Join the Teens in the Driver Seat All-Stars and win cash for your school throughout the school year! Hard-working teams receive credit for completed and reported risk units to earn their place as a 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, 4-star, 5-star, 6-star, or 7-star All-Star school.
Check out our Leader Board >>HERE<<
All-Stars is now organized into risk units and TDS will reward your team with cash – up to $1,300 – as you complete each risk unit*. Each risk unit will take place over a set time and we will let you know when it’s time to start a new risk, what is required to earn the cash, and how much time you have to complete the requirements. Your team can complete some or all of the risks below and your earnings, and All-Star status will be based on completed risk units.
Check out this video to learn how to become an All-Star school!
We have a great new planning document schools can use to map out their outreach activities for each of the risk units.
*Nebraska schools will get rewarded once their surveys have been completed at the end of the school year.
This current All-Stars period will run from August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
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Annual Surveys
REQUIRED TO QUALIFY FOR ALL-STARS CASH.
Surveys can be conducted electronically! Survey instructions are included in your welcome email and resource kit.
Surveys have a mandatory minimum number of surveys that must be completed based on school size.
You must collect surveys from 20% of your school population OR up to 200 high school or 150 junior high surveys in total. Check with your regional rep if you have any questions about your school population.
Risk Units
Driving risks are set up in east-to-follow units. This year, Pedestrian Safety is its own separate unit! Be an ALL-STAR and complete all units, earning your team a total of $1,300!
Below is a preview of the seven risk units. Click each one to learn more.
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All-Risk Focused Activities
| Type of Activity | Activities |
| Multiple-Use Guided Activities | Activities that can be completed multiple times, and should be focused on the risk they are submitted for:
*Interactive activities – the audience is actively engaged, learning, and participating – a two-way flow of information. |
| One-time Activities | These activities will only be counted once per All-Star period, but can fulfill any focused risk activity requirement:
*TDS items are only available for select areas on a first-come, first-served basis for a limited borrow time. |
| Safety Fair | If your team conducts a Safety Fair, each interactive/learning station will be counted towards the appropriate risk-focused outreach. Report each station/activity within the activity form. |
FAQs
Is our team required to complete Annual Surveys?
Schools are not required to complete annual surveys to receive a TDS resource kit, complete risk units, or to be an active school; however, to receive cash for completed activities, your team must complete the annual surveys.
What happens if a school doesn’t complete everything in risk unit allotted time?
Schools can make up any items in May and June. Everything must be completed by June 30 of each year; however, Zero Hero activities must be completed after they have been started and before the next risk unit is started.
Can our team receive partial reward credit for incomplete risk units?
No partial cash awards will be made.
Can our team “bank” earned rewards and receive a check at the end of the year?*
Due to record-keeping, we are unable to do this and must send checks out after each risk unit is complete. The exception is Nebraska schools, due to contract requirements.
Is the school required to follow the calendar of risk units?
Following the unit calendar is recommended since TDS will send reminders and instructions; however, schools are not required to follow the calendar if they are experienced TDS teams or want to complete a different risk unit. If schools decide to complete risk units out of order, it is their responsibility to complete and report focused and required activities.
How long do checks take to arrive?
The first check may take up to 30 days, once we receive W-9. Thereafter, about 20 days. You can download and complete this W-9 if you haven’t done so in a few years.
Can the check be made to another entity?
Texas A&M Transportation Institute is required to make the check out to the name on the submitted W-9.
Can the check be made out to the teacher/sponsor?
Texas A&M Transportation Institute is required to make the check out to a government or non-profit entity. We cannot pay individuals or for-profit entities.
RULES
- Teens in the Driver Seat® 2024 All-Stars is open to all program schools.
A program school is a high school or junior high that has completed an order form and received a resource kit for the 2022-2023 school years. - To be recognized in an All-Star category, program schools must complete:
- 8-Stars: Complete Annual Surveys AND all 7 Risk Units
- 7-Stars: Complete Annual Surveys AND 6 Risk Units
- 6-Stars: Complete Annual Surveys AND 5 Risk Units
- 5-Stars: Complete Annual Surveys AND 4 Risk Units
- 4-Stars: Complete Annual Surveys AND 3 Risk Units
- 3-Stars: Complete Annual Surveys AND 2 Risk Units
- 2-Star: Complete Annual Surveys AND 1 Risk Unit
- 1-Star: If your school completes the Annual Surveys
- For each unit, you can respectively earn:
- Annual Surveys: $200
- Distracted Driving Unit: $200
- Nighttime/Drowsy Driving Unit: $100
- Speeding Unit: $100
- Seat Belts Unit: $200
- Impaired Driving Unit: $100
- Pedestrian Unit: $200
- Share the Road Unit: $200
- Complete all units to earn a total of $1,300
- Participation in the Teens in the Driver Seat® Annual Survey is required to be considered an All-Star school and receive cash. TDS verifies school enrollment on the following websites to identify the minimum number of surveys required for each school. https://www.greatschools.org/ & https://tea.texas.gov
- Credit for activities completed online or within the school or community will be awarded upon the submission of an Event/Activity Form. It is the responsibility of each school to submit its activity forms.
- For the Teens in the Driver Seat® 2024 All-Stars, teams will have the opportunity to earn credit for the academic year of 2023-2024 beginning August 1, 2023. No previous activities will be counted towards the 2024 All-Stars.
- The final deadline to submit activities to qualify as a Teens in the Driver Seat® All-Star is June 30, 2024.
- All entries, activities, and submitted photographs may be used to advance and support the Teens in the Driver Seat Program or the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
- The Texas A&M Transportation Institute is not responsible for lost, damaged, misdirected, or delayed activity forms or entries towards credit.
- The Texas A&M Transportation Institute reserves the right to withdraw, terminate, suspend, cancel or modify all or part of the contest at any time without notice.
- For Texas Junior High and High Schools, it is the responsibility of the school to monitor credit (updated monthly on the leader board), verification letters, or sign-in sheets and bring any discrepancies to the attention of the Teens in the Driver Seat® staff before the deadline.
- Teens in the Driver Seat® reserves the right to change any of these rules.
- All decisions are final.
TEXAS SCHOOLS
- For all Texas schools, to earn full credit for TDS All-Star Activities each Event/Activity Form must be accompanied with student sign-in sheet(s) OR a signed letter from the Principal or Superintendent (download) confirming attendance for the event, start, and end time, and for the planning hours leading up to the event. All letters and sign-in sheet(s) must be submitted prior to the deadline. Sign-in sheets or confirmation letters may be submitted as an attachment within the Event/Activity form, mailed, faxed, or emailed to TTI – Teens in the Driver Seat, 1100 NW Loop 410, Suite 605, San Antonio, TX 78213, Fax: 210-979-9694, Email: tdswebmaster@ttimail.tamu.edu
See past All-Stars:
See past TDS Cup winners (now All-Stars):