Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death among children and young adults. In 2008 alone, there were 37,261 driving fatalities in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that “25 percent of all deaths due to injuries are the result of road traffic injuries”. The leading causes of traffic and traffic-related deaths include impaired driving, improper or lack of seat belt use, speeding, fatigue, and distractions such as music and cell phones. To read more about some past grants that the Youth Advisory Board has funded:

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Every 26 seconds a child drops out of school. You could fill up Wrigley Field or Fenway Park with a capacity crowd each Saturday with the students that have dropped out that week. Research shows that most will never come back to get a diploma. Jobs that require post-secondary education make up more than 2/3 of new jobs. The dropout rate is a silent national crisis that needs to be stopped in its tracks. To read more about some past grants that the Youth Advisory Board has funded:

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For the average young adult in North America, opening a checking or savings account, applying for a credit card, or taking out a school loan requires little effort or understanding of the responsibility that they will incur. Past the age of 18, youth navigate a high-risk fiscal environment on a daily basis, yet are equipped with inadequate skills and knowledge to make the financial decisions that will affect them for decades. The roots of financial illiteracy run deeper than easy access to credit cards, beginning instead at an early age within the home. Less than a third of all parents express confidence in their abilities to discuss basic financial skills with their children and practices like insufficient retirement savings and the average debt load of $8,565.27 carried by households set poor examples for youth. Few schools address financial education content as part of a required curriculum. To read more about some past grants that the Youth Advisory Board has funded:

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Disaster preparedness encompasses school shootings such as at Columbine and Virginia Tech, hurricanes such as Katrina and Rita, and increasing nutritional imbalances. As these diverse yet equally exigent disasters unfold, the State Farm Youth Advisory Board has come to realize that disaster preparedness encompasses a broad variety of challenges and threats, from natural disasters to public health and safety issues like nutritional imbalances, physical exercise, bullying, physical & substance abuse, psychological disorders & suicide, sexually transmitted diseases and diversity & acceptance. To read more about some past grants that the Youth Advisory Board has funded:

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Over the past decades, nations, corporations, and populations have started to recognize that in order to maintain our quality of life, we must take care of the planet that sustains it. State Farm’s Environmental Responsibility issue area is dedicated to addressing this ever-growing ecological concern. Environmental Responsibility is an expansive topic with unlimited opportunity because all environmental matters are ultimately interconnected. From global climate change and environmental education to wildlife conservation and land preservation, this issue area seeks to fund projects that improve environmentally responsible behavior in local communities across the United States and Canada. To read more about some past grants that the Youth Advisory Board has funded:

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