Thursday, October 27, 2022
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, representatives from AAA’s Auto Club Group Foundation and Educators Credit Union presented checks to MPS Drive totaling $45,000 at Vincent High School.
“That’s golden to see Educator’s Credit Union [and] AAA’s Auto Club Group Foundation coming together to make sure the inequities are moved out of the way [so] our children are able to go through a driver education program and be successful,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Keith P. Posley said.
MPS Drive is a low-cost driver education program available to age-eligible MPS students (ages 15-17.5). The program is free to participate; families only pay for the $35 temporary permit fee.
MPS Drive is available for students in the summer, fall, and winter/spring seasons, with in-person, virtual, and hybrid class options. Milwaukee Recreation manages the program.
This year, the donations from the Auto Club Group Foundation ($25,000) and Educators Credit Union ($20,000) will allow Milwaukee Public Schools to serve additional students through the MPS Drive program. These donations will help educate more students in the community on safe driving practices and rules of the road.
“We are very grateful to both AAA and Educators Credit Union for their generous donations,” Milwaukee Recreation director Lynn Greb said. “As we know, teaching young people safe driving tactics is crucial, and with these donations, we will be able to accommodate another 150 students in our driver education program this year. We truly can’t thank these organizations enough.”
Since its inception in the spring of 2016, the MPS Drive program has served over 9,700 students and assisted over 75 percent of those students with obtaining a driving permit.
“Educators Credit Union really values the communities that we serve,” Victor Frasher, Educators Credit Union Director of Community Engagement, said. “Having accessibility to an affordable driver’s license is key for the younger population. Having a driver’s license is a huge rite of passage, and it unlocks so many doors for young people.”
A long-standing sponsor of MPS Drive, Educators Credit Union has committed to additional $20,000 donations to MPS Drive in both 2023 and 2024 as well.
“We want to make the roads as safe as possible for everyone” Nick Jarmusz, Director of Public Affairs (IL/IN/WI) for AAA’s Auto Club Group Foundation, said. “We do know that driver education and proper driver training help make people more prepared. It reduces crash rates, it reduces citations and reckless driving, and we want to make that impact on the community.”
AAA and their Auto Club Group Foundation has donated $25,000 each of the past two years.
Thank you to these incredible sponsors for their contributions to the program and our young people.
The fall MPS Drive classes are already underway; registration for the winter/spring season opens in early December. Click here to learn more.