In July 2021, the Putnam County Youth Bureau became the only Youth Bureau in New York State to be awarded a highway safety grant by the NYS Governor's Traffic Safety Committee. An honor that was bestowed upon our community for the creation of the Putnam County Teen and Young Adult Safe Driving Program to address the inordinate rate of adverse traffic-related outcomes among young drivers in our region. The Putnam County Youth Bureau then expanded existing programs while creating new highway safety initiatives aimed at both early intervention and remediation. Young drivers face a myriad of problems, and by supporting the development of safe driving habits through holistic programming, we can prevent crashes and improve the overall health of Putnam County.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee has recently commended Putnam County's progress by awarding the Youth Bureau an expanded grant for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the third consecutive year. Amongst the many initiatives covered by our wide-ranging grant are the expansion of our Youth Court, the creation of a regional coalition for the Putnam County developed "Parents As Driving Partners” initiative, and the advancement of our youth empowerment activities that involve training Putnam County teenagers to educate their peers on highway safety. These are just a few examples of the many driving education programs that the Youth Bureau has spearheaded, none of which could have been possible without our many community partners. We are humbled by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee's confidence and look forward to working with all of Putnam County to make our community and region as safe as possible