[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 330 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                      January 23, 2002.
Whereas the future course of the United States depends on its children and 
        youth;
Whereas educated, confident, and nurtured children will make our Nation 
        stronger;
Whereas research has shown that mentoring measurably affects young people by 
        increasing school attendance, improving rates of secondary school 
        graduation and college attendance, decreasing involvement with drugs and 
        alcohol, and decreasing violent behavior;
Whereas considerable numbers of our Nation's children face difficult 
        circumstances: 1 out of 4 children lives with only 1 parent; 1 out of 10 
        children is born to teenaged parents; 1 out of 5 children lives in 
        poverty; and 1 out of 10 children will not finish secondary school;
Whereas mentoring is a proven, effective strategy to combat such circumstances 
        by matching a caring, responsible adult with a child to provide 
        guidance, stability, and direction to the child and to build the child's 
        confidence;
Whereas it is estimated that more than 16,000,000 children in the United States 
        need or want a mentor but mentoring programs nationwide serve at most 
        750,000 of such children;
Whereas a coalition of mentoring organizations have designated January as 
        National Mentoring Month;
Whereas the establishment of a National Mentoring Month would emphasize the 
        importance of mentoring and recognize with praise and gratitude the many 
        individuals in the United States who are involved with mentoring; and
Whereas the establishment of a National Mentoring Month would encourage more 
        individuals to volunteer as mentors, to the benefit of our Nation's 
        children: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
mentoring relationships can benefit America's youth and result in 
improved school attendance and academic achievement.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.