Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Beef Group launched a partnership in February with Destination Education aimed at helping to close the gap that currently separates underprivileged middle and high school students in Green Bay from a post-secondary education.

The community educational partnership will be driven by Learners to Leaders, a new national educational alliance funded by Smithfield Foods and made up of Smithfield's independent operating companies and local educational partners.

"We're very excited to be able to expand the Learners to Leaders alliance to Green Bay," said Kelley Kline, assistant vice president of environmental and corporate affairs at Smithfield Foods. "A solid educational foundation certainly helps to make a community a better place to live, raise a family, work and do business."

The alliance's goal is to help reinforce what the organizers believe is the most critical part of any community's foundation, the education of its youth. The first Smithfield Foods Learners for Leaders local initiative in the country was launched in Sioux Falls, S.D. in December of last year.

The Learners to Leaders alliance will be administered locally by Green Bay-based Destination Education, a non-profit organization that provides support services to educational institutions and communities to promote the importance of education and its role in cultivating the skills necessary for students to become productive, caring and responsible citizens.

The program uses a $75,000 contribution from Smithfield Foods' Learners to Leaders alliance to focus on students from underprivileged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in college. They can include first-generation college-bound students, as well as low-income and minority students.

"The Smithfield Foods Learners to Leaders alliance is an invaluable tool for helping our young people fulfill their potential through a post-secondary education," said Richard Vesta, president of Smithfield Beef Group, which is headquartered in Green Bay. "Through this program we will emphasize academic preparation, early parental involvement, career exploration and pre-college experiences."

Through Learners to Leaders, 200 to 350 eligible middle and high school students from the Green Bay School District will have the opportunity to participate in leadership conferences, education workshops, cultural activities and incentive trips. The kickoff activity is a leadership conference for high school students in May.

According to Tori Nelson, chief executive officer for Destination Education, there is a critical need for a program such as Learners to Leaders.

"Oftentimes, students just need a chance," said Nelson. "These are young people who have special social, economic or academic challenges to overcome, but they have the potential, and eagerness, to learn the skills they need to succeed. Learners to Leaders will give them that chance."

Destination Education will be assisted by the state of Wisconsin's Department of Public Instruction, which will help identify and select qualified Green Bay students for Learners to Leaders.

Smithfield Foods plans to launch similar educational partnerships in communities where its subsidiaries are located throughout the United States and in Europe.

"Our ultimate goal is to bring Learner to Leaders to as many communities as possible where our employees live and work," said Larry Pope. "We have always been firm believers in giving back to our communities, and we can think of no better way than to bring educational opportunities to underprivileged youth to help them achieve their dreams."

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Smithfield Packing announced in December that it would donate 100 pounds of ham to the Thomas Jefferson Food Bank in Charlottesville, VA. The contribution was in conjunction with Smithfield's year-long sponsorship of University of Virginia's basketball, and UVA v. North Carolina State game "Ham for the Holidays" sponsorship on December 6th. The Thomas Jefferson Food Bank was chosen to receive the donation based on the organization's long-standing support of the local community. The food bank is a chapter of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network, which has distributed over 86 million pounds of food since it was established in 1981. The Thomas Jefferson Area branch serves the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Albermarle, Buckingham, Culpeper, Fluvana, Greene, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock.

Smithfield's game sponsorship will also include "Ham for the Holidays" promotions and giveaways during the game.

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