"The presentation was powerful. The teen's response to it was even more so. In nearly 30 years of youth work, I do not recall a time when I was in a room with 700 teenagers who sat so silently, so respectfully, so actively listening to a pair of strangers who stood before them. I know they were paying attention. They laughed when appropriate. They cried as they felt their pain."
— Shelley Schweitzer, Director of Congregational Support
National Federation of Tempel Youth (NFTY)
Our speaking careers began with a chance invitation to speak to health classes for a day at a local New York high school in June 2010. We managed to overcome the terror of public speaking and came out with a real sense of empowerment. It was clear that our story was interesting enough to hold their attention and powerful enough to make a real impact. Since the beginning of 2011 the Hang Up And Drive program has been seen across the country at over 110 events for teens. Everywhere we go, from high schools to religious institutions to summer camps and more, we find that our young age helps us to connect with teens on a peer to peer level and through Facebook and Twitter we're able to stay in touch with anyone from our audiences who are interested in the topic. The testimonial above is the sentiment we hear from teachers and principals nearly everywhere we go.
Cell phone use while driving is much more prevalent amongst teenagers than any other form of distraction or impairment. Auto crashes are BY FAR the number one killer of teenagers. Young drivers need to establish safe driving habits from the get go because those habits will follow them throughout life. We hope that you'll help prevent the senseless pain that entered our lives from ever touching your community.