MILWAUKEE — The Greater Milwaukee Urban League believes the way to combat reckless driving is through driver’s education.
The Greater Milwaukee Urban League and TMJ4 News have become partners to raise money for teens to take driver's education through an Adopt-a-Driver Program.
The Greater Milwaukee Urban League has helped people 18 years old and older get their driver's licenses for decades.
“I just want to take the precautions and have all the knowledge that I can,” said Karrington Davis, a 19-year-old working on getting her license through Urban League.
This summer the Urban League tested out a new free program to educate teens ages 15 to 17.
"I just want to get in the car and go where I am going, or get in the car and stay there,” said Lamont Anderson who was in the Urban League’s newest class for teens under 18 years old.
That program offered both driver's education and behind-the-wheel classes, which typically cost $450. Driver's education stopped being funded in Wisconsin schools decades ago. And even though some districts, like Milwaukee Public Schools, offer a free option through its MKE Drive program run by Milwaukee Recreation, there is not enough space to enroll all the students.
“We got phone calls all the time from youth,” said Shirron Jude, who helps to teach a reckless driving class at Greater Milwaukee Urban League.
At one point, the Urban League said it had a waiting list of 150 teens. It's why TMJ4 partnered with the Greater Milwaukee Urban League for its Adopt a Driver program, which provides full-ride scholarships for eligible students. Jude says this will lead to safer roads in Milwaukee.
“If I want to close the gap on reckless driving, I need to start somewhere. Not after they become an adult and have ruined their driving record. So teaching 15-17-year-olds the rules, the education, it's key because now we can have a population, a growing population that understands, I want to do things the right way. I want to do things the legal way,” said Jude.
The only requirements the Greater Milwaukee Urban League has for attending their free youth class is you have to be between the ages of 15 to 17, enrolled in school, and meet the federal poverty guidelines.
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