Cindy Ferek wins $100,000 National Grant

From WHSV 3, “Cindy Ferek is one of five nationwide winners of an education grant to transform her school and community. Ferek is a gym teacher and driver’s ed instructor who received a $100,000 grant at the school.

This is all part of the Farmers Insurance ‘Thank a Million Dream Big Challenge.’ The purpose of the grant is to give teachers, like Ferek, a chance to educate students in ways that would otherwise not be possible. The money is going to be used to build a driving program on school property. Ferek plans to use bicycles to teach students about the challenges every new driver faces.”

Ferek received another surprise on New Year’s Day. She joins other challenge winners across the country to ride atop the Farmers Insurance float. At the 126th Annual Tournament of Rose Parade in Pasadena, Ca.

Vehicular crashes are the leading cause of death among teenage drivers in the United States. In order to better prepare them for on-the-road dangers, Ferek will use the $100,000 grant, to create and implement the Two Wheels Squared course that will help students train for future driving challenges by offering a multi-faceted bicycling course that will challenge teenagers physically, emotionally and cognitively. The overall objective of the course is to help teens develop critical on-the-road problem-solving skills they will inevitably use when they earn their driver’s license.