Hart District High Schools Recognized For Electric Vehicle Safety PSA Projects
High school video production groups from the William S. Hart Union High School District were recognized Tuesday for their public service announcement projects bringing awareness to electronic vehicle safety.
Two teams from Saugus High School and one from Canyon High School were selected as winners of the April 2024 Art School District Public Service Announcement Awards Tuesday, which showcases the work of William S. Hart Union High School District video production students, presenting PSAs made for teens by teens.
Past showcases have focused on PSAs about bullying, drug use, fentanyl, suicide and mental health.
This time, the student-led PSAs centered on electric vehicle safety — stressing the importance of wearing certified helmets, following traffic rules, and being mindful of one’s surroundings.
With the growing presence of electric bikes, scooters, and hoverboards on the streets and sidewalks, the collaborative program between the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the City of Santa Clarita and the Hart District came together to encourage safe practices among local teens.
“I think anybody that lives in Santa Clarita, who walks on sidewalks, in paseos, at the park, knows that there are hoverboards, there’s electric bikes, there’s electric scooters, right? And they’re everywhere, they’re fast, they’re quiet, and they’re dangerous, quite frankly,” said Captain Justin Diez of the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
With over 100 miles of bike trails and paths encouraging micro-mobility, Santa Clarita is no stranger to tragic accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists, including those using small electric vehicles and devices. On Oct. 9, 2023, a 17-year-old boy riding an electric bike was struck and killed by a semi-truck on McBean Parkway in Valencia while he was on his way to school.
“Because of all the bikes, scooters, hoverboards on the streets, sidewalks, paseos, and the recent tragic incident we had on McBean, we thought that this would be a really good thing to cover this time,” Capt. Diez continued.
Three winning teams were selected for the April awards, with two teams tied for second place.
- 2nd Place (Tie) – Canyon High School – Rolling Safe (Curtis Bernards, Makayla Charles, Giovanni Campbell, Kylie Hollander, and Aryanna Ochoa)
- 2nd Place (Tie) – Saugus High School – Electric Vehicle Safety (Joaquin Soto, Jacob Mendez, Jadon Benedito)
- 1st Place – Saugus High School – Be Aware (Nina Ripoll and Priscilla Peñate)
“I’m so proud of them, ” said Wade Williams, Industrial Arts Department chair at Saugus High School. They can motivate other kids better than old folks like us; I think it’s a great program for them.”
Jade Aubuchon | KHTS News
Each school was awarded at least $500 towards their video production unit, provided by the SCV Sheriff’s Foundation, and recognized by the city of Santa Clarita and the Office of L.A. County 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger. The first-place winner received an additional donation from Kurt Bohmer of Kurt Bohmer Plumbing and the Supervisor, totaling $1,500 in winnings.
Jade Aubuchon | KHTS News
Santa Clarita officials in attendance lauded the PSA Award program for its ability to harness peer-to-peer messaging to reach the youth and promote safe riding practices.
“It was a lot of years ago, that I sat in chairs like you’re sitting in right now. And the thought of never being in a leadership position was so remote,” said Santa Clarita City Councilman Bill Miranda. “You here in this room are the future leaders of Santa Clarita. Don’t you ever forget that.”
Jade Aubuchon | KHTS News
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