How do you do fellow kids:
NCAST launches Year 3 of Teen Ambassadors
Safe driving program offers scholarships up to $1,000
The Teen Ambassador program is in its third year, and ambassadors can win a scholarship up to $1,000, as well as a stipend to defray travel costs for in-person NCAST events.
“This is a huge focus for us: Enlisting young people to embed good driving habits for life,” said Tiffany Wright, chair of NCAST’s board. “We want everyone, but particularly young people, to drive safe, to feel comfortable speaking out about how important that is, and to be confident enough to speak up when they see a friend or family member fall short.”
Some 1,700 people die on North Carolina roads each year, and more than 110,000 are injured, according to the latest data available from the NC Department of Transportation (see averages on page 8).
More than 40% of the people who died weren’t wearing a seatbelt.
“It’s important to beat the drum on safe driving messages,” said state Sen. Vickie Sawyer, who chairs the NC Senate Transportation Committee and will host a series of NCAST Traffic Safety Summits this month. “Seatbelts work. Focusing on driving, not looking at your phone while you drive, works. Obeying the speed limit works. These are simple messages, and they’re more effective when young people spread them.”
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and “the risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16-19 than among any other age group.”
The Teen Ambassador program is open to North Carolina students aged 15 to 19. In the past this program had more than 100 members in a given year. This year NCAST is recruiting a smaller cohort with a deeper focus, and the program includes online training and brainstorming sessions every two weeks. The program offers:
- A $150 stipend for ambassadors who attend or plan at least one in-person event
- A one-time scholarship between $500 and $1,000 for ambassadors who fulfill specific program requirements
- Leadership experience, communications training, connections to other motivated young people and the chance to speak to journalists and state and local policymakers about important issues
“Being an NCAST Teen Ambassador gave me the opportunity to grow as a leader, use my voice, and become more aware of the responsibility we have as young drivers,” said Selah Miller, one of NCAST’s 2025-26 scholarship winners, now in her first year at North Carolina Central University. “I was able to connect with other students, advocate for safer driving in my community and be part of something that can truly make a difference. I would encourage other students to become ambassadors, because it gives you real leadership experience while allowing you to create positive change and represent your generation.”
“Through the NCAST Teen Ambassador Program I become far more aware of the distractions that we face every day when driving and how many teenagers are really oblivious to those distractions,” said Sophia Brown, another 2025-26 scholarship winner, now studying at Blue Ridge Community College and going through flight school to become a pilot. “Overall, it is a really great program to put your voice out there about why removing distraction is important, and it works because you are talking to people you know, and it’s more personal.”
Interested students can apply to be a 2026-27 Teen Ambassador at besafenc.org/teen-ambassador/
For more information contact Travis Fain – travis@faincommunications.com or 919.630.9296.
DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES
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Some of NCAST’s 2025-26 Teen Ambassador scholarship winners on stage and taking a selfie at an awards ceremony with NCAST Executive Director Joe Stewart and NCAST Chair Tiffany Wright.
2025-26 Teen Ambassador scholarship winner Trey Laurore after throwing out the first pitch at a Greensboro Grasshoppers game during their Distracted Driving Awareness Night earlier this year.