State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants

State Farm™ is proud to team up with YSA (Youth Service America) in a dynamic partnership to offer grants of up to $1,000 for the promotion of service-learning projects in K-12 public schools in all fifty US states and the District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick.

Each grant will engage participating youth in service-learning, an effective teaching and learning strategy that promotes student learning, academic achievement, workplace readiness, and stronger communities. The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants encourage semester-long projects (a Semester of Service) that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 16, 2012) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012).

Up to 125 grants will be awarded; at least 10-15 grants will support projects addressing teen driver safety issues.

Applications must be submitted by November 9th, 2011.

YSA will host two application training webinars, September 27th at 3:00 EST and October 13th at 5:00 EST, for applicants to learn more about developing a successful project application.

Learn more at www.YSA.org/goodneighbor

Connect with YSA

YSA Funding Partners

Corporation for National and Community Service

News From the Field
Make the Call to Save Service on 9/15 National service programs are on the chopping block in Congress, their future in doubt. But your voice can change that. All programs under the Corporation for National and Community Service face devastating cuts in Congress in these tough times. But tough times are exactly when our nation should invest in these programs to create jobs, deliver results, and strengthen communities. That's why Save Service is organizing a national Call Day on September 15. Together, we can make thousands of calls and ensure that our leaders understand that funding national service must be a priority. Pledge to call and show your support. September 15 is also the same day that hundreds of service leaders are coming to DC to meet with Members of Congress. Calls made the same day amplify our message and ensure that we won't be ignored. http://bit.ly/elj4Kz

9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance For this year's 10-year anniversary of 9/11, we invite you to join many other Americans who will be participating in an extraordinary nationwide movement to pay tribute to the 9/11 victims, survivors, and those that rose in service, including the brave members of our military. Here's how: 1. Visit and "like" the 9/11 Tribute Movement Facebook fan page at http://Facebook.com/911day 2. Post a 140 character tribute, what you will do to remember this 9/11. This can be any special message, charitable activity, good deed, or other form of remembrance. 3. Share with your friends, family, and colleagues. Together we can create a remarkable and lasting tribute that will forever honor those who perished on 9/11 nearly a decade ago, while also honoring the many others who survived the attacks, came to the aid of those in need, and rose in defense of our nation. For more information about this observance, visit our website at http://911day.org	As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11, we are challenged to explain the significance of the event to America's young people - many of whom have no first-hand memory of the occasion. YSA offers experience in engaging youth by suggesting the following ten lessons learned and related ideas for service-learning projects: http://bit.ly/pKv13L

Grants & Awards

Sodexo Youth Grants

Deadline: September 16

YSA will award 25 Sodexo Youth Grants of $500 each to support youth-led service projects in the United States that address the issue of childhood hunger during National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week (November 13-20, 2011). We're looking for projects that engage your peers, friends, families, neighbors, Sodexo employees, and other community members in creative, youth-inspired solutions to ending childhood hunger in your community. Learn more at www.YSA.org/grants/sodexoyouth

Gulfsouth Youth Action Fund 2011 Youth Change Maker Awards

Deadline: September 16

These prestigious awards honor outstanding young people, ages 7 through 25, who have shown exemplary leadership in environmental activism, communications and media arts, entrepreneurship and community service initiatives in the Gulfsouth region. Finalists will be recognized and winners announced during the Youth Change Maker Awards Dinner on October 15, 2011 in New Orleans. Each Youth Change Maker Award recipient will be honored with a $500 donation to a non-profit organization or project of his or her choice. http://bit.ly/oiS47j

Campus Progress Grants

Deadline: September 29

If you are working toward real change in your community and growing the social justice movement, Campus Progress wants to help! Campus Progress provides campaign support and grants of up to $1,500 to young people working on strategic organizing and advocacy campaigns. Organizing Grants provide up to $1,500 a year to help with websites, flyers or whatever else you might need to make your campaign a success. Progressive Partnerships provides n experienced Campus Progress organizer to work with you to develop your campaign plan, offer guidance and training and help connect you to other activists in your community. Learn more: http://bit.ly/pnl153

UnitedHealth HEROES Grants

Deadline: October 17

The UnitedHealth HEROES program is a service-learning, health literacy initiative that awards grants to help youth, ages 5-25, create and implement local, hands-on programs to fight childhood obesity. The grants encourage semester-long projects that launch on MLK Day of Service and culminate on Global Youth Service Day. Schools, service-learning coordinators, non-profits, and students in the health professions located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply for the $500 - $1,000 grants. Learn more at www.YSA.org/HEROES

Everyday Young Heroes

Victoria Pan

Ridgewood, NJ

YSA recognizes seventeen year old Victoria Pan of Ridgewood, New Jersey, as one of our Everyday Young Heroes for her work to promote energy conservation.

Victoria started Students Saving Energy (SSE), a network that helps students across the nation collaborate to achieve the goals of energy conservation. She works with youth to help them start their own energy saving projects and educate their communities. Victoria also works with schools to promote sustainable energy-saving initiatives. One year ago, as the co-president of the Student for Environment Action club (SEA), Victoria started the Turn Off the Lights project to save energy and cut electricity costs in her school while raising awareness about energy conservation. SEA is keeping track of the numbers on the school electricity bill to monitor their progress, and as a result, they report that the electricity costs have gone down significantly compared to the costs during the same time period last year. As a result of this project, her entire school district is planning for the installation of a motion-sensored lighting system. In addition, SEA engages itself in various education outreach activities, such as making presentations to local elementary schools, organizing school-wide assemblies, and coordinating the town's Earth Day Fair. They also do targeted outreach to recruit new individual members and schools to join the SSE network. Victoria has also built a website and launched the "Sustainability Pledge" campaign which establishes connections between students who submit Sustainability Pledges to reduce their energy consumption.

In the future, Victoria hopes to explore even more ways to help her school become energy-efficient. After the installation of a motion-sensored lighting system, she plans to seek improvements like florescent light bulbs, solar panels, and smart meters. She will also continue to communicate with all the SSE schools about their progress and help them during their journeys as well. Finally, she plans to not only expand her network, but to help those schools achieve sound results. She wants to do whatever she can to give schools the tools they require, the advice they seek, and the moral support they need to not only start a project, but to carry it through. For her work to promote energy conservation in her school and her efforts to advocate for sustainable energy consumption at schools around the country, we honor Victoria as an Everyday Young Hero.

To nominate a young person who has improved their community through service to be recognized as an Everyday Young Hero, please visit www.ysa.org/awards/hero.

Resources & Trainings

NYLC Back-To-School Webinar Series

Whether you are a teacher interested in improving your service-learning practice, an administrator searching for research on best practices, or a community service professional looking for innovative ways to integrate service-learning into your programming, NYLC's programs and resources can help improve your practice.

Getting Started in the Generator School Network
Thurs., Sept. 15 - 4:00 p.m. (ET); 3:00 p.m. (CT); 2:00 p.m. (MT); 1:00 p.m. (PT)
Discover project organization tools, curricular planning materials, assessment guides, and an interactive multimedia tool designed to support professional development rooted in the high-quality practice standards.

All about NYLC Programs
Wed., Sept. 28 - 5:00 p.m. (ET); 4:00 p.m. (CT); 3:00 p.m. (MT); 2:00 p.m. (PT)
This webinar will acquaint participants with various NYLC programs. Participants will also learn how they may get involved in NYLC programs.

All about NYLC Resources
Thurs., Oct. 20 - 4:00 p.m. (ET); 3:00 p.m. (CT); 2:00 p.m. (MT); 1:00 p.m. (PT)
This webinar will give you an introduction to a variety of NYLC's printed and online resources and how best to use them in your practice.

Learn more and register at: http://bit.ly/pG0aR3

LGBT Youth and Bullying: A New Guide

"Queer Youth Advice for Educators: How to Respect and Protect Your Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students" is a unique resource that brings the voices of queer youth to the educator's table. Commissioned by WKCD, author Abe Louise Young spent six months traveling the country and talking to LGBT youth about what they need in the classroom. (In a school of 1,000 students, up to 100 will be gay, lesbian, or bisexual. If their lives are average, 87 of them will be verbally harassed, 40 of them will be physically harassed, and 19 will be physically assaulted in the next year, because of their sexual orientation or gender expression. 62 will feel mostly unsafe going to school. 30 will harm themselves in what may be suicide attempts.) The youth make clear that it's not being LGBT that causes the problems. The problems are the outcome of intolerant actions and speech by peers, parents, teachers, clergy, and strangers. Bullying is a symptom of the culture. By educating ourselves and being allies to queer youth, we can help keep students alive and thriving and create an inclusive, nonviolent school climate. http://bit.ly/nokrPW

Energize Inc. Resources

Every week Energize Inc. highlights four different resource areas and a vendors on their homepage under the heading "1000+ site pages, so little time!" Like a grab bag, this lets you dip into new information regularly. For example, you might find: