Getting young children involved with summer activities in Manteca is fairly easy for two reasons.
First, Manteca Parks and Recreation offer a great variety of classes such a sports, arts and crafts, camps, music, and dance to name a few. The other reason it’s easy to get young children involved in summer activities is simply because they are in fact young children. It takes very little effort to convince an energetic youngster that signing up for lessons or activities over their summer break would be an exciting thing to do. Teenagers on the other hand are not as easily convinced.
All school year long teenagers are typically counting down the hours until the freedom of their summer vacation begins. Should a parent even think to suggest to their teenager the idea of signing up for a learning activity over the summer, there’s a good chance that parent may be labeled as “totally un-cool.” But have no fear parents there is hope. This summer Manteca Parks and Recreation is offering an Online Drivers Education course instructed by Erika Vieyra that’s certain to score you big points with your teenager.
Erika Vieyra was recruited by her dad to join their family business, Bay Area Driving School as a licensed driving instructor 20 years ago. Since then, Vieyra has been teaching teenagers, (and older) the many important rules of the road as well as how to be a safe driver.
“My dad was a highway patrolman and he has seen everything which is why in our school we are very proactive in teaching students how to be defensive drivers and avoid collisions” Vieyra said..
In 2005, Vieyra and her father developed an interactive, driving education online course available for any student who has a computer, tablet or smart phone. The course is divided into 14 chapters and has the latest in animation, video and web technology — perfect for teenagers.
The certified course sets the foundation for every teen’s deepest desire — behind-the-wheel driver training and can be completed at a student’s own pace. Doing the course over the summer instead of squeezing it in during the school year has tremendous benefits according to Vieyra.
“Kids are really busy during the school year with their school work and extracurricular activities so they don’t have as much time to concentrate as they would over the summer,” she said.
The online course content includes topics such as: driver responsibility, defensive driving techniques, common causes of traffic collisions, drinking and driving, teen risk taking, driving distractions and much more.
Once completed, students receive a DMV approved certificate of completion and are able to move toward their next step which is a learner’s permit and driver’s license, or in teen language — freedom.
Vieyra is extremely proud of the success rate the online course has had thus far. With 445 students passing the course last summer Vieyra says, “If our students get answers wrong on the final test we make sure to go over everything with them until they know all the information. They can retake the test as many times as they need. We want to help them succeed as drivers.”
Parents and students can visit the course website (www.safetydriversed.com ) prior to signing up through Manteca Parks and Recreation and sample a portion of the course for free to get a better understanding of how it works.
Due to being an online course it is available throughout all of California, however students who specifically register through the Manteca Parks and Recreation this summer will receive a special discount rate.
So parents, if you are looking for a summer activity for your teenage son or daughter (15 years and up) why not enroll them in Online Driver’s Education through Manteca Parks and Recreation. Not only will your teen gain much needed driving knowledge but enrolling them in this course, your parental status is sure to be boosted to “coolest parent ever.”
To register for Online Driver’s Education visit City of Manteca Parks and Recreation at www.ci.manteca.ca.us/parks or call (209) 456.8600.
