Columbia Basin College To Host The Last Drive Distracted Driving Awareness Campaign - 11/05/25

PASCO, WA – November 5, 2025 - Columbia Basin College (CBC) Associated Students of CBC and Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society in collaboration with Washington State Target Zero and local fire, police and EMT services, today announced they are hosting The Last Drive Distracted Driving awareness campaign on the Pasco campus to call attention to the perils of distracted driving – including texting and impairment due to substance influence. These behaviors in conjunction with the non-use of seatbelts while driving is the #1 reason for fatal deaths among young adults ages 18-25.
 

The events include:

• Wednesday, November 5, 10am - 2 pm, Gjerde Center Atrium: series of interactive activities simulating the effects of distracted driving hosted by representatives from Washington State Target Zero and local fire, police and EMT.  
• Wednesday – Friday, November 5-7, HUB outside core area: Display of white crosses accompanied by multiple informative messages including social media interaction with Target Zero and MADD. Students are encouraged to post their experiences and learnings via social media tagging #MADD.

Distracted driving has severe and far-reaching effects, primarily accidents resulting in injuries, fatalities, and extensive property damage.   Beyond physical harm, consequences include significant financial burdens, psychological trauma and legal penalties.  There are multiple types of distracted driving including texting, phone conversations, radio, GPS units, passengers, children, food & beverage, substance abuse, personal grooming and emotional distress – however texting while driving is the leading cause of distraction and its risks are most commonly ignored by young adults aged 18-25.
 

# # #
 

Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities since 1955. CBC’s mission is to inspire, educate, and support all students in an environment of academic excellence leading to the completion of degrees, certifications, and educational transfers, while fostering meaningful employment, engaged citizenship, and a life-long joy of learning. CBC offers both two and four-year degrees and one-year Certificates.

COLUMBIA BASIN COLLEGE AND STEM FOUNDATION PARTNER FOR STEM Like ME!® STUDENT SUMMIT (Photo) - 10/16/25

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Elizabeth Burtner, cell 509-975-6882, eburtner@columbiabasin.edu

COLUMBIA BASIN COLLEGE  AND STEM FOUNDATION PARTNER FOR STEM Like ME!® STUDENT SUMMIT

Pasco, WA, October 16,2025  – Columbia Basin College (CBC) in partnership with the STEM Foundation  hosts students from Kiona-Benton City High School for an educational STEM summit on October 17, 2025. The STEM Like ME!® Student Summit focuses on providing a variety of hands-on STEM activities to foster curiosity and engagement in STEM careers.

The event pairs high school students  with a CBC Student Mentor and a STEM Ambassador – professionals within STEM- and clean energy-focused careers, to provide insights and inspiration for different career paths within STEM. These guides,  coached by The STEM Foundation,  help the students consider how their unique traits and interests align with their college and career goals. “Ensuring mentors and ambassadors are equipped with the tools to support students during the summit is critical. Students may not see themselves in STEM, we want to create a space where all students see their potential in STEM” – Heather Tibbet, Executive Director for the STEM Foundation.

The students  attend workshops with CBC professors across several departments, and take part in hands-on activities designed to foster excitement around STEM. During lunch, a CBC student panel  shares their experiences and educational pathways into STEM fields.

“CBC is proud to support the STEM Foundation to create broader access to educational experiences and foster curiosity around STEM. We recognize the future workforce will need to have broader exposure to potential careers and skills within STEM fields to be better prepared for their careers” - Dr. Rebekah Woods, President Columbia Basin College.

First piloted in 2014, The STEM Foundation’s STEM Like ME!® has served more than 41,000 students state-wide.  STEM Like ME!® was recognized by Governor Jay Inslee as one of the state’s 21 best practices for career-connected learning. These programs include the innovative STEM Like ME!® suite of school-based interactions and a teacher grant program.  Through personal interactions with STEM professionals, students are inspired to envision themselves in the shoes of a STEM professional and learn more about career pathways.

For questions, please email Elizabeth Burtner, Vice President for Marketing & External Engagement at eburtner@columbiabasin.edu. And Heather Tibbett, Executive Director of the STEM Foundation at Heather@STEMLearning.org.

###

The STEM Foundation

The STEM Foundation incorporated in 2009 with a vision of becoming a national model for generating passionate support for science, technology, engineering and mathematics in public education.  The non-profit’s first project was to support the launch of Delta High School.  It has expanded its scope to programs that create a substantial and sustainable impact on the quality of STEM education across the Mid-Columbia.

Columbia Basin College (CBC) is a public community college serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities since 1955. CBC’s mission is to inspire, educate, and support all students in an environment of academic excellence leading to the completion of degrees, certifications, and educational transfers, while fostering meaningful employment, engaged citizenship, and a life-long joy of learning. CBC offers both two and four-year degrees and one-year Certificates. Bachelor of Applied Science degrees are offered in Applied Management, Applied Management in Agriculture or Healthcare, Commuinity Health, Cyber Security, Dental Hygiene, Health Physics, Project Management, Respiratory Therapy, Software Development, and Administration Teacher Education. CBC also offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Computer Science.