On March 17& 18, CHS presented the nationally acclaimed Every 15 Minutes program to 1000 junior and senior students. Every 15 Minutes is a two day educational program that challenges high school students to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions as a driver, and the impact of poor decisions on friends, family, and the community. Every 15 Minutes is a dramatic and emotional program in which the tragedy of drinking and driving, and driving while distracted, (by cell phones, texting, CD’s etc.) was acted out on the CHS campus in an effort to shatter teenagers’ unrealistic feelings of immortality with regard to driving.

Since Every 15 Minutes was introduced 12 years ago, the national statistic for a young driver to be involved in a drunk-driving crash has gone from every 15 minutes to every 22 minutes, proving that Every 15 Minutes is an effective program. On a local level, CHS conducted a survey of the students who participated in the 2005 Every 15 Minutes program to determine the effectiveness of our program. Overall, at least eighty percent of the students responded that they did learn about the repercussions of a drunk or distracted-driving crash and that they would change their driving habits to become a safer driver. (A 2008 survey is being conducted) Furthermore, the message to drive safely reverberates throughout the Las Virgenes Unified School District as families, school staff, businesses and anyone who is directly or indirectly involved in the program, is reminded to drive safely and drive smart.

It takes a community to offer Every 15 Minutes. Staging this program takes about six months and involves the help of hundreds of volunteers, local emergency services, city governments and businesses.

County of Los Angeles Fire Department

City of Calabasas

Calabasas, C-TV

City of Hidden Hills

West Hills Hospital & Medical Center

West Med Ambulance