East Hartford, CT (Vocus/PRWEB) December 02, 2010- The SYTA Youth Foundation (SYF), the philanthropic sister organization of the Student & Youth Travel Association, began its Silver Lining Program in 2006 as a vehicle to reward students and youth who were victims of personal crisis yet produced an extraordinary outcome for themselves or for someone else. The SYF group celebrated its fourth anniversary in 2010 with an escorted trip to Orlando, FL for 35 deserving students, nominated by friends, teachers and family based on their school performance and community service. The students, all from the San Jose, CA area that hosted the 2010 SYTA Convention in August, were co-hosted in Orlando by the Disney Youth Education Series (Y.E.S.) at Walt Disney World, and the Universal Education Program at Universal Studios Florida. Additionally, dozens of SYTA members contributed substantial donations to underwrite the all-inclusive group trip.

Travel Insured International® contributed a combined $14,000 to the SYF during 2009 and 2010 and is looking forward to supporting and participating in the 2011 SYF Silver Lining Program. Preliminary plans call for student and youth participants to be selected through the teacher, friends and family nominations from the New York City area, site of the 2011 SYTA Conference. Approximately 40 winners will be selected to join an all-inclusive trip next summer to Philadelphia that will allow them to experience the American heritage sites in the City of Brotherly Love.

During the Orlando visit the youth participants, in addition to their daytime sightseeing activities, attended hosted evening conferences with speakers and individual mentors. The young people discussed how to manage dealing with other people, how to establish and develop good friendships, and how to prepare for making important life decisions as they enter adulthood. Travel Insured International®’s National Accounts Manager Kevin Herlihy lent his company's support by escorting the group as a first-year member of the SYTA Youth Foundation Board of Trustees. Herlihy noted that the SYTA Youth Foundation provides financial assistance and travel programs that offer young students "a life-changing experience."

Under the program the SYTA Youth Foundation also awarded more than 100 travel scholarships to students during the 2009-2010 school year, enabling them to join their student group trips to destinations such as New York City and Washington D.C.