Highway safety grant awarded to GCSU

In recent weeks, GCSU has acquired a grant to go toward the promotion of seat belt use and limiting binge drinking on college campuses, along with other related topics on campus.

The $8,200 will help pay for seat belt observations and presentations, as well as helping students become trained peer educators. This includes attending a conference where they are encouraged to present.

The funding is being organized and controlled by Barbara Funke, professor of kinesiology in the College of Health Sciences.

“The funding is being used in many different ways,” Funke said. “There is a main focus on speaking out against impaired driving, as well as anything to help college students reduce high risk drinking behaviors.”

During Red Ribbon Week, students involved with “Safe and Sound”—the program receiving the funding through the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, helped organize a health fair at Oak Hill Middle School. Students went from station to station learning about the different types of substance and alcohol abuse and how they are detrimental toward human wellness. A guest speaker, Eric Krug, came to the school, delivering the message to eighth graders that one faulty decision while under the influence changed the course of his life.

The speaker was paid for in part by the funding provided through the grant. Krug also spoke to the students involved in GCSU’s Early Childhood Education program. A sorority also got word of this and asked him to speak during their “National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.”

Sophomore political science major Anna Zwicky said the money given to GCSU by the GOHS is being put to good use.

“I think that this is a great way to reduce risks for students,” Zwicky said. “Although I don’t believe there are many DUI’s on campus because everyone seems to walk everywhere, an overall betterment of the campus is always beneficial.”

The money provided by the GOHS also helps to put on two surveys: the C.O.R.E. survey and a seat belt observation. The C.O.R.E. survey, given once every two years, provides the university with random student perceptions of alcohol.

“There is a common misconception the C.O.R.E. survey is somehow related to the core curriculum of the school,” Funke said. “In reality, it refers to a survey we ask students to participate in which is similar to the surveys given on AlcoholEdu.”

The second is a seat belt observation, which allows “Safe and Sound” to watch vehicles as they pass and compare seat belt wearers to those who don’t wear them. Afterward, different signs are put up and a presentation is given in regards to the safety of wearing a seat belt. Another survey is taken after the presentation to see if there was an improvement in the number of seat belts worn by drivers and passengers on campus.

The grant was also used to purchase incentive materials such as water bottles and other items in order to promote students’ attendance at “Safe and Sound” events. These items are purchased from the Bacchus Network, a campaign site which is responsible for creating events and products related to media awareness.

“We hand out these items at these events to help get the message across,” Funke said. “The Bacchus Network is also the organization from which our students become trained as nationally certified peer educators.”

In weeks ahead, “Safe and Sound” plans to provide more information in regards to the seat belt campaign.

Posted by ConnorJohnson on Nov 5 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.