The Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) and Ohio traffic Safety Office (OTSO) are working to increase street safety awareness through its new program "Safe Streets Safe Schools."

The informational campaign aims to teach students to be safe before, during and after school - including their cars.

The initiative launched this week for National Teen Driver Safety Week and Ohio School Safety Month.

"One behavior or action can change the direction of a day and even a life for our students," OSSC Executive Director Emily Torok said. "Whether they choose to put their seat belt on in the car on the way to school, if they choose to be a friend, or bully, and even whether they report a concern for safety they have. We are empowering students to make safe decisions to get to school safely and get home safely."

The initiative will provide materials to schools and parents in a promotional toolkit, which includes social media content, a video and script for morning announcements, a newsletter, palm card handout, lanyards and phone wallets.

The resources are for schools and parents to start conversations about school and road safety.

"School safety risks often reach beyond the school building itself, and this campaign encourages students to become safety role models among their peers," said Emily Davidson, OTSO executive director.