Feb 24, 2009 10:11 ET
Advance Auto Parts Expands Driver Education Program; “Advance Your Knowledge” Helps Teach about Vehicle Maintenance and Safety
ROANOKE, Va. --(Business Wire)-- Feb 24, 2009
Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive retailer of
parts, batteries, accessories and maintenance items is excited to
announce the expansion of its Driver Education Teacher Program, “Advance
Your Knowledge,” which is used as a tool for driver education teachers
in 15 states. As of Spring 2009, the program had reached an
estimated one million students, helping to increase their awareness
about the connection between vehicle maintenance and driving safety.
The program is now being used by teachers in Florida, Illinois,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,
Wisconsin, and Wyoming. “Advance Your Knowledge” is free to all state
affiliated drivers education programs with replenishment support
available via a dedicated program Web site: www.drivers.advanceautoparts.com.
“Today’s vehicles are complex. Our multimedia kit is designed
to help instructors help their students understand vehicle basics,
especially as it relates to their personal driving safety,” says Bryan
Gregory, director of consumer education for Advance Auto Parts. “Our
commitment is to help teachers impart vehicle maintenance and safety
information that is most relevant to young drivers, and to encourage
parents to discuss vehicle maintenance with their new driver. That is
why we developed this program.”
Feedback about the program has been extremely positive from both
teachers and students. Students said that the kit made learning
about their vehicles a lot more enjoyable and took some of the fear out
of flat tires and oil changes. Teachers also claimed that the
multimedia kit’s guidelines and tools made it easier to teach, both
because it was educational and interactive for the students.
"The Advance Auto Parts 'Advance Your Knowledge' program is presented
in a concise and interesting format that holds the attention of the
students in my driver education classes,” stated Gary Rex Scott, Kansas
Driver Safety Education Association Executive Director. “I use the
program when we discuss the care and maintenance of vehicles. It
provides basic car maintenance in a simple and useable manner that
students are able to comprehend and retain for later use. The students
in my classes enjoy the layman's terminology used in the video.”
The complete “Advance Your Knowledge” tool kit includes a DVD loaded
with short how-to videos, 29 project brochures, and online replenishment
information for instructors. “We have to make it easy to use and easy to
replenish for today’s busy teachers. In many states, classroom
time is very limited, so we have engineered a solution to work in
concert with teachers’ instructional needs,” Gregory adds.
“The Advance Auto Parts driver education kit has enhanced instruction
on vehicle maintenance for driver education programs throughout
Virginia,” stated Janet Ragland, driver education specialist at the
Virginia Department of Education. “Advance continues to support driver
education programs in Virginia through updated materials and staff
development."
Advance Auto Parts’ industry leading commitment to educate people
about vehicle care is helping young drivers understand the gap between
undone maintenance and driving safety, while taking the mystery out of
today’s vehicles. Whether you’re a drivers ed teacher, or a
do-it-yourselfer in need of some driveway maintenance, ask an Advance
Auto Parts Team Member for some advice, or visit www.AdvanceAutoParts.com,
where you can find free pod-casts, video know-how clinics and much
more information that could potentially save you a trip to the auto shop.
About Advance Auto Parts
Headquartered in Roanoke, Va., Advance Auto Parts, a leading
automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries, and
maintenance items in the United States, serves both the do-it-yourself
and professional installer markets As January 3, 2009, the
Company operated 3,368 stores in 40 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands.
Advance Auto Parts supports a variety of non-profit organizations at
the corporate and local levels and encourages its Team Members to become
actively involved in various community-based charitable organizations.
Nationally, Advance Auto Parts is a strong supporter of United Way and
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Since 1994, Advance
Auto Parts has raised more than $16 million for JDRF and is one of that
organization’s largest corporate supporters.
Additional information about the Company, employment opportunities,
customer services, and on-line shopping for parts and accessories can be
found on the Company’s web site at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com.
Advance Auto Parts
Shelly Whitaker, APR
Direct
540-561-8452
Fax 540-561-6445
Shelly.whitaker@advanceautoparts.com