The Every 15 Minutes program will be presented to Ephrata High School students on Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26. Students in Grades 11 and 12 will be exposed to real life experiences and motivational learning opportunities.
Ephrata High School incorporates this program every two years, which includes simulated car crashes and real-life content meant to expose students to events which could occur when driving distracted or under the influence.
Additionally, a group of students will attend a Thursday afternoon retreat at Refreshing Mountain Retreat in Stevens, PA to participate in team-building activities. These students will also write letters to their families that start off with the statement, “Here’s what I don’t tell you on a daily basis, but maybe I should…”
An assembly on Friday concludes the two-day event where students will read the letters they wrote aloud to their family members and classmates. Community members personally affected by related incidents will also speak to students and share their first-hand, inspirational messages.
An Ephrata Area Education Foundation Venture Grant funds this program, and the following area businesses contribute by donating additional funds, materials, and personnel needed to successfully execute the event:
Air Methods – Air Medical Transport
Akron Fire Company
Berlanco Insurance
Charis Insurance
Ephrata Community Church
Ephrata Borough Police Department
Ephrata Community Ambulance Association
Ephrata Pioneer Fire Company
Lincoln Fire Company
Refreshing Mountain Retreat
Royer’s Flowers
Stradling Funeral Home
TNT Ministries
Valley View Auto Center
WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
Wellspan Emergency Medicine Services
Every 15 Minutes is a national program that was created in the 1980s. The title comes from the statistic that every 15 minutes car collision fatalities occur as a result of drunk driving or texting while driving. The event is designed to instill in teenagers the consequences of poor decisions.