The Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education recently honored 14 Maryland students by presenting them with the 2013 Outstanding School Safety Patrol Award. Selected for their extraordinary leadership, dedication, responsibility and service to their schools and communities, each of these students received a plaque and a $100 Visa® gift card from the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education.
Baltimore City student, Kiara Gordon of Abbottston Elementary School in Baltimore City was one of 14 Student Patrollers out of nearly 30,000 Patrollers in Maryland to be honored with the 2013 Outstanding School Safety Patrol Award.
“All of Maryland’s AAA School Safety Patrollers are valued students, serving as role models while protecting fellow classmates, teachers and others from traffic dangers, as well as other hazards through their daily efforts,” said Myra Wieman, Safety Services Manager for Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education. “We are especially proud to honor several students for going above and beyond the call of duty as AAA School Safety Patrollers, as they truly make their schools safe for everyone.”
Established in 1920, the AAA School Safety Patrol is one of AAA’s oldest programs. More than 585,000 children throughout the country participate in the program by safeguarding their classmates on the way to and from school. Over 93,000 patrollers alone are in the AAA Mid-Atlantic territory with nearly 30,000 in Maryland.
The primary purpose of the AAA School Safety Patrol program is to enhance the safety of students walking to and from school. Schools utilize Patrols in many different ways including positioning them at street corners that lead into the school, on school buses, at parent pick-up/drop off areas, and coordination of arrival and dismissal. The program also promotes the development of leadership skills and good citizenship qualities in students.
Candidates for School Safety Patrol are selected based on the following criteria: Ability to follow rules; Good attendance record; Good judgment; Courtesy; Respect for classmates; and Desire to help others
Many famous Americans have held the position of AAA School Safety Patrol, including Vice President Joe Biden, former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, five current and former Supreme Court Justices, five Olympic Gold Medalists and 21 astronauts.