State Farm's Partnership with the America's Promise Alliance

How It All Began
For decades, State Farm has partnered with non-profits and educators to help improve public education and student achievement for all children. The Company is particularly committed to service-learning and teacher quality since both impact improved  student achievement for all children.

Chairman and CEO Ed Rust  Jr. was one of five people honored with the National Promise of America Award, given by America's Promise Alliance at the White House on May 13, 2004.  Introductory comments included:  "As chairman and CEO of State Farm Insurance Companies, Edward B. Rust, Jr. exemplifies the powerful impact that corporate champions for youth can have. Key to his vision is ensuring that service-learning is part of our nation’s educational landscape." That occasion marked the beginning of State Farm's partnership with the America's Promise Alliance.

Why StateFarmCares
State Farm must do all it can as a business leader and corporate citizen to help youth succeed in school and in life.

The challenge is not a small one. One million American children dropping out of school each year means one million fewer children with the education and resources needed to help them succeed. For businesses like State Farm, it means one million fewer strong candidates headed into the work force each year. 

Colleges and employers expend huge amounts of time and resources yearly to provide remedial training for young people who have graduated from high school without the necessary knowledge and skills required for the 21st century workforce. This inadequate preparation, in turn, increases costs for businesses.  More importantly, it weakens our nation’s ability to compete in a global economy.

These factors combine to make the America’s Promise Alliance dropout prevention campaign a natural fit for State Farm.

About the America’s Promise Alliance’s 15-in-5 Campaign
Every Child, Every Promise, an America's Promise Alliance research paper funded by State Farm, showed that children who have the “Five Promises” experience  the academic, social and civic outcomes that help youth succeed during their youth and throughout adulthood. The Alliance is working to guarantee every child receives the fundamental developmental benefits represented by each Promise.

To achieve this goal,  in the course of five years, through the 15 in 5 initiative, America's Promise Alliance will attempt to provide at least one more of the Five Promises to 15 million of our nation’s most disadvantaged youth.

The strategy to do so is based  in  three National Action Strategies.:
All Kids Covered- Ensure that all eligible children are enrolled in SCHIP and Medicaid.

Where the Kids Are- Beginning with schools as hubs, integrate school and community services so at-risk children receive more Promises year round.

Ready for the Real World- Engage every middle-school student in service learning and career exploration by designing “real-world” experiences relevant to them.

About the APA
Building on the legacy of its founding Chairman, General Colin Powell, APA is the leader in forging a strong and effective partnership alliance.  It is committed to seeing that children experience the fundamental resources they need to succeed - the Five Promises - at home, in school and out in the community. The success of our children is grounded in having caring adults in their lives, safe places, a healthy start, an effective education, and opportunities to help others.

APA is the largest bi-partisan alliance of corporations, nonprofit organization, foundations, policymakers, advocacy and faith groups committed to harnessing the collective strengths of a partner network. The power of the alliance is greater than the sum of its parts.

Why APA exists
APA is an alliance born of the recognition that when too many of our children are at risk, we are a nation at risk. With less than one-third of America's young people receiving enough of the essential resources they need for success, our nation’s children are at a greater risk of substance abuse, crime and dropping out of school. We can't afford this loss of human potential and, therefore, reversing this tide must be a national priority.

APA has seen first-hand that if children receive at least four of the Five Promises, their chances for success dramatically increases.
 
What APA does
Through increasing awareness, advocating for children, and engaging in a few powerful initiatives, APA uses the strength of its partners to more effectively and strategically bring the power of the Five Promises to America's children - enabling them to have the resources they need to succeed in life, to lead happier, healthier and productive lives, and to build a stronger society.