East Central FCCLA Students Advocate For Bus Safety

Students Josie Volpenhein, Mia Klem, and Megan Sierra started the FCCLA Bus Safety project last year.

Photo from the FCCLA Bus Safety Facebook page. 

(Dearborn Co., Ind.) - Three East Central sophomores have come together to create a nationally awarded FCCLA project. 

Students Josie Volpenhein, Mia Klem, and Megan Sierra started the FCCLA Bus Safety project last year with the help of adviser, Brenda Osman.

This Bus Safety project educates young children on the importance of bus safety and what they can do to keep themselves safe in case of potential danger.

Volpenhein explains how they have taken this project and put it into action. 

"We really just wanted to help our school with their bus safety issues. We went to kindergarten teachers and asked them if we could present to their class. We did a PowerPoint, bus safety craft, bingo, and games," Josie says. 

Klem tells Eagle Country some of the tips and tricks they teach to the young children to keep them aware and safe. 

"We basically teach them the proper skills and rules of the bus so that they are well behaved and they don't distract the driver. In case something bad happens, they are sitting upright in their seat so they won't get injured," Mia adds. 

Last year, the team won 1st place at the Indiana State Competition in their category.  

This Gold medal led them to travel to Anaheim California to compete at the National Competition this past summer, where the girls and their Bus Safety project were ranked 4th in the nation.

Klem and Volpenhein came in to the Eagle Country 99.3 studio to talk to Bubba Bo and let him know that they will continue with Bus Safety project for the rest of high school, and even hope to expand to other school districts.  

Current sponsors include FCN Bank, Dearborn County Sheriff Shane McHenry, Casey’s Outdoor Garden Solutions & Gifts, Los Primos, and State Farm. 

Josie Volpenhein and Mia Klem, two members of the FCCLA Bus Safety project, came in on November 12 to teach Bubba Bo about Bus Safety!