San Jose, California, October 23, 2012 – Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose (CDM) received a $26,500 service-learning grant for an environmental service-learning project from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board.
CDM is one of 68 community organizations to receive a service-learning, youth-led grant across the United States and Canada.
“Now in its 18th year, BioSITE (Students Investigating Their Environment) is CDM’s comprehensive environmental education program that combines field study of the Guadalupe River watershed with service to the community. Participants form a community of learners as high school students teach 4th graders, facilitate hands-on science activities, participate in reflection and skill-building, and invest in their community,” said State Farm YAB member Brianna Pang. “Service-learning is an excellent way to engage students outside of the traditional ‘chalk and blackboard’ model, and our board really liked this project’s core goals.”
“We are very grateful to the State Farm Youth Advisory Board for enabling us to implement and expand BioSITE,” said Marilee Jennings, CDM’s Executive Director. “State Farm YAB recognizes that the children of today are the scientists, teachers, and actively-engaged citizens of the future, and BioSITE is an investment in science education and environmental stewardship.”
“State Farm supports service-learning because it integrates service to the community into classroom curriculum using a hands-on approach to mastering subject material while fostering civic responsibility,” said State Farm spokesperson Sevag Sarkissian. “The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is a prime example of State Farm’s commitment to education, our community and our youth.”
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board has granted over $24 million in grant money since its inception in 2006, empowering youth to implement service-learning in 397 communities.
Additionally, applications are available for interested youth aged 17-20 to become Youth Advisory Board members. More information can be found at www.statefarmyab.com.
Sevag Sarkissian, Public Affairs Specialist, (510) 596-1639.
The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is a diverse group of 30 youth, ages 17-20, who were chosen through a competitive process to lead and oversee this $5 million/year signature service-learning initiative. The Youth Board identified the issues, issued competitive grants and will now provide technical assistance, communication and oversight to site grantees.
With over 150 interactive exhibits and programs, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose (CDM) is one of the largest museums of its kind in the nation. Since opening its doors in 1990, CDM has welcomed over 6 million visitors and has offered new exhibits each year that respond to children’s diverse educational needs. The striking 52,000 square foot purple building was designed by Mexico City-based architect Ricardo Legorreta and is a beacon of discovery. Encompassing the broad themes of community, connections and creativity, hands-on exhibits invite self-directed, open-ended explorations. For more information about the Museum, visit www.cdm.org.
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
