students to and from their prom to help keep them safe. The only requirement is that the money must be used for teen driving safety. Also, any profits that you make as a result of selling items need to be re-invested into teen safe driving materials or programs. The Stipend Reporting Form is included in the Final Report. To see a copy, please go to the Tools for Schools Section on the Champion Schools Page of Jersey Drives.com.
When are the mid-term and final reports due?
The mid-term report is due March 15, 2025 and the final report is due on May 1, 2025. Both of these reports are online forms. These forms can be found on the Tools for Schools Section of the Champion Schools Page of JerseyDrives.com
Can we earn extra credit for our project?
Yes, you can earn extra credit by either hosting an event or presentation from one of our sponsors . The complete list can be found on “Extra Credit Programs” under the Program Overview of Tools for Schools Section on JerseyDrives.com
What kind of documentation do we need to provide for our project?
You will create either a PowerPoint presentation or video project summary not to exceed 10 minutes. This project summary should be an overview of your campaign’s accomplishments. In addition, schools are required to submit at 15-second highlight reel. Project files should be uploaded using the uploads section on the final update form. For more information, please look at the Final Update Form under the Program Overview of Tools for Schools Section on JerseyDrives.com link to: https://jerseydrives.com/final-report/
How are the projects judged?
Projects are judged by a panel of traffic safety professionals, educational experts and media representatives. Judges will score each project based on a set of criteria. You can find the judging criteria on the under the Program Overview of Tools for Schools Section on JerseyDrives.com
When do we find out the winners?
The winning schools are announced at the Awards Showcase.
Questions about the Awards Showcase
When and where does the Awards Showcase take place?
The Awards Showcase will Take Place in May, 2025. At least one representative from each school must attend.
If you any additional questions, please contact us at championschool@bianj.org
Thank you.
