Usher & Ford Offer Teen Driving Program
USHER’S NEW LOOK FOUNDATION KICKS OFF THE WORLD LEADERSHIP AWARDS BY TRAINING 600 YOUTH DURING POWERED BY SERVICE DAY ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 5TH.
ATLANTA, GA, August XX, 2010 – With the support of the Ford Motor Company’s “Driving Skills for Life,” Usher’s New Look Foundation will train upwards of 600 youth from around the world during its Powered By Service Day. The themes for the half-day workshops are: Safe Driving Skills, Health and Fitness, the Environment and Haiti Relief. This special program takes place in advance of the Foundation’s World Leadership Awards on Friday, August 6th, chaired by Usher Raymond IV honoring President Bill Clinton and seven other individuals committed to youth engagement and service.
The four service projects include:
• “Ford Driving Skills for Life” at the Georgia World Congress Center – Ford Motor Company will feature its award-winning teen safe driving program, “Ford Driving Skills for Life.” The hands-on program will give more than 100 teens the opportunity to drive with professional drivers, learning new skills in four key areas which research shows are critical for young drivers: vehicle handling, distractions, hazard recognition and speed and space management. For more information, visit www.drivingskillsforlife.com.
• Health and Fitness at the McGhee Tennis Center – In conjunction with the USTA, New Look youth leaders and the McGhee Tennis staff will provide an introduction to health and fitness basics. Older youth will be paired with younger for peer leadership and mentoring while exploring fitness activities.
• Environmental Justice and Awareness at the Georgia Aquarium – New Look’s Powered By Service youth grantees and Aquarium staff will introduce New Look youth leaders to environmental awareness, conservation and ways to get involved.
• Haiti Relief Amazin Summer Challenge at the Lenox Mall – World Vision staff and New Look alumni will brief participants on the “Amazin Summer Challenge” as well as New Look’s Haiti relief campaign and mobile clinic donation. Activities will consist of packaging orphan packs and writing messages of hope to send with the mobile clinic.
“We share Usher’s commitment to make a difference with youth, which is why we are partnering with New Look Foundation to bring Ford Driving Skills for Life to the Powered By Service Day,” said Jim Vella, president of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Auto crashes claim the lives of too many teens, and our program is designed to give new drivers the skills they need.”
Following the service stops, New Look will be hosting a Service Training and a Media Roundtable Panel at Spelman College. The training is intended to teach young people how to implement and execute their own service projects.
The panel will take place in the Cosby Auditorium of Spelman College and will be moderated by CNN’s Dr. Steve Perry. The panel will include conversations about youth leadership, service, the importance of education and the mission of the World Leadership Awards.
Panelists include:
• Dr. Michael Lomax, President of United Negro College Fund
• Hital Muraj, Cisco Networking Academy in East Africa
• Adam Braun, Executive Director, Pencils for Promise
• Chantia Robinson, New Look Foundation alumna (Atlanta)
• James Harris, New Look Foundation alumnus and the only youth member of the New Look Board of Directors (Kansas)
• Carmen Seay, New Look Foundation alumna (Detroit)
Usher & Don Lemon (CNN)
