Grant will help start DUI Courts in Schools

VISALIA – The California Friday Night Live Partnership, which is supported by the Tulare County Office of Education, recently received an award of $240,000 to support the implementation of DUI Courts in Schools programs through Friday Night Live county programs across the state.

The new grant will be used by FNL programs statewide to build upon the DUI Court in Schools assembly program that features an actual DUI trial in a school assembly format.

Young people in FNL programs will implement youth-driven and -led campaigns, such as Casey’s Pledge, that focus on reducing underage drinking to improve roadway safety.

Additionally, the grant will support the implementation of the statewide Youth Traffic Safety Summit held in Anaheim. This two-day event draws 500 high school-aged youth from across California to develop youth-led traffic safety campaigns to bring back and implement in their schools. Over the last three years, FNL youth have created impactful campaigns and driven significant community changes such as cross-walk and traffic light installations, re-engineering of roadways near schools, as well as norm-changing distracted driving efforts.

“We are so proud of the work CFNLP has done to create programs that engage young people in developing solutions to problems they see in their communities,” says Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Jim Vidak.

Funds for the DUI Courts in School program come from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to the Tulare County Office of Education. Funds are then dispersed to FNL programs across the state. The mini-grants will provide an opportunity for youth to partner with both local law enforcement and court officials to implement the DUI assemblies and the campaigns that will follow.           

“Youth respond to other youth much better than adult-driven and -delivered messages,” says Dr. Jim Kooler, CFNLP administrator.  “And, by supporting them with the skills and opportunities to make positive changes in their communities, we will see results that matter.”

“The driving skills and attitudes young drivers acquire early on can stay with them throughout their driving career,” said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “These programs help shape the positive behaviors that will promote the safety of us all.”