State Farm funds national, local activities for 2010

Youth volunteerism joins a global community as after-school students from Southwest Elementary prepare a community garden for Global Youth Service Day on Friday, April 23. Students are assisted by State Farm staff and AmeriCorps members from Harris County Department of Education’s Cooperative for After-School Enrichment.

What: Kids create a community garden for Global Youth Service Day

When: Friday, April 23, media opportunity from 1-2 p.m.

Where: Southwest Elementary School, 8440 Bissonnet St., 77074

Who: Second and third graders enrolled in CASE after-school program at Southwest Elementary; staff from State Farm, sponsor of Global Youth Service Day; and CASE AmeriCorps members and CASE staff

Contact: Carol Vaughn, 281-660-9205, HCDE or Justin Jackson, 713-828-4850, CASE

The garden project is a culminating event which celebrates Global Youth Service Day, an annual event that mobilizes millions of children to improve their communities through service and service-learning. The children are planting fruit and vegetable trees inside the elementary school garden.

Through their CASE after-school program, these children have learned about healthy living throughout the year, said CASE Assistant Director Trina Finley. This is a celebration of mastering that curriculum while also valuing the importance of community service, she said.

Harris County Department of Education’s CASE is the 2010 lead organization in greater Harris County for the Global Youth Service Day coordinated by Youth Service America. CASE organizers traveled earlier this year to Youth Service America headquarters in Washington, D.C. to share in the planning, reporting and coordinating community groups for the cause of youth service. Since 1988, Global Youth Service Day has grown to include hundreds of partners and millions of participating youth worldwide. For more information about events during the April 23-25 weekend, access www.gysd.org.

State Farm Companies Foundation provides support globally for Global Youth Service Day. State Farm officials also plan to deliver a $2,000 check locally for the event. State Farm Insurance is proud to be a sponsor of this program that benefits our youth in a significant way, said State Farm agent Theo Franklin. Programs such as these allow our youth to learn civic responsibility and develop meaningful leadership and team building skills, he said.