ESC Region 12 Awarded $99,000 Service Learning Grant
State Farm grant will create Teen Community Emergency Response Teams in 10 rural areas in Central Texas

WACO, Texas – Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12 was among 83 recipients nationwide, one of seven in Texas, to receive a service learning grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. The $99,000 grant will be used to build Teen Community Emergency Response Teams (TEEN-CERT) in 10 rural communities throughout Central Texas that have limited access to immediate police, fire or emergency medical resources.

The counties and ten school districts currently participating include:

• Bosque County – Iredell and Meridian ISDs
• Falls County – Chilton and Rosebud-Lott ISDs
• Hill County – Aquilla and Bynum ISDs
• Limestone County – Coolidge, Groesbeck and Mexia ISDs
• McLennan County – Axtell ISD

“By building these teams within rural communities, it will contribute to the well being of the community. It also protects the school by making it less susceptible for violence,” stated Nancy Cross, team leader in accountability and federal programs at ESC Region 12. “We also feel this program will provide the resources and inspire students who have an interest in pursuing careers in public service fields.”

Through the TEEN-CERT project, students and community volunteers will train and serve side-by-side to become first-responders at community events, school activities and emergency incidents. TEEN-CERT teams will learn how to demonstrate three service-learning goals:

The year-long program will have 20 students from each district selected through an application process. Students will be trained by the Citizen Corps program through the Heart of Texas Council of Governments, and will receive first aid, AED, CPR and CERT training. Each school district will also receive a classroom set of first aid manuals and kits, and participants will be equipped with vests, hard hats and safety kits. Also, each ISD will be given a laptop, projector and digital camera to record their activities and help promote the service within their school and the community.

For more information about the TEEN-CERT program, contact Nancy Cross at 254.297.1207 or ncross@esc12.net.

About State Farm Youth Advisory Board
Thirty students, ages 17-20, from across the United States and Canada comprise the State Farm® Youth Advisory Board. 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 communities across the United States and Canada. Members of this distinguished youth board play a critical leadership role in creating and overseeing the initiative that will address five community issues chosen by the board. The 2009-2010 State Farm Youth Advisory Board chose financial education, access to higher education/closing the achievement gap, natural and societal disaster preparedness, teen driver safety and environmental responsibility to address through a competitive grant process.

About ESC Region 12
One of 20 regional education service centers statewide, the Education Service Center Region 12 (ESC Region 12) is dedicated to serving school districts, charter schools and area private/parochial schools in improving student performance. ESC Region 12 partners with school districts to deliver services and solutions to educators so they may help all children be successful.

Based in Waco, with satellite offices in Corsicana, Hamilton, Nolanville, and Teague, the ESC Region 12’s service area includes Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Lampasas, Limestone, McLennan, Mills, and Navarro counties.