The county’s Department of Transportation seeks 35 high school students to serve as youth ambassadors for its Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate severe traffic injuries and fatalities in Montgomery County.
The Vision Zero Youth Ambassador Program teaches teens leadership and outreach skills to improve traffic safety in their community.
Interested students can submit applications for the program until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 2, and MCDOT will notify applicants of their acceptance by December 18.
“Our teens have a very powerful role in influencing change, especially when teaming up with their local government to influence safety infrastructure and programming,” Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a press release. “Their efforts will have a real impact on the County’s Vision Zero goal of zero deaths.”
Selected ambassadors must attend an orientation on Zoom on January 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by five in-person sessions on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on February 8, March 15, April 5, April 26, and May 10, 2025.
All of the in-person sessions will be held at the Montgomery County Executive Office Building at 101 Monroe Street in Rockville.
Youth Ambassadors will work on a safety project leading to a Safety Day event, educating Montgomery County residents about safe walking, biking, and driving practices. The county offers resources and guidance for the project.
Participation is free, and students can earn up to 35 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours, with additional hours available through county safety outreach efforts.
Following Safety Day, the youth ambassadors will finish the program in mid-May 2025, where the students will reflect on what they learned at the graduation ceremony and hear from special guests.
“Teens acquire real world experience assessing how our infrastructure contributes to safety outcomes and how behaviors have a direct impact on a community,” Montgomery County Department of Transportation Director Chris Conklin said. “These projects have tangible outcomes that directly impact the safety and well-being of our County residents.”
More information and the Vision Zero Youth Ambassador Program application can be found online at the Montgomery County Department of Transportation website.