School Bus Safety Co. awarded for student programs

CLEVELAND — Two student safety programs from the School Bus Safety Co. have been recognized for excellence by the Silver Telly Council.

The Telly Awards honor the best film and video productions, groundbreaking online video content and outstanding local, regional and cable television commercials and programs. The awards program receives more than 13,000 entries annually.

This year, the Silver Telly Council bestowed the School Bus Safety Co. three awards in two categories.

"The Magic Tent," a student safety program designed for children in grades 3 through 5, won the Silver Award (the highest possible) in the safety category.

"Preventing Bullying," a student program designed for children in grades 3 through 12, won the Bronze Award in two categories: safety and children’s audience.

“We’re delighted for this recognition," said Jeff Cassell, president of the School Bus Safety Co. "These awards provide credibility to our mission of making kids safer. And, getting three awards for a single series was more than we expected.”

The series' executive producer, Mark G. Gardner, added, “We go to great lengths to ensure our instructional designs are built on accurate, actionable content. But we also want to deliver the material in a way that achieves meaningful learning outcomes. It has to be interesting, or the students won’t pay attention. These awards confirm that the experts agree we have met our dual goals.”

The School Bus Safety Co. launched the student programs in January. Cassell said that more than 200 copies are already in use.

“We’re doing everything in our power to reduce danger zone child fatalities from an average of 12 each year to zero," Cassell added. "Our professional school bus driving courses are already making a difference, but the children also have a role to play. Teaching the students is vital."