Jim Thorpe High School students had the chance to learn important lessons on underage drinking, drug use, and distracted driving in an engaging and entertaining way on Thursday, thanks to the ThinkFast Interactive program.

Presented in partnership with State Farm Insurance, the event used a trivia competition format to encourage students to think critically about their driving responsibilities.

Using keypads to respond to trivia questions, teams of students competed in a fast-paced, game-show style environment. Their answers, which spanned topics like music videos and movies, were displayed on large screens, and mixed into the fun were serious messages about the dangers of underage drinking and distracted driving.

For Luke Bosi, a student at Jim Thorpe who made it to the championship round after winning a dance-off, the experience was unforgettable.

“I’ve always been a bit of a people person, but I wasn’t expecting any of this today,” said Bosi. “We had a great time. Our goal was just to have fun. The team supported each other.”

Bosi’s team ultimately took home the top prize — a set of Amazon gift cards totaling $100.

“Sometimes you just need to take a break from everyday life and have some fun,” he added.

The event was also well-received by the staff, including Jim Thorpe High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions co-adviser, Tonia Thompson.

“The kids were excited and engaged, which was really exciting to see,” Thompson said. “We felt it was important for students to get information in a format that was different from just teachers preaching to them about distracted driving.”

The ultimate goal of the program, according to Thompson, was to leave a lasting impact.

“We hope they take away that they need to pay attention while they are driving and be careful. Phones are such an integral part of their lives, and that isn’t something we are going to change, but we need them to make better decisions in their cars.”

Mary Vermillion, another SADD co-adviser, echoed this sentiment.

“What the message was here today aligned with what we do at SADD, so it made sense to have them come in and do this program today.”