(AP) — The Nebraska Safety Center has received a $639,300 grant to train bus and transit-company drivers from around the state.

The three-year grant from the Nebraska Department of Roads will help train more than 1,000 drivers. It’s the largest award in the history of the 36-year-old center, part of the University of Nebraska Kearney.

Drivers will learn defensive driving strategies, passenger awareness, safety and sensitivity and emergency procedures. The first phase started in January, and the program is expected to end in August. Additional phases will follow in the next two years.

Nebraska Safety Center director Mick Anderson says the project could become a model for the nation. Courses will be taught in Kearney and 14 other cities.