Florida

State Farm® Youth Advisory Board Grants $655,427 to Support 11 Service Learning Projects in Florida!

The State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a diverse group of 30 youth, ages 17-20, who were chosen through a competitive process to lead and oversee a $5 million per year signature philanthropic service-learning initiative. The YAB members direct each step of the process, from crafting the Request for Proposals, reading and scoring all the grant applications received, and making final funding determinations.

This year, the student led board reviewed 969 grants from organizations across the United States and Canada. The students approved 68 grants for more than $3.9 million dollars. The State of Florida had the most grants approved (11 grants) and the most awarded, $655,427.90, in the United States for youth-lead service learning projects!

These State Farm grants will help create local programs that address community issues like environmental responsibility, financial literacy, access to higher education, community safety and natural disaster preparedness, and societal health and wellness issues. All projects funded emphasize a hands-on approach that allows students to combine what they learn in the classroom with service to the community. This approach not only helps students master the subject material, but also fosters increased civic responsibility.

In the six years of its existence, The State Farm Youth Advisory Board has funded $24.7 million in grants to communities nationwide. The grants have touched over 14.1 million lives. The total student led service learning grants provided to 42 schools / organizations in Florida under this program exceed $3.1 million dollars!

The following 11 Florida organizations / schools received a State Farm Youth Advisory Board grant in 2012.

1) Doral Academy Charter Preparatory School (Miami): $25,000 - Financial Literacy – “The Firebird Nest – school business”

2) DuMond Conservancy for Primates and Tropical Forests Inc. (Miami): $76,605 Environmental – “Snails, Sustainability and Service Learning (SSS)”

3) Earth Learning Inc. (Miami): $79,512.5 - Environmental – “The Farm @ Verde Gardens”

4) Hillsborough Community College Foundation (Tampa): $31,555 - Environmental – “Tampa Bay Drifter Program”

5) Hispanic Unity of Florida, Inc. (Hollywood): $94,539.80 - Access to Higher Education – “The Unity 4 Teens Program’s ‘STEM in the Gardens Project’”

6) Junior Achievement of West Central Florida (Clearwater): $71,191.30 – “JA /State Farm Student Financial Leadership Program”

7) Miami Dade College Foundation Inc. (Miami): $25,569 - Community Safety and Natural Disaster Preparedness – “Toxic Truth – They’re Rich, You’re Dead”

8) Miami Science Museum (Miami): $63,330 - Environmental – “The Reclamation Project Eco Ambassadors Program”

9) Country Isles Elementary School (Weston): $54,780 – “Environmental Education Enrichment Program”

10) The Children’s Village - Resource Room (Miami Gardens): $75,450 – “TEEN CERT Community Emergency Response Team program”

11) The Humanity Project Inc. (Dania Beach): $57,895.30 - Health and Wellness – “The www.thp4kids.com website”

For additional information on the grants approved, to apply for a future grant, and how students can become State Farm Youth Advisory Board members, feel free to visit www.statefarmyab.com.