The sixth annual Street Smarts program — promoting traffic safety in the San Ramon Valley, with contests for students at all levels — is up and running.

The kickoff was held Monday at Monte Vista High School in Danville, the school involved with the program's third annual "It Happens" campaign, which focuses on high school students.

Monte Vista students are being encouraged to share their experiences as a passenger or a driver on the Web site www.ithappens2u.com. Six stories will be selected for the production of videos that will be posted onto the site, with students voting for their favorite.

The campaign has a rewards program that lets students earn points for prizes such as concert tickets, video games and gift cards each time they log on to watch videos, take quizzes or submit stories.

"It Happens" already has been through San Ramon Valley High in Danville and California High in San Ramon, said Nat Rojanasathira, Street Smarts' coordinator. Next year it will be at Dougherty Valley High in San Ramon.

In middle schools, the "Be Reel!" video contest invites students to submit one-minute videos on traffic safety themes. This fall, students are producing videos on bicycle safely. There also will be another opportunity to create videos in the spring.

The finalists' videos from both competitions will premiere in May at the Danville International Children's Film

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Festival.

The valleywide program features a "Storybook Poster Contest" for elementary school students and has students drawing illustrations for Street Smarts' third traffic safety-based storybook, written by local children's book author Dana Mentink.

The Street Smarts program was started in response to area accidents, including a 2003 crash that killed 10-year-old Troy Pack and his 8-year-old sister, Alana Pack. The children were struck by a drunken driver while walking with their mother on the sidewalk on Camino Tassajara in Danville.

The program also includes advertisements such as street banners and printed materials given to the public at special events. The program is a partnership of the San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs and governments such as the San Ramon Valley school district, the town of Danville, the city of San Ramon and Contra Costa County.

For more about Street Smarts, go to www.streetsmarts-srv.com

Eric Louie covers San Ramon Valley education. Reach him at 925-847-2123.