State Farm is showing its support for water-quality projects at the local level.

In June, the State Farm Youth Advisory Board awarded conservation organization Love A Sea Turtle a $42,799 service-learning grant for the River Guardians project, according to a press release.

Now, with the support of Washington agent Mauri Evans, Greenville agent Timothy Sawyer and Partnership for the Sounds, that grant money is culminating into an initiative to teach students about water-quality testing, growing to include the North Carolina Estuarium and then Bath Elementary School this fall.

“State Farm supports service-learning because it integrates service to the community into classroom curriculum using a hands-on approach to mastering subject material while fostering civic responsibility,” State Farm Sales Leader Greg Monroe stated in the release. “The State Farm Youth Advisory Board is a prime example of the State Farm commitment to education, our community and our youth.”

The Youth Advisory Board has awarded $32 million in grant money since it was founded a decade ago, according to the release.

Through River Guardians, the Estuarium has already received testing equipment, and the plan is to eventually teach students how to measure oxygen and nitrogen amounts, pH, water temperature, flow rate and salinity in the Pamlico River, according to Russ Chesson, operations and program specialist at the Estuarium.

“It’s a great partnership,” Chesson said. “We’re both looking at educating young people.”

Dan Sokolovic, with Love A Sea Turtle, said the testing data is also shared with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, as well as wastewater and water treatment facilities.

“We put the equipment there, and we allow the greater community to do that,” Sokolovic said.

For all of Love A Sea Turtle’s success, he said it wouldn’t be possible without the partnerships.

“We could not do this without State Farm,” Sokolovic said. “It’s amazing. It’s a great commitment.”