OIL CITY, Pa. -   Five school districts in Mercer County are represented in this year’s “Paint the Plow” program sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Students from Farrell Area High School, Commodore Perry Jr./Sr. High School, West Middlesex High School, Mercer County Career Center, and Mercer Area School District are showing off their creativity by helping bring awareness to winter traffic safety.

The joint effort invites participating schools to have students paint a snowplow blade with an original piece of artwork based on a provided theme. The statewide theme in 2021 was "School Spirit."

 Among the goals of the program is offering the students an opportunity to see a plow firsthand to give them a stronger understanding of the size of the department's trucks and the importance of giving drivers plenty of space to maintain the roadways during the winter weather.

 "'Paint the Plow' is an excellent opportunity for PennDOT to engage with teens because it allows them to express themselves while being reminded about safe driving behavior, particularly in the upcoming winter months," said PennDOT District 1 Executive Brian McNulty, P.E.

Students from schools in Venango and Warren counties are also taking part in the effort.

Paint the Plow was piloted in Cambria County in 2015 and later expanded to surrounding counties.

 The program was halted in 2020, as many schools were operating on a virtual or hybrid schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the 2021 school year, PennDOT reintroduced the program without the competitive aspect to emphasize the fun side of the partnership.