Burch, George & Germany Offers Teen Safety Scholarships

Do you want to deter your friends from texting and driving – while earning money for college? The law firm of Burch, George & Germany is offering Oklahomans the opportunity to win up to $1,000 in scholarship funds by creating a short video showing the risks of texting while behind the wheel.

Creative and thought-provoking messages that give a new take on this dangerous activity are encouraged in the 1^st Annual Teen Safety Scholarship initiative. Teens and parents of eligible students can participate.

Serving people across Oklahoma, Burch, George & Germany understands the growing danger of texting and driving and wants to enlist young people – and their parents – in the battle against this scourge.

Entry Tips

• Entries must consist of original, 30-second public service announcement videos.
• Positive and creative videos with a clear message that evoke emotion and make the audience think about the consequences of texting and driving are most likely to catch the judges’ attention.
• No car accident imagery is allowed.

Award Amounts

Scholarships will be awarded to 2015 graduating seniors or rising freshmen in Oklahoma colleges and universities.

• First place: $1,000 scholarship
• Second place: $500 scholarship
• Teen Honorable Mention: iPad Mini
• Parent Honorable Mention: Kill switch app for teen’s Smartphone

How to Enter

Send the video and a completed application to scholarship@burchgeorge.com by.  Ask your friends and family to vote for your video at #TextingNotOkPSA when sharing.

Download the applications:

For parents: https://burch-george.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/TeenSafetyScholarship-Parents.pdf

For students: https://burch-george.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/TeenSafetyScholarship.pdf

Entry Deadline

Entries must be submitted by Sept. 1, 2014.

Judges

Participating in the competition and helping judge the entries are:

• Christy Blystone, program coordinator for Generation tXt, an organization focused on encouraging teenagers to put their phones away and avoid talking and texting while driving. Oklahoma is one of six states without a universal law against texting and driving, and Blystone wants the state to prohibit texting by all drivers.
• Lauren Garey, scholarship director for Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, an organization that makes grants to philanthropic efforts. She hopes to raise awareness about the dangers of texting and driving, because she knows car accidents that result from this distracted behavior are 100 percent preventable.

Make Oklahoma Safer

The Oklahoma Safety Council also is helping spread the word, sharing information about this scholarship opportunity with its members. The Safety Council focuses on safety in every facet of life, whether at home, work or on the road. The council points out that motor-vehicle crashes are the top killer of American teens.

Everyone can join in the battle against distracted driving and help make Oklahoma a safer place for young people.