MassDOT and Fundación MAPFRE High School Roadway Safety Public Service Contest?

03:32PM / Sunday, March 16, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in collaboration with global nonprofit Fundación MAPFRE, announced the launch of the third annual roadway safety public service contest for Massachusetts high school students.

The contest, which was launched in 2022 as part of Fundación MAPFRE's Look Both Ways Program, seeks to help students raise awareness with their peers and underscore the importance of being safe while driving on roadways across the Commonwealth.

"MassDOT is excited to renew our partnership with Fundación MAPFRE for the third annual roadway safety education contest," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "Engaging young drivers in safety education is a crucial step in our mission to enhance road safety, and we look forward to seeing the innovative ideas that students will present this year. Their participation is vital to our efforts to create a future free of roadway injuries and fatalities."

To enter the contest, high schools can visit: https://www.fundacionmapfre.org/en/look-both-ways/. The deadline for contest submissions is Friday, March 21. Students with the winning submission will work with the Boston Creative Communications Agency (CTP) to produce the spot, which is anticipated to air in the spring before prom and graduation season. Additionally, the winning students' school will receive a $3,000 prize provided by Fundación MAPFRE.

"While statistics show a decline in road-related fatalities among young drivers over the past several decades, it remains the leading cause of death for that group," said Jaime Tamayo, Chief Representative of Fundación MAPFRE in the United States and CEO of MAPFRE USA. "It is inspiring to watch students deliver a serious message in creative ways to reinforce the importance of safe driving habits. This contest represents a great example of how peer-to-peer engagement can encourage change."

Fundación MAPFRE, a non-profit based in Madrid, Spain, with North American headquarters in Webster, Massachusetts, aims to promote the well-being of society. One of the action areas to which the foundation is dedicated is prevention and road safety. It believes that, if the Vision Zero movement in 1997 led to a revolution in our understanding of road safety, the current goal should be to reach the point where there are no fatalities or road-related injuries.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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