The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Importance of Teen Auto Safety Through Service-Learning

State Farm(R) and NYLC(TM) Will Announce Project Ignition Winner and Service-Learning Research Findings

PHILADELPHIA, March 21 -- On March 24, at The 17th Annual National Service-Learning Conference in Philadelphia, State Farm(R) and the National Youth Leadership Council will announce the winner of Project Ignition 2005-2006, their teen-driver-safety media campaign competition.

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in the United States. In 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that the fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes for 16- to 20-year-olds was more than twice that of all other ages combined.

To address this problem, Project Ignition has enlisted schools across the country to launch service-leaning projects promoting teen driver safety. Each year, 25 projects are funded and 10 finalists are selected to present their projects at The National Service-Learning Conference, where one team is named "best in show," earning its school a $10,000 grant from State Farm to be used for ongoing driver-safety service-learning programs.

"Good driving habits are formed at an early age, and this program recognizes and rewards students that develop exceptional safety awareness programs for their schools and communities," said Leif Roll, vice president of Customer & Product Marketing for State Farm. "This is one of many initiatives that State Farm uses to engage young people in a way that's relevant to their daily lives."

The award ceremony will be held March 24, 2006, 6:30 p.m., at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, and is open to media and conference attendees. Representatives from the schools, State Farm and NYLC will be available for media interviews from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on March 23 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

  The 2005-2006 Project Ignition finalists are:

  --  Carson High School, Carson City, Nev.
  --  Chagrin Falls High School, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
  --  Fleming High School, Flemingsburg, Ky.
  --  Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School, Gibson City, Ill.
  --  Medina Valley High School, Castroville, Texas
  --  Northeast High School, Oakland Park, Fla.
  --  Shallowater High School, Shallowater, Texas
  --  Slinger High School, Slinger, Wis.
  --  Tekoa High School, Tekoa, Wash.
  --  Topeka Seaman High School, Topeka, Kan.

"We are thrilled to partner with a company so dedicated to service-learning," said NYLC President and CEO Jim Kielsmeier. "They've seen its power as a community-building tool, educational method and youth-development model, and have made a tremendous organizational commitment to our work and the work of our partners in the service-learning movement."

  Other examples of NYLC programming sponsored by State Farm:
  --  Resources for Recovery is a coalition of partners led by the NYLC, and
  supported by State Farm, that gets students and young people actively
  involved with disaster recovery in areas affected by natural disaster,
  while simultaneously helping them bolster their academic skills and
  build for a better future.
  --  The new National Survey on Service-Learning and Transitioning to
  Adulthood examines service-learning's potential to ease the transition
  to adulthood and identifies its benefits.  The survey was conducted by
  Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of the National Youth Leadership
  Council and funded by State Farm.  The survey was produced as part of
  NYLC's Growing to Greatness: The State of Service-Learning Project.
  --  The NYLC Resource Center is a highly searchable online library that
  provides educators, policy-makers and young people with the tools and
  information they need to implement successful service-learning
  projects and policy.  The Resource Center, funded by State Farm, draws
  on the work of leading service-learning professionals and NYLC's two
  decades of experience.

Project Ignition is currently accepting applications for the 2006-2007 school year. Applications must be submitted online at http://www.sfprojectignition.com/ , and are due April 15, 2006.

About The National Service-Learning Conference

The National Service Learning-Conference is the largest gathering of youths and practitioners from the service-learning movement. In 2005, it drew nearly 2,900 participants from all 50 states and 41 other countries.

About State Farm

State Farm(R) 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 76,000 employees serve nearly 73 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada. State Farm also offers financial services products. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 18 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com/ (R) or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca/ .

About NYLC

NYLC has been at the center of service-learning program and policy development since 1983. It annually convenes The National Service-Learning Conference, offers adult and youth trainings and develops service-learning resources. For more information, please visit http://www.nylc.org/ .

About Service-Learning

Service-learning is a teaching method that enriches learning by engaging students in meaningful service to their schools and communities. It integrates service with established learning objectives, emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving, and tackles real issues such as hunger, ecological concerns and diversity.