Empowering the Next Generation: How The Allstate Foundation Fuels Impact through Youth-Led Service

When it comes to student wellbeing, formal academics are only one piece of the puzzle. To truly thrive, kids need to form connections with their communities, develop a sense of purpose, and learn new skills hands-on. And students can’t learn that from a textbook alone!

But there’s a powerful solution that ties all these elements together: youth-led service.

Students get the chance to take on responsibility and solve social problems, and local communities get their needs met. Students gain a sense of responsibility and an opportunity to solve social problems, and local communities receive much-needed support. In fact, a report by The Allstate Foundation and the Center for Expanding Leadership and Opportunity found that 80% of young people see the positive effects of youth-led service. 

The Allstate Foundation empowers youth to serve and improve communities by providing them with opportunities and resources, and last year they saw huge results. The Foundation funded DonorsChoose projects inspired by TIME for Kids Service Stars, donating nearly $800,000 to bring 1,816 student-led community service projects to life in 787 schools. The results were overwhelmingly positive for both teachers and students.

“At The Allstate Foundation, we believe young people can change the world — they just need the right tools and support. That’s how we can help — connecting young people to the resources and organizations to help them make an impact on communities. DonorsChoose and TIME for Kids were two partners that are perfectly positioned to help connect young people to service,” said Greg Weatherford II, The Allstate Foundation’s Youth Empowerment program officer. 

Curious about how they did it? Read on to discover how The Allstate Foundation sparked a wave of youth-led service in classrooms across the country — and learn how teachers can get students involved this year.

The Allstate Foundation teamed up with youth-focused organizations to inspire and support student-led service projects in classrooms across the country

When Greg Weatherford II stepped into the helm as The Allstate Foundation’s Youth Empowerment program officer in 2022, his mission was clear: inspire a generation of changemakers by giving young people the tools they need to serve their communities. It’s a goal near and dear to Greg, as someone who started his own service journey on his school campus when he was young, and went on to start his own nonprofit at the age of 12. Those early opportunities to give back were a catalyst for a career dedicated to service. With his own experience in mind, Greg knew that to bring this ambitious vision to life, The Allstate Foundation would need the right partners. 

First, teachers and students would need that spark of inspiration to create their community service project. Then, they’d need the resources to make those projects happen.

Leveraging the combined reach of The Allstate Foundation, TIME for Kids, and DonorsChoose to engage teachers and students

By building a strategic team of partners, The Allstate Foundation has created a unique program that both inspires kids and equips them to make a real change in their community. 

1: Give students (and teachers) the inspiration and knowledge needed to serve their community

The Allstate Foundation paired up with TIME for Kids to create Service Stars, a regular feature celebrating kids who are making a positive change in their communities. Through Service Stars, TIME for Kids features a mission each month related to community service, for example, “Fight Hunger” or “Protect Animals”. They’re fun, easy to understand, and act as a toolkit to help students — and teachers — understand how to implement these projects in their communities.

"For 30 years, TIME for Kids has empowered educators to help students understand and engage with the world around them. Now, with Service Stars, we are encouraging kids to take action in their communities and make service a priority. We're proud to equip teachers with the resources they need to show the next generation that even the smallest actions can create big impact." –Andrea Delbanco, Editor in Chief, TIME for Kids

2: Fund the resources students need to lead community service projects

Next, The Allstate Foundation joined forces with DonorsChoose to help teachers create projects requesting the resources their students would need to bring the Service Stars community service missions to life. DonorsChoose screened all projects to make sure the requested materials aligned with the community service mission, and a $500 donation from The Allstate Foundation was automatically applied to these projects once approved.

“The resources we deliver to students through the Service Stars campaign create double the impact — in addition to facilitating valuable student learning experiences, these materials benefit the broader community. DonorsChoose is proud to partner with The Allstate Foundation and TIME for Kids to inspire this powerful change.” —Alix Guerrier, CEO, DonorsChoose

Students weren’t just inspired, they were equipped with the right tools — and communities across America benefitted 

Thanks to The Allstate Foundation, 1,816 projects were funded across 787 schools, with 85% of those funded projects supporting low-income communities. With the combined powers of The Allstate Foundation, TIME for Kids, and DonorsChoose, students and teachers across the country weren’t just encouraged to partake in community service learning projects: they were provided the right tools to make an impact.

Mrs. Yokoyama’s class transformed the only non-asphalt corner of their school’s campus into a thriving food garden, nourishing the school community and giving fellow students a better understanding of food sustainability.

Ms. Dewar Dituri’s class was able to continue their tradition of putting together Valentine’s cards and gifts for veterans at the local Veterans Administration Hospital, helping students develop social-emotional skills and give back to community members in need of support and connection.

The Allstate Foundation’s unique approach of empowering youth to serve and improve communities is an incredible example of turning lessons into practice. Funding projects like these have lasting positive impacts on communities across the country, and students will continue to thrive thanks to the responsibilities and lessons learned while participating in acts of service. We’re so grateful to our partners at The Allstate Foundation for continuing to create opportunities for change!

Teachers, get involved by checking out this year’s community service missions and learning how to submit a project.

Visit our Partner Center to reach out to our team and learn how DonorsChoose can help achieve your corporate social responsibility goals.