On February 25, the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, in partnership with State Farm, announced that it will grant $1,572,530 to service-learning based, youth-led projects focused on disaster preparedness across the United States and Canada .

According to Sue Sampson, a public affairs specialist with State Farm, Northampton Community College is one of only 29 organizations in the country to receive grants two years in a row. Sampson and other representatives of State Farm came to NCC on February 25 to present the College with a check for $61,253 to expand service learning initiatives begun last year.

The State Farm agents who attended the ceremony commended Maryellen Keegan, an emergency services technology major, and other members of the Student Leadership Program from NCC’s Monroe Campus for the work they have already done to make people aware of the dangers of flooding and steps than can be taken to preserve life and property.

The first year grant enabled the students to undertake four projects: creating a rain garden on the College’s Monroe Campus to absorb runoff from the roof and to serve as a model for sustainable storm water management and flood prevention; designing a curriculum to educate middle school students about problem-solving, using floods and best management practices for storm water as a case study; creating a video called “Floodman and the Floodkateers” (described by Mary Ellen Keegan at left) to entertain and educate children in lower elementary school grades about steps to take to stay safe in a flood; and working with the Delaware River Flood Museum in Easton and teachers from Easton High School on a mapping project.

With funding for a second year, the College intends to sponsor six additional service-learning projects in which students and faculty members from NCC’s Humanities/Social Science Division, Business and Technology Division, and Allied Health and Sciences Division work with teachers in local school districts and with other community partners to address needs related to flood mitigation, preparedness awareness, preservation of natural resources, and other environmental issues in Northampton and Monroe counties.

In thanking State Farm for their support, NCC’s dean of business and technology, Jeffrey Focht, said the grants enable students to get out of the classroom and to apply what they’ve learned to benefit the community. Project coordinator Laurie Rosenberg emphasized that the projects require real leadership of the students. “I told [the students involved in the first year] it was not a simulation, and they rolled up their sleeves and got to it.”

Through the Youth Advisory Board initiative, State Farm’s goal is to encourage and empower young people to take leadership roles in their community and to effect positive change. Composed of students who range in age from 17-20, the Board administers $5 million in grants on State Farm’s behalf.

For a complete list of funded projects, visit www.statefarmyab.com.

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About State Farm: State Farm® insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., the leading insurer of watercraft 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 the Youth Advisory Board: 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.

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 www.nylc.org, www.ysa.org, www.service-learningpartnership.org and statefarm.com/about/part_spos/community/ed_excel/servlrng.asp.