info@pnwda.org
541-240-8346
Mon - Fri : 9am - 6pm
Fall registration closed, welcome new students!
Due to Covid, classes will be online through Zoom, but drives will be starting and ending from South Eugene High School. Masks and gloves are required but we will supply the gloves.
Class Details
Because of holidays we will have two extra make-up classes at no charge if students are away longer than the weeks we give off. Drives will be scheduled with students after they are paired up with a partner in class. There will be six in-car lessons that will be two hours each with one student driving while their parner observes and then switch after an hour. All the driving lessons start and end at South Eugene High School. Any students wanting extra driving practice or to repeat any drives get an extra hour free. The DMV drive test will be waived for students who pass if they will be under 18 on 1/10/22 when the class ends. Please make DMV appointments to get your license after 1/12/22.
Class Calendar
Class Cost
Students who haven't taken driver's ed before and will be under 18 on 1/12/22, sign up here for $199.
If students meet the above criteria but also have documentation from their school district or ESD stating they are in a free or reduced lunch program, sign up here for $99
For students who will be over 18 on 1/12/22 or have taken driver's ed before, sign up here for $399
Feel free to call to sign up as well!
Meet Your Instructor
Annabel Birchak
Instructor
Hello!
My name is Annabel Birchak and I will be the driver education instructor for classroom and behind-the-wheel training at South Eugene High School.
I am so excited to be starting a new chapter with Pacific Northwest Driving Academy! I am not new to driver education, however, and have been teaching at South Eugene High School for a few years with another company prior to this one so you may recognize me. Safety in transportation has been my passion from my early beginnings as a tour van driver and becoming a school bus driver in New York. I later worked as a school bus driver in Southern California transporting students K-12. When I relocated to the beautiful Pacific Northwest (which became my goal the moment I travelled to Portland for a university soccer game and discovered that the grass really is greener on the other side… and the sky is bluer, and the trees are taller… ) I knew I wanted to continue in the transportation sector. When I saw a class for attaining a driver education instructor certificate, I fell in love! Teaching and driving (and especially safety in transportation) are my main passions in life! Unfortunately, learning to drive was a very difficult and off-putting experience for me as a teenager. I do not want any student to feel like I did. I believe it is especially important to have a calm, nurturing space to learn how to drive. I understand just how stressful it can be for both parents and student drivers! Our drive lessons are created in steps that students master one step at a time and build confidence gradually. Patience is key! Your student driver will never be asked or required to do something outside their skill set or before they are ready. We give ample practice for each skill that will be tested on the final drive. I am more than happy to have students try and try again (for example with parallel parking) until they feel good and confident they can handle it with ease!
I can’t wait to meet you all and look forward to an exciting, fun term ahead!
