Achievement gap among timely issues students tackle

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than two thousand students, educators, and government leaders from all 50 states and a dozen countries will convene at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, Ga., April 6-9, to demonstrate how young people apply academic learning to address some of the most challenging issues of this century: the achievement gap, the environment, and peace-making. Unlike other professional gatherings, the National Service-Learning Conference features young people who lead many of the workshops, serve as keynote speakers, and host discussions — just as they are leading the call for democratic change across the globe.

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The St. Paul, Minn.-based National Youth Leadership Council gathers service and service-learning practitioners each year for this event that honors national leaders, features best practices, showcases model projects, and sets research and policy agendas, all with the support of Leadership Sponsor State Farm Insurance®.

"Service-learning is authentic," says NYLC CEO Kelita Bak. "There are so many opportunities for students to apply their academic skills to real community needs: tutoring younger students, creating school gardens, developing public service campaigns on teen driver safety, for example ― all while strengthening their own grasp of theoretical concepts."

Youth and adults alike will explore hundreds these powerful learning experiences during workshops, on- and off-site projects, and keynote addresses. On Thursday, Greg Mortenson, renowned international project leader and author of New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea will discuss his far-reaching efforts to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan and how young people are involved in the work. Civil rights leader Dorothy Cotton and educator Naomi Tutu, daughter of South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, will participate in a cross-generational gathering of youth and elders on Friday.

The event also is a catalyst for a range of service-learning projects on-site and in the community. At the Hyatt, participants will explore issues such as water access, human rights, and genocide. Off-site teams will help recent immigrant families resettle, plant community gardens, and refurbish exhibit areas at the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site.

Consider joining this remarkable event. Single- and multiple-day on-site registration is available.  To learn more, visit www.nylc.org/conference.

A range of online opportunities, including webinars featuring keynote speakers, also are available for those unable to participate in-person. Visit www.nylc.org/bookstore to learn more.

About NYLC

NYLC has been at the center of service-leaning programs and policy development since 1983. The organization convenes the Annual National Service-Learning Conference, offers adult and youth trainings, runs model programs, directs service-learning research, and develops service-learning resources. Its mission is to create a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world with young people, their schools, and their communities through service-learning.

About Service-Learning

Service-learning is a teaching method that enriches learning by engaging students in meaningful service to their schools and communities by integrating the process with established learning objectives. It emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving, and tackles real issues such as hunger, the environment, and the educational achievement gap.

About State Farm ®

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Its 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts ― more than 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®. 

SOURCE National Youth Leadership Council