Created in response to the tremendous long-term needs of those affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Resources for Recovery taps the power of young people through service-learning as a sustainable, effective force for disaster preparedness and recovery.

The initiative connects individuals and organizations — including local state education associations — that are mobilizing youths to stem the impact of natural disasters through service and learning, creating a network for sharing ideas, coordinating responses, identifying best practices, and providing support to affected communities.

Though the initial focus is on the crisis caused by Katrina and Rita, Resources for Recovery's end goal is not only the recovery of the Gulf Coast region, but also the creation of replicable, youth-centered disaster-preparedness and relief models.

Resource for Recovery partners include Common Cents, Education Commission of the States' National Center for Learning and Citizenship, Florida Alliance for Student Service, Help Thy Neighbor Ministries, Inc./Youth Services Initiative (Milton, Fla.), Institute for Global Education and Service-Learning, National Dropout Prevention Center, The National Service-Learning Exchange, NYLC, and Texas Center for Service-Learning.