GIBSON CITY - Students at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School continue to drive home safe-driving messages as they begin a new school year.

GCMS students were honored last school year as national award winners for State Farm's Project Ignition competition. The students are taking their message to schools, education groups and the media.

The GCMS Project Ignition Team joined the Illinois Department of Transportation to sponsor a workshop last week in Gibson City to pass along lessons and encourage other schools to form safe-driving teams.

Students and teachers from schools in Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, McLean and Tazewell counties participated. Each school developed projects after receiving training and completing a group brainstorming session.

Schools earning plaques and becoming eligible to compete for a "Buckle Up, Save Your Tail-Gate" party before a home football game were Clifton-Central, LeRoy, Normal Community, Ridgeview and St. Joseph-Ogden high schools. The tailgate party will be given to the school that increases seat-belt usage by the highest percentage.

The schools, along with Champaign Central and Paxton-Buckley-Loda, each received $600 mini-grants. Schools from East Peoria, Delavan and Morton all received $200 mini-grants.

The GCMS Project Ignition team will present its work in November to the Illinois Association of School Boards and the Illinois Drug Education Association annual conferences.

Judy Weber-Jones, project co-sponsor and GCMS driver's education instructor, said an article in the Chicago Tribune led to a reader to contact the family of Steve Arends, who was severely injured in a crash that killed his twin brother Greg Arends and inspired last year's Project Ignition theme, "Shattered Dreams."

Through sharing stories with the reader, the Arends family contacted a Florida physician who uses a new technique to restore blood flow to damaged brain tissue. The treatment has improved Steve's speech, coordination and swallowing, said his mother, Bonnie Arends.

While not eligible to compete in State Farm's "Project Ignition" competition for at least three years, the GCMS students have not lost their winning ways. Five students were recognized this month in the national public service announcement competition sponsored by the Farm Safety 4 Just Kids organization.

First place went to seniors Lucas Pulley and Todd Epps. Sami Ruecks and Ali Mott took second place and Jessica Williams earned fourth.