Explore Students at West Hills Elementary have received a $1,000 State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant in support of a project addressing community peace. Awarded by State Farm and YSA (Youth Service America), the youth-led project is designed to encourage student achievement and challenge young people to be “good neighbors” in improving their communities.

    The students at West Hills have studied Nobel Peace Prize winners from around the world, and now, they are looking to their community to recognize peace makers. Their project is entitled “Heroes for Peace.”

    “I think it is important for my students to learn about people who are making a positive difference in our community and to also be inspired to work for peace themselves,” said West Hills Explore Teacher Melody Clymer.

    The West Hills students are seeking nominations from the community for outstanding peace-makers in Meridian. They are searching for community members that have been devoted to helping people understand each other, have worked to make lives better for young people, have reached out to needy people from all walks of life, or have worked to reduce violence on our streets. If you know of someone who fits this description, please nominate them for the “Heroes for Peace” Award. Nomination forms are available for pick up at the West Hills Elementary School office or by calling (601) 484-4472. Nomination forms will be accepted through today. A special awards ceremony will be held on Friday, April 27 to honor the winner of the “Heroes for Peace” Award.

    West Hills is one of 75 State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant recipients nationwide. Grantees will implement YSA’s Semester of Service, a framework that engages students in at least 70 hours of service-learning to address community needs and meet academic standards. All projects will be tracked, with third-party evaluation of outcomes, including assessment of the project’s impact on students and on the community served. In addition to funding, grantees receive project support, toolkits and planning resources from YSA.

    “YSA and State Farm believe that the young people of West Hills Elementary can and should be ‘good neighbors,’ and that the service-learning model is an effective way to influence student achievement,” stated Steven A. Culbertson, president and CEO of YSA. “We owe it to our kids, to ourselves and to our future to invest in a culture where kids are expected to be a part of solving their community’s problems. State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants are a critical component to realizing that vision.”

    “State Farm truly believes in empowering young people to make change, because they understand the issues facing today’s communities, and have the passion and enthusiasm to tackle those issues. The Good Neighbor Grant program and its underlying service-learning model directly impacts student achievement, while benefitting communities and neighborhoods across America,” said Kathy Havens Payne, Senior Director of Education Leadership at State Farm.

    YSA (Youth Service America) improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5 to 25, serving in substantive roles. Through campaigns, grant programs, resource development and training opportunities, YSA promotes a global culture of engaged youth committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership and achievement. For more information, visit www.GYSD.org and www.YSA.org or contact Michelle Pendoley at (202) 650-5064 or mpendoley@ysa.org.

    Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is a campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. GYSD 2012 will be held on April 20-22 in more than 100 countries on six continents.