Hancock Public Health has been awarded a $15,000 grant through the state’s Youthful Driver Safety Fund to implement the “Drive to Succeed Scholarship Program.”

The grant will pay for approximately 40 young people to receive driving instruction.

The structure of the application involved partnerships with all high schools and driving schools in Hancock County and Findlay to focus on serving those lower-income residents of Hancock County to assist in paying for the students’ driving instruction.

The process for applying requires each school to identify eligible students through several criteria, which include: Receiving a free/reduced lunch; minimum 2.0 GPA; and 2 or less unexcused absences in the 2nd semester of the current school year.

The student will also submit a one-page essay on the value to the student and the student’s family of obtaining a driver license and becoming a safer driver.

The applications will then be reviewed by Hancock Public Health, with the successful applicants being notified, and arrangements made for enrolling the students in the driver training.

The students will be required to pay a non-refundable $50 fee to the driving school with Hancock Public Health paying the balance upon completion of the driver training course.

Hancock Public Health is not accepting applications directly from the community for this program.

“We are looking forward to helping our young people succeed through this initiative to obtain driving instruction and help assist them in becoming safer, more aware drivers,” says Chad Masters, Health Promotion & Planning Services Director at Hancock Public Health.

“Having the availability of driver education here in Hancock County will help our community be safer on the roads” says Jessica Halsey, Community Health Educator.