In Traverse City, Michigan, nearly 10% of the youth (children ages 5-17) are living in poverty. This means these children and teens are going to go without many of the things that are the norm for their age group, as well as turn them into social outcasts. Drivers Training, one of the gateways to adulthood and opportunity for teens, will not be an option to those that can't afford the program. In recent years, drivers training has moved out of the school system and has become a commercialized business. The cost of enrolling in drivers training is extremely expensive for anyone trying to make ends meet. The price usually exceeds several hundred dollars. In addition, students don't have access to cars to practice driving or responsible adults to ride with them. As a result, more and more teenagers are without the proper drivers training or drivers license. Many teens are driving without training or a license,thus increasing the danger for the rest of the drivers on the road. Also, without being able to drive, teens have limits to their opportunities, like being able to get to a job or drive to highschool or college. This is an important issue as many towns and cities across the country do not offer many public transportation options. Please join me in petitioning for the future generation of our country and help open up doors to greater opportunities for teens.