CREA Receives 2009 State Farm Grant

The Cathance River Education Alliance (CREA) was recently awarded a $52,000 grant by State Farm’s Youth Advisory Board Committee. The Youth Advisory Board is comprised of thirty students, ages 17-20, from across the United States and Canada. They are charged with helping State Farm design and implement a $5 million-a-year signature service-learning initiative to address issues important to State Farm and to communities across the United States and Canada. CREA’s grant will help continue its Environmental Youth Leadership Initiative. "With the help of State Farm, we will be able to continue our leadership program for another year and expand our abilities so that we can reach out to a broader audience of young children as well as people of all ages within the local community," Linnea Tilberg, CREA Environmental Youth Leader.

This program began in 2007 when four Brunswick High students designed a service-learning project using the special “green” features of the Cathance River Ecology Center to teach elementary students resource conservation and sustainability. In 2008 acting on the lead of these students and with State Farm support, CREA developed the Environmental Youth Leadership (EYL) experience as an ongoing project.  CREA created a team of twenty-four sophomores and juniors from Brunswick, Morse, and Mt. Ararat High Schools and trained them in developing environmental lessons that they presented in a range of settings. The CREA EYLs have conducted lessons with summer campers, with elementary school children during after-school and weekend programs, and with adults and mixed-age audiences at community events. CREA’s EYLs have also helped at workshops and contributed via website and internet. “We are thrilled that State Farm recognizes the importance of youth voice in environmental education.  CREA has three local high schools (Brunswick, Mt. Ararat, and Morse) involved in cutting edge student leadership programs that focus on environmental issues. We appreciate State Farm’s support and look forward to our best year yet,” Rick Wilson, CREA Executive Director.  

In 2009 CREA will expand the EYL program to 30 students. Participants will still be selected from three local school districts. Each EYL will be responsible for attending training sessions, completing presentations, and choosing either a video production or environmental education project. “As a graduating EYL I am excited that this new State Farm grant will allow the expansion of the EYL program. Ideas such as handicap accessible trails and GPS mapping can now be completed by future generations of EYLs,” Marshall Shepherd, CREA Environmental Youth Leader.

Their 2009 theme is “Get Outside To Learn.”  It addresses the growing concern about getting children (of all ages) outside, engaged in physical activity, reconnecting with nature and learning about the environment and our responsibility to care for it. CREA staff and volunteers will again arrange training and enrichment opportunities, supervise field trips, and provide any support EYL’s need in preparing and presenting their lessons, and developing their team project. Students have the primary responsibility for designing lessons, arranging presentations, and choosing a service learning project to complete. They will also be required to explore careers and conduct interviews within the fields of sustainable energy, ecology, field research, and environmental policy.