About
906 Drive
It All Started with a Parent’s Drive to Make the Community Safer
Just yesterday, you were teaching them how to tie their shoes and now they're getting ready to drive. Watching your child grow up is a wild ride and as a parent, I know just how important safety is for your child and for your peace of mind.
My concern for my child’s safety is actually the reason why I decided to start 906 Drive. I realized that our community suffered from a lack of service: a driver's education program that actively involved and informed parents.
It was the first week of summer vacation in 2015, and my middle, teenage-son called me from the park. He was out of breath. Excitement filled the air. He said without missing a beat, “Mom, everyone is going to Matt’s house for a big sleep-over… can I go?”
In my mom matter-of-fact tone, I said, “Well, how do you plan on getting there?”
With a hint of impatience, he began to explain that he and his four buddies were all going to jump into their friend’s car and drive there. Knowing the driver’s age, I said, “Sorry buddy, but you know he has a Level 2 Driver’s License and is allowed one friend in the car.”
I stood my ground and shortly later had to pick up a very angry and sulking son from the tennis courts at the park.
That moment clearly defined my mission:
to create a driver’s ed course that provides parents with resources and involves them in the licensure process.
In my experience working with our youth, driving laws and license criteria have changed over the last 20+ years and can be tricky to understand.
When your teen signs up with 906 DRIVE, we help to make the process of navigating through the Graduated Driver's License (GDL) easy and understandable by hosting an informative parent & student orientation before every Segment 1 class. Parents will be given resources so that you'll no longer question when your teen is allowed to drive or who they are allowed to drive with.
My goal for your experience with 906 DRIVE is to provide each student with the best curriculum, the best instructors, and the best learning opportunity so as to ensure safety and success in the classroom, behind the wheel, and ultimately on the roadways in our communities.
~ Lisa Valentine
906 Drive founder
Paving the Way for Safer Roads 🚧
Being a safe driver means being confident, well equipped with defensive driving skills, and having a good working knowledge of the rules of the road. Our goal is to provide the best information and knowledge about driving laws for every student, but we don’t stop there. Here’s some ways we have invested in safer roads:
Representing the Upper Peninsula:
Lisa Valentine, owner of 906 Drive, has served from 2016 - 2021 as both a Regional Representative for the U.P. and Past-President Michigan Driver Traffic Safety Education Association (MDTSEA). She has been a voice in Lansing, Michigan on all things related to safety on the road, from improvements in driver’s education courses to safety campaigns.
Community Involvement:
Lisa is an active member of the Upper Peninsula Traffic Safety Network (TSN) and meets with local community members, law enforcement, Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP), along with other organizations to better understand common driver errors and how to prevent accidents in the first place.
Working with Schools:
906 Drive seeks to bring informative workshops to local schools by teaching safer driving initiatives that aim to reduce serious crashes, injuries and fatalities. In 2019, 906 Drive worked alongside the National Honor Society (NHS) and the Escanaba High School to provide students with a week-long Safe Winter Driving Program that included guest speakers from Michigan State Police (MSP), the City of Escanaba, and snow-plow drivers from the Delta County Road Commission. One lucky student received a set of free winter tires!
Engaging Collaboration:
906 Drive continues to collaborate with several community leaders in order to create an engaging learning experience that leaves a lasting impact. Partners include the MidWest Truck Driving School and the Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) to provide an education program that utilizes a skid pad where students are able to learn car maneuvering skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Meet the Team that Goes the Extra Mile
With over 25 years of cumulative safe-driving instruction, our instructors are passionate about what they do in the classroom and behind the wheel, striving to provide what we feel are life-or-death skills.
Lisa Valentine
Jonathan Smith
Melissa Egner
Jude Vandamme
Macie Carlson
Alex Valentine
Fueled by Our Philosophy
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We understand that everyone learns differently. 906 Drive is a program designed in such a way to incorporate audible, visual, and tactile methods of instruction. This helps to ensure that every student learns the skills they need to feel confident behind the wheel.
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Our class instructors are passionate about teaching. Some instructors have over 20 years of experience in the classroom or have obtained a Master's degree. Our team of professionals realize the importance of having a quality education and its importance to bringing safety within our communities.
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When possible, we invite guest speakers from local community organizations like, American Bikers Aiming Toward Education (ABATE) and Operation Lifesaver to provide additional in-class resources and enrich the learning experience.
TESTIMONIALS
Ready to hit the road?
View our course schedules here:
