AAA’s School Safety Patrol Celebrates 100th Anniversary

WILMINGTON, DE (June 10, 2020) – AAA’s School Safety Program is celebrating its 100th year as the largest school-based safety program in the world. AAA Mid-Atlantic is honoring three students in Delaware as Outstanding AAA School Safety Patrol Members for the 2019-2020 school year. Those three students are Mya Lindenmuth, a 5th grader from Baltz Elementary, Javier Alexi Gonzalez, a 5th grader form Baltz Elementary, and Julian Davis, a 5th grader from Carrcroft Elementary.

Mya Lindenmuth

As a Captain in the Baltz Elementary School Safety Patrol, Mya Lindenmuth is described as a perfect example of the school’s motto – “Respectful, Responsible, and Ready.” Mya is a strong leader who sets a positive example and jumps in to help with any position needed.

One of Mya’s teachers refers to her as a role model, both behaviorally and academically, who also possesses a creative mind as both a writer and mathematician. A school administrator said they were concerned about a time when some Safety Patrollers were on a field trip that ran late, not sure if there would be coverage for school dismissal, but Mya had already organized the Safety Patrollers and had everything covered.

In addition to being an Outstanding Patroller, Mya is also a fan of Marvel films, and will regularly embody the spirit of Captain America when she stands by the doorway at the end of a Safety Patrol meeting and calls out, “Safeties Assemble!”

Javier Alexi Gonzalez

As a Sergeant of the Baltz Elementary School Safety Patrol, Javier Gonzalez is described as a kind leader other students look up to. Javier takes the initiative to help younger students feel welcome when they first arrive at Baltz and helps teachers and administrators each day.

One administrator described a day when they were the only adult available to greet the students arriving by bus one morning, Javier noticed and immediately volunteered to help greet the students and helped make the morning go smoothly.

Julian Davis

As a Captain in the Carrcroft Elementary School Safety Patrol, Julian Davis is described as a responsible, respectful leader who consistently shows initiative to help the first-graders in his care. Julian knows where each of the students need to be and when they need to be there, whether they are riding a bus, attending an after-school event, walking, or riding in a car.

The first grade teacher Julian assists says he regularly engages the first graders in quiet play while they are waiting to go to the bus, keeping the students calm and entertained.

Various teachers describe Julian as “polite, kind, and a natural leader” with one teacher stating that they advise their substitute teachers to see Julian for dismissal procedures. Julian’s fellow students say he is friends with everyone and is very creative.

The AAA School Safety Patrol

Nearly 1,900 patrollers currently participate in the AAA School Safety Patrol program in 68 Delaware elementary schools. It is the largest school-based safety program in the world with more than 679,000 Patrollers in 35,000 schools across North America and 30 countries, providing a safer environment for child pedestrians and offering a spectrum of educational opportunities for schoolchildren.

For 100 years, AAA Mid-Atlantic has sponsored and provided major support for the AAA School Safety Patrol by supplying training materials, recognition programs for service, and patrol equipment, including the familiar badge and belt.

AAA School Safety Patrols direct children, not traffic. As school-age leaders in traffic safety, patrol members teach other students about traffic safety on a peer-to-peer basis. They also serve as role models for younger children. Patrols complete training in traffic safety so they can protect students from the hazards of crossing roads and highways on their way to and from school; assist bus drivers in safely transporting students to and from school; teach fellow students about traffic safety; and serve other leadership functions under the direction of school officials.

AAA School Safety Patrol began in 1920 when Charles M. Hayes, then president of the Chicago Motor Club, built the infrastructure and provided the resources so other AAA clubs across the U.S. could protect school-aged children walking to and from school. Hayes had witnessed several children at a school crossing get killed by a speeding car. After the horrific incident, Hayes pledged to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again. Patrollers receive traffic safety training designed to keep children safer on their way to and from school and within school buildings.