KENNESAW, Ga. | Dec 17, 2020

Kennesaw State University's Health Promotion and Wellness department recently received a grant to participate in the Georgia Young Adult Program (GYAP) of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. It is the 14th such award for KSU's Health Promotion and Wellness, which resides in the Division of Student Affairs.

The GYAP has proven to be successful using strategies such as peer education, providing educational speakers to schools, and encouraging schools to develop creative and innovative techniques to reduce young adult crashes, injuries and fatalities in their communities.

“Our state’s teen drivers represent a disproportionate number of drivers involved in crashes that involve injuries and deaths on Georgia’s roadways‚” said Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “We look forward to our colleges and universities working with their peers to change the perception that crashes are accidents‚ which can’t be prevented. They can. Our hope is to have every high school and college student graduate without being involved in an injury or fatality crash.” 

The GYAP program at KSU coordinates events and programming such as NASPA Certified Peer Educator Training for the Peer Health OWLs. A social norming campaign will take data from KSU’s 2020 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment and promote healthy and responsible choices for alcohol use and traffic safety issues among students. Programming will accompany events such as students' 21st birthdays, National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week and Safe Spring Break, and will involve collaborations with the campus Parent and Family Programs, residential student communities, campus police and counseling services.

The $17,512 grant will be for the grant year October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.