Western Hills University High School Students Launch Billboard Campaign to Promote Pedestrian Safety

A group of Western Hills University High School students stood beneath a newly unveiled billboard on Friday morning, celebrating the launch of their public safety campaign urging drivers to slow down and pay attention to pedestrians near schools.

The campaign, titled the West High Pedestrian Safety Project, was created by students in teacher Jeffrey Demaree’s class and selected as the top project during the School Board School Education Pitch Night earlier this year. With professional support from Huenited Collective, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit of creative industry professionals, and Cincinnati Public Schools, the students turned their idea into a full-fledged public service announcement – including billboard art and radio scripts now being considered for wider distribution.

“For me, this is personal,” said senior Moriah Harper, who helped lead the project. “My mother was run over and dragged by a car. She survived, but her life completely changed. I want people to know — this can happen to anyone.”

The campaign gained momentum quickly after the students presented their idea to Cincinnati City Council in December, requesting support and funding. Along the way, they partnered with Huenited to refine and professionally develop their creative work.

“This is an outstanding example of what happens when we trust students with real-world challenges and support them with the tools to lead,” said CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy. “These students turned a community safety concern into an impressive, student-driven campaign that has the potential to save lives.”

The location of the billboard – across the street from West High, near the football field — is symbolic.

“This didn’t start as a class project. It started with students upset after one of their classmates was hit by a car,” said Jeffrey Demaree, who teaches history and geography at West High and helped guide the campaign. “They wanted to do something and once they realized they could lead the change, they never looked back.”

The initiative also aligns with Huenited Collective’s mission of building diversity and access in creative professions.

“Watching these students take an idea from conversation to community impact is exactly why we exist,” said Tysonn Betts, co-founder of Huenited. “They’re not just learning design or strategy — they’re learning how to lead, how to collaborate and how to create something that can make a difference.”

Students hope to expand the campaign to other CPS schools and districts across the state. As Harper said at the podium, “I don’t want this to be one and done. We’ve seen what’s possible.”