School Digest

METRA CONTEST

Metra recently announced the winners of its 2008-2009 safety campaign contest designed to promote railroad safety practices to students in grades K-12 throughout Northeastern Illinois.

Chosen as the Safety Poster Contest's second-place winner was Miller Wesselhoff of Deerfield High School, Deerfield.

This year's poster contest theme was "Safety Rules: Look, Listen and Live." To engage students in railroad safety through written expression, the Safety Essay Contest was added to the campaign. Safety essay participants were asked to express in 300 words or less why it is important we all practice safe behavior near trains and railroad tracks.

At the judging event, first-, second- and third-place winners were chosen from each grade level for the Metra Safety Poster Contest. One winner from each grade group - elementary school, middle school and high school - was chosen for the Safety Essay Contest. First-place poster contest winners and essay contest winners receive a laptop computer, while second- and third-place poster contest winners receive $250 and $100 gift cards, respectively. The top participating school also receives a computer for the entire school and the "People's Choice Award" winner receives a $250 gift card.

The first-place poster designs will be featured as next year's safety posters and distributed to more than 2,000 schools in Northeastern Illinois. The posters will also be featured in station displays, in Metra's 2010 safety calendar, on monthly tickets and on Metra's contest Web site. Winning safety essays will also be featured on the Metra contest Web site in addition to promotional safety materials.

Included on the official Metra Contest Web site is a "Teacher's Section," which offers teachers materials such as fact sheets, coloring pages and bulletin board displays to help integrate railroad safety into lesson plans. There is also a new Metra contest Facebook page which posts photos, messages and campaign news and updates for high school student participants. Information about the 2009-2010 campaign will be available at www.metracontest.com.