| FROM THE COMMISSIONER |
Lots happening this fall
Don ’ t Text # JustDrive and KIEF
T wo exciting campaigns concerning Kansas college students are rolling out this fall as a result of collaboration from the Kansas Insurance Department ( KID ), the Kansas Insurance Educational Fund ( KIEF ), insurance companies and governmental agencies .
The first initiative combines the fun of a friendly contest with the seriousness of a major problem — texting while driving . The second seeks to provide insurance companies in the state with a steady supply of educated employees . We hope that KAIA agents will support both .
KID , insurance companies and governmental sponsors have created the “ Don ’ t Text # JustDrive ” campaign to get university students and supporters to pledge to stop texting and driving . I hope you have seen — and maybe even participated in — some of the promotional messages of this campaign , which began in mid-September .
The participating schools are the University of Kansas , Kansas State University , Wichita State University , Fort Hays State University , Pittsburg State University , Washburn University and Emporia State University . Watch for campaign publicity from each of them .
Supporters of each participating university will be able to take the pledge two ways : online or by text messaging . The number of pledge each school receives will be compared to its official fall 2016 enrollment to calculate a percentage . Results will be tabulated and the winner announced during university athletic contests this fall and winter .
Voting began Sept . 19 and ends Nov . 22 . Pledge votes can be cast online by going to www . ksinsurance . org / justdrive . Your clients who are fans of these schools can pledge too .
A very special part of the campaign is the support of Kendall Schoenekase , Miss Kansas 2016 . She has chosen “ Stay Alive , Don ’ t Text and Drive ” as her campaign issue
KEN SELZER Kansas Insurance Commissioner
during her reign as Miss Kansas . She and I filmed a series of public service announcements and recorded radio announcements that will be aired throughout the campaign this fall .
Major funding for the promotional contest comes from AT & T , the Kansas Department of Transportation , the Kansas Automobile Insurance Plan , the Kansas Turnpike Authority , Allstate Insurance Company , State Farm Mutual Insurance Company , and Farmers Insurance , among others .
The new insurance education initiative , coordinated through several Kansas post-secondary institutions this fall , is working to provide insurance companies in the state with company-ready new employees .
During the fall 2016 semester , students at Fort Hays State University ; Washburn University ; the University of Kansas-Edwards campus ; and Johnson County Community College are studying in core classes for an Insurance Certificate , which involves taking 12-15 hours of insurance-related coursework . The courses required for the certificate program are seamless and transferable .
A student at Fort Hays State University , for example , can take and receive an online or traditional classroom insurance course from the University of Kansas- Edwards campus that will count toward the core course requirement for the certificate . The website for the initiative is www . ksinsurancecertificate . org .
Championing the collaborative effort between the universities and insurance companies operating in Kansas is KID , the Kansas Board of Regents , and KIEF . Each
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| September - October 2016 | KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER
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