West High Students Partner with Pros to Promote Pedestrian Safety

A group of Western Hills University High School students is tackling pedestrian safety with a professional-grade public service campaign - and turning heads in the process.

Led by seniors Moriah Harper and Demontae Hall, the West High Pedestrian Safety Team recently presented their public safety campaign at Education Pitch Night, a program produced by School Board School, earning recognition as Panel Winners. 

“For me, this is personal,” Harper said. “My mother was run over by a car and dragged. She survived, but it changed her entire life. I never thought something like that would happen to me, so I want people to know this can happen to anyone.”

School Board School, founded by former CPS Board of Education member, Elisa Hoffman, is a Cincinnati-based initiative educating and empowering community members to advocate for positive change in public education. It hosted the Education Pitch Night.

The students' work, supported by professional designers from Huenited Collective, aimed to address a troubling trend: too many students being struck by cars near schools.

“This is an example of corporate and business professionals supporting student ideas and bringing real-world capabilities into the classroom,” said Sean Rugless, founding partner of Huenited Collective. “This is about private industry stepping up to help students solve problems that impact their own communities.”

Huenited Collective is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity within the creative services industry. Founded in 2019, the organization brings together over a dozen creative agencies and marketing firms to provide mentorship, career exposure and real-world project opportunities for underrepresented students.

The campaign was more than just an academic exercise. Students developed professional-grade public service announcements, including three visual concepts and two radio scripts, working alongside industry professionals who design national ad campaigns for brands like Tide and Old Spice.

"I particularly liked working on one of the billboard designs because I got to collaborate with another student," Hall said. "Seeing our ideas turn into something real was really exciting."

Western Hills teacher and history department chairperson Jeffrey Demaree saw an opportunity for students to go beyond classroom learning when a class discussion about pedestrian safety turned into a full-fledged movement.

“We started talking about how they felt after a student was injured trying to cross Glenway Avenue,” Demaree said. “I asked them, ‘Do you think we should do something about this?’ And they said yes. From there, they took off running.”

The students’ project-based approach taught them far more than just the dangers of reckless driving near schools. They conducted a competitive analysis of pedestrian safety campaigns, performed a SWOT analysis—assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats—and learned how to take an idea from concept to execution.

“These students became advocates, a voice for their entire student body,” Rugless said. “They’re learning how to work within social and political systems to create real change.”

The initiative has already reached Cincinnati City Hall. In December, the students pitched their campaign to city officials, asking for $50,000 to fund a full public safety campaign, including billboards and digital ads. The City Council has not yet made a decision on the funding.

“We’ve had infrastructure changes - speed bumps, flashing lights - but it’s not enough,” Demaree said. “If it worked, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. So the students focused on changing hearts and minds.”

For Harper, the campaign is just the beginning.

“I like being involved in the community and making a difference,” she said. “It doesn’t have to just be pedestrian safety. It could be gun violence or making sure urban neighborhoods get enough attention. I want to stay involved.”

The professionals who worked with the students see the potential for lasting impact on safety and inspiring future careers.

“This isn’t just about one campaign,” said Tysonn Betts, co-founder of Huenited. “It’s about opening students’ minds to careers in design, marketing, and advertising. If even one student realizes this could be their future, then we’ve made a difference.”

As for what’s next, Demaree said the students are just getting started.

“We hope to expand this to other schools,” he said. “The students here at West High have shown that they have the passion, the skills and the drive to make an impact. And they’re proving that when young people take the lead, great things can happen.”