Youth Service-Learning Awards

Who: Global Youth
Age: Youth
What: State Farm Youth Service-Learning Awards

It is never too early to lead. Enjoy this Sunday's article from Servernet.


Being A Good Neighbor Pays Off For Young People, Teachers And Service-Learning Practitioners
By Christina Wessell

YSA, State Farm® Give Thousands in Cash Grants for Service-Learning Campaigns for Global Youth Service Day

WASHINGTON– (March 7, 2008) –Youth Service America announces 100 State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award winners chosen by Youth Service America and funded by State Farm Companies Foundation. The awardees receive a $1,000 cash grant to lead a service-learning campaign for Global Youth Service Day on April 25, 26 and 27, 2008.

“The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant winners demonstrate unprecedented global caring and initiative, showing the world that young people can be leaders today, not in some distant tomorrow,” says Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America. “By combining the dynamics of leadership, service and learning, the grant recipients build some of the most valuable skills— academic achievement and workforce readiness.”

"State Farm is proud to partner with Youth Service America. As our partnership has grown so has our respect for YSA’s work. Through its strong leadership, young people around the world are experiencing fundamental necessities of democracy - the ability to serve and give back to their community - while gaining academic and workplace readiness skills that are valued by State Farm. We share with YSA the common belief that our young people are not tomorrow's leaders, they are leaders today,” says Edward B. Rust Jr., Chairman and CEO, State Farm.

A sampling of the causes that youth are undertaking in their campaigns:

1. OUT OF THE BOX - Students of Delton-Kellogg High School (DKHS) in Michigan are working together to serve their community, particularly the low-income residents, with needed car maintenance and free oil changes. As estimated 300+ students will be involved in this service-learning project to provide 50 free oil changes to those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. More experienced students from the auto-shop class will pair up with first year students, under the supervision of the instructor to change oil, replace oil filters, top-off fluids and make referrals for any additional car maintenance. National Honor Society students will help screen potential recipients and record the necessary information so appointments can be made. Other student volunteers will be on hand to help entertain younger kids and keep them away from dangerous tools and chemicals. Business class students will help in contacting local area businesses to solicit donated items such as car-care merchandise and food-related items that can be given to customers. Journalism students will be involved in pre-event and post-event article writing and contact newspapers.

2. HOMELESSNESS - Youth from bay area schools in Valrico, Florida will be gathering for their 3rd year to bring awareness to the plight of homeless youth. Around 50 youth are estimated to participate in the 24-hour homeless simulation where they will sleep in cardboard boxes and also assemble backpacks and food packs to be donated for youth who are homeless. Participating youth learn about issues surrounding homelessness and use banners and posters to share that information with passing cars and visitors to their "cardboard" shelters. This event is organized by all youth and is open to all youth.

3. CULTURAL DIVERSITY - To help limit racial tensions and teach cultural diversity at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, a student who works at the Refugee Center, wants to use her facility to introduce members of other cultural backgrounds in an educational and non-stereotypical manner. The event will take the shape of an ongoing exchange program where UIUC students and refugees share their culture through art, personal narratives and special readings. On April 24-25 students will set up displays in the atrium of the Foreign Languages Building to educate passing students of the varying cultures thriving in their own community.

4. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT - Addressing the need for stronger mathematic skills for Michigan elementary school students, an Outdoor Classroom Project has been designed at Lincoln Elementary School. Students in the Bright Futures After School Service-Learning Club will build this outdoor classroom and facilitate activities at each station, which includes stations for meteorology, flower beds, composting and bird feeders. Youth will lead lessons on comparing weather data using tools such as a thermometer and rain gauge, planting flowers and seedlings, measuring soil and water and caring for bird life.

5. DISABILITIES - For students at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Watertown, Massachusetts, there was once a grim view of their options beyond secondary education. However, over time their school has sponsored a wall of fame for notable individuals in the deaf community, and in this GYSD celebration, students will combine the elementary, middle and high schools in a unique homage to four new leaders taking their place on the wall. The celebration will begin with student research and culminate in a multimedia presentation to educate friends and family and the community at large about those who of esteemed accomplishment who were/are deaf or hard of hearing.

The profiles of the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Projects are at: http://ysa.org/AwardsGrants/ListsofGrantees/StateFarmGrantees2008/tabid/276/Default.aspx.

Global Youth Service Day is the largest youth service event in the world. GYSD is a year-round effort to expand the impact of the youth service movement. The initiative launches new service organizations, policy changes, and sustainable service programs to create a culture of engaged youth. State Farm Companies Foundation is the presenting sponsor. More than 125 national partners and 70 lead agencies throughout the United States organize campaigns. Overseas, national lead agencies in more than 100 countries participate. Planning Tool Kits, Service-Learning Curriculum Guides, classroom posters, grants, and more are available for youth, parents, teachers and organizations. For the U.S. Map of Service Projects for GYSD 2008: www.YSA.org/map.

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About Youth Service America: Youth Service America seeks to improve communities by increasing the number and diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in important roles. Founded in 1986, YSA is an international nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries to expand the impact of the youth service movement with families, communities, schools, corporations, and governments. For more information: www.YSA.org.

About State Farm: State Farm® insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 77 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.


Media Contact:
Christina Wessell Batcheler
Youth Service America
202-296-2992 x 128
cbatcheler at ysa.org