State Farm Insurance awarded a $5,000 grant to the Impaired Driving Impact Panel of Island County (IDIPIC) for the fourth consecutive year, according to a recent press release.

The grant will go towards covering the cost of materials used in IDIPIC’s work with middle school and driver’s education students.

Besides DUI impact panels, IDIPIC offers comprehensive safety classes to educate youth about the dangers of underage drinking, illicit drug use and driving under the influence. Classes range from elementary to high school and beyond.

“Think, Don’t Drink, Drug and Drive” is the name of IDIPIC’s popular safety seminar which has been provided to driver’s education classes since 2002. Recently, South Whidbey High School teacher John LaVassar’s class attended this seminar.

The seminar includes a video, discussion on indicators of impairment and a simulation of walking the line with impairment goggles followed by a question and answer session and quiz.

All Whidbey driving instructors require students to attend the IDIPIC panel, according to the release. Students must attend with a parent or guardian.

Students who are not enrolled in a driver’s education school are also welcome to attend.

The 5,000th student to attend was Kacie Hanson, a South Whidbey High School sophomore.

IDIPIC is a non-profit organization and was established in 2009. It is dedicated to deterring DUI driving and underage drinking through education and increased awareness.

Since its inception, more than 30,000 have attended the DUI/underage drinking prevention panels which are held in Freeland, Oak Harbor, and at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.