Community Alliance for Teen Safety

Community Alliance for Teen Safety (CATS) is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year!

The Community Alliance for Teen Safety was formed in 1996 because of the tragic loss of eleven teens in the Greater Derry area within an eighteen-month period due to distracted driving, a lack of seatbelt use and a need for increased parent involvement in their child's driver education. We have committed to our mission of promoting safe habits for youth by increasing awareness of high-risk behaviors, encouraging healthy choices, and fostering community alliances. Our non-profit focuses on driving safely, substance misuse prevention, and youth empowerment. 

 Our proposed project consists of two components: A Middle School Club called CATS P.A.C.K. (promoting, awareness, choices, knowledge) which is led by a teacher at Gilbert H. Hood Middle School, funded and taught in part by Community Alliance for Teen Safety (CATS). This club provides leadership opportunities, community-based connections, and service for the members, as they learn the importance of using their voice to address safety issues. One area we have focused on in the early stages of this club has been road safety be it walking, biking, riding or driving. Members are creating PSA’s, discussing the importance of bike and pedestrian safety and they have appeared on the school's live weekly new channel teaching their peers about safe practices and laws. They have designed tee shirts promoting the club, stuffed goodie bags for CATS outreach appearances. Most recently they participated in the School's Transition Night for incoming seventh grade students by asking safety questions and rewarding correct answers with prizes.  Club members have been participating in STEM activities on speed and reaction times and will create an experiment to demonstrate the importance of wearing seatbelts and helmets. We are looking to have them present at PTA and community meetings.

 During the 26-27 school year the goal is to bring this model to the 6th grade at the intermediate school. The club plans to do a safety presentation at the elementary schools. Funding is needed to continue the mission of this club to pay for the teacher advisors at both schools, bus transportation so that they may do presentations, and to cover the cost of supplies for the STEM activities. 

 The second component of our request is to help cover the expenses related to sponsoring our first ever Teen Safe Driver EXPO on October 24, 2026 at Gilbert H. Hood Middle School. The EXPO will offer many safety demonstrations and resources from local and state partners focusing on driving, bike and pedestrian safety. Engaging youth as advocates for safe driving habits through the development of media related to making safe choices continues to be a focus with the help of a local partner Derry Community Access Media.

 Successful outcomes of both of these activities will be seen by increased participation/membership of our Middle School CATS PACK, as well as the formation of an Intermediate School CATS PACK. As safe practices are taught and implemented by our students and shared with the greater community, there will be an increase of safe practices from following pedestrian safety and bike rules to driving safely and undistracted. Our CATS PACK members will gain knowledge and self-confidence while developing leadership and self-advocacy skills as wel as ski ls for tracking outcomes and data related to their efforts. Students will learn how to collaborate with community partners such as first responders, local law enforcement and the local hospital’s emergency services to collect data related to their safety efforts.  

Over the years CATS has supported regional public health networks including South Central Public Health Network, partially sponsoring The Growing Risk of Unregulated Intoxicating Products for Youth in NH, sponsoring events such as Pizza Stock, and participate in community events such as What's the Scoop Around Town, Touch a Truck, and Derry Fest.

Community Alliance for Teen Safety is small, but its presence is far reaching through partnerships, collaboration, and leveraging of resources, to support efforts that make a difference in the lives of our youth.