Chatham Community Service Learning Club Awarded $1,000 To Lead A Service-Learning Campaign For Global Youth Service Day
By Christina Wessell
State Farm Companies Foundation Supports Service-Learning Projects in Chatham and Across America CHATHAM, MA – 3/25/08 – The Community Service Learning Club: Children Changing the World One Project at a Time,  will receive a $1,000 award to launch a service-learning project for Global Youth Service Day on April 25, 26 and 27, 2008.  Chatham Elementary School is one of 100 State Farm® Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award winners chosen by Youth Service America and funded by State Farm Companies Foundation. Chatham Elementary students will launch a week long program designed to increase environmental awareness.  Four radio stations affiliated with Cape Cod Broadcasting will provide event coverage throughout the week.  On Saturday, April 26, students will be at Chatham Village Market throughout the day.  Paper grocery bags, donated by the market, have been decorated with “reduce, reuse, recycling” slogans by students in Grades 1-6.  As they help bag groceries, students will highlight environmental issues from conservation to global warning as they perform musical excerpts from the show Assignment Earth.  On Friday, May 2, the show will be performed in its entirety.  Its message is how we can all make small changes to save our planet.  The play has provided opportunities for students to learn about multiple environmental issues and the ways they can be addressed.  The show will also encourage all viewing it to join students on Saturday, May 3, to participate in a clean-up at Harding’s Beach learning.  Global and community organizations such as International Fund for Animal Welfare, Stop & Shop, EcoRoo Catering, and others will support the efforts of beach cleaners by providing snacks, t-shirts, and other incentives.  The events will conclude with a celebration barbecue hosted for students by the Chatham Fire Department. Cheri Armstrong, facilitator of the Community Service Learning Club, in conjunction with Chatham Youth Services, said, “We are so proud of our students who, at such a young age, have demonstrated a commitment to civic participation and responsibility.”  “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   Global Youth Service Day is the largest 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 campaigns. Overseas, national lead agencies in more than 100 countries participate. Youth Service America is a national 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: www.YSA.org. State Farm® insures more cars than any other insurer in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve over 75 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®. # # # Media Contact:    Cheri Armstrong        Community Service Learning Club    Chatham Elementary School 508-945-5135                cheriarmstrong at hotmail.com
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