Funding Offered for Youth-Led Service Campaigns for Global Youth Service Day 2008

Washington – September 5, 2007 -- Grants of up to $1,000 are available to support youth-led service-learning projects around Global Youth Service Day 2008.  Educators, school-based service-learning coordinators, and young people ages five up to 25 across the United States and Canada (select provinces) are encouraged to apply. The grants, sponsored by Youth Service America and the State Farm Companies Foundation, support campaigns addressing a wide range of issues, from health and climate change to education, homelessness, and literacy. The application deadline is October 16, 2007.

"State Farm and Youth Service America know that schools and organizations can use service-learning as a tool to help youth build stronger academic skills, foster civic responsibility, and develop leadership abilities," said Steve Culbertson, president and CEO of Youth Service America. "Service-learning is a teaching method that combines meaningful service with curriculum or program-based learning. We encourage applicants to extend their project over a semester. Our new initiative, Semester of Service launches on Martin Luther King Day and concludes on Global Youth Service Day in April."

The State Farm Companies Foundation supports efforts to assure all children have access to an education that will allow them to achieve their greatest potential. "State Farm has changed its focus to support programs and processes that demonstrate the ability to impact student achievement," explains Kathy Payne, senior director of the education leadership unit in public affairs. "There is a large amount of research that supports service-learning's effectiveness in impacting student engagement and academic achievement. It's also important to State Farm to partner with schools and educators to work collaboratively with students and teachers as they engage in improving their communities through service-learning."

For the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant application, please visit the Youth Service America Awards & Grants. To view last year's awardees, please visit the Youth Service America Grant Winners.

A program of Youth Service America, Global Youth Service Day in 2008, is set for April 25 through April 27. The largest youth service event in the world, Global Youth Service Day 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 120 national partners and 75 lead agencies throughout the United States organize projects. Overseas, national lead agencies in more than 100 countries participate.

Youth Service America is an international nonprofit resource center that partners with thousands of organizations in more than 100 countries and is committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally. Founded in 1986, Youth Service America’s mission is to expand the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments.  For more information visit the Youth Service America web site.

About State Farm

State Farm® insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S. and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 76 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.7 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®.

About Service-learning

Service-learning is a teaching method which supplements classroom studies with hands-on projects that address pressing community issues and problems. To learn more about service-learning visit; Youth Service America web site, National Youth Leadership Council web site, Women's Learning Partnership web site, or What is service-learning?