2023 Program Recap: Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors Increase Awareness Around Traffic Safety
​

Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors were tasked to complete group projects that encompass engineering, education or enforcement for traffic safety. Resources and project guidance were provided by MCDOT to execute projects that will ultimately improve the safety of County residents. Students joined one of five project teams: 

  • Students created a safety video to educate the public about pedestrian safety.
  • Students conducted a middle school Art/Writing contest promoting safe walking and driving.
  • Students planned and held a community event with 25 partners to share information with the community.
  • Students created a social media toolkit and held a social media takeover of the MCDOT channels on May 8
  • Students created a survey to gather and analyze student feedback on how safe students feel at school, in terms of road safety.

MCDOT held the Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, May 20, 2023 of its largest cohort yet of 40 ambassadors. Speakers included MCDOT Director Chris Conklin, Montgomery County Police Officer Robert Ladany, NOYS Executive Director, Jacob Smith and Vision Zero Coordinator Wade Holland.

Ambassadors served as youth keynote speakers and presented to parents and community leaders their summaries of their project work at an in-person graduation ceremony at the Public Safety Headquarters. Ambassadors received certificates and earned up to 40 SSL hours from participating in this five month program.  Students also had the opportunity to earn additional SSL hours by volunteering at other community events and promoting contests like Heads Up Phones Down. 

This year’s cohort gained media attention for their efforts and some ambassadors even had the opportunity to be on camera. 

Montgomery County promotes teen road safety with ‘Heads Up Phones Down’ video contest (fox5dc.com)

Vision Zero youth advocates take over MCDOT (fox5dc.com)

The next opportunity for high school students to apply to the program will be in December 2023.

Learn more about Vision Zero here and follow @VisionZeroMC on Twitter for ongoing updates on the Vision Zero effort in Montgomery County.

 

Required Session Dates

Ambassadors are required to attend ALL sessions of the program.

  • Applications Open
    Monday, November 13
  • Applications Close
    Friday, December 15
  • Applicants Notified
    Friday, January 5
  • Orientation
    January 20 (in person)
  • Session 1
    February 24 (in person)
  • Session 2
    March 16 (in person)
  • Session 3
    April 13 (in person)
  • Session 4
    May 11 (in person)
  • Graduation
    May 18 (in person)

In-person events will be held at:
101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850

The orientation on January 20 will be held 10 am to noon and the sessions will be 10 am to 1 pm.

 


What is Vision Zero?

Vision Zero is an international movement to eliminate all serious and fatal injury crashes from our roadways. At the core of Vision Zero is the belief that people should not have to lose their lives as a price to travel on our roadways. Montgomery County adopted its first Vision Zero Action Plan in 2017 and continues to embark on a mission to make its roads safer through building new sidewalks, bike lanes, traffic signals; performing data-informed enforcement of traffic laws; and curbing dangerous behaviors through community outreach and messaging.

Learn More