Follow the Leader

With the recent decreases in funding from the federal government and as the service-learning field continues to grow, it will be extremely important to establish more relationships with the private sector. It's wonderful that a company such as State Farm recognizes and supports the work of our field and the hope is that more companies will follow their lead. Check out their site to find out more about their contributions to service-learning.

State Farm truly believes in service-learning and sees it as a true vehicle to help students achieve academically, to build their civic responsibility, and to cultivate an environment in which individuals feel that they can and must contribute to the local community. Moreover, State Farm recognizes that through service-learning, students are learning to apply their skills and knowledge to solve real life problems. These are the types of experiences that will undeniably help our young people become better citizens as well as better prepared as they eventually enter the workforce.

Let's hope other companies will follow State Farm's lead and support service-learning. We can't continue to be the best kept secret. We need both the public and private sectors to know what the field already knows and what David Eisner has stated, "we know with certainty that service-learning is good for young people, good for communities and good for America."

Seung Yu - SEANet/National Service-Learning Partnership