[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 105 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 105

  Designating April 15, 2005, as National Youth Service Day, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 12, 2005

    Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Allen, Mr. Bayh, Mr. 
   Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. 
 Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Craig, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
  Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
 Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Landrieu, 
 Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lott, Mr. Martinez, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. 
 Murray, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Reed, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Santorum, 
 Mr. Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
     Stevens, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Bunning) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating April 15, 2005, as National Youth Service Day, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas National Youth Service Day is an annual public awareness and education 
        campaign that highlights the valuable contributions that young people 
        make to their communities throughout the year;
Whereas the goals of National Youth Service Day are to mobilize youth as leaders 
        in identifying and addressing the needs of their communities through 
        service and service-learning, to support youth on a lifelong path of 
        service and civic engagement, and to educate the public, the media, and 
        policymakers about the year-round contributions of young people as 
        community leaders;
Whereas young people in the United States, and in many other countries, are 
        volunteering more than in any generation in history;
Whereas young people should be viewed as the hope not only of the future, but 
        also of today, and should be valued for the idealism, energy, 
        creativity, and commitment they bring to the challenges found in their 
        communities;
Whereas there is a fundamental and conclusive correlation between youth service 
        and lifelong adult volunteering and philanthropy;
Whereas through community service, young people build character and learn 
        valuable skills, including time management, teamwork, needs-assessment, 
        and leadership, that are sought by employers;
Whereas service-learning, an innovative teaching method combining service to the 
        community with curriculum-based learning, is a proven strategy to 
        increase academic achievement and strengthens civic engagement and civic 
        responsibility;
Whereas several private foundations and corporations in the United States 
        support service-learning because they understand that strong communities 
        begin with strong schools and a community investment in the lives and 
        futures of youth;
Whereas a sustained investment by the Federal Government, business partners, 
        schools, and communities fuels the positive, long-term cultural change 
        that will make service and service-learning the common expectation and 
        the common experience of all young people;
Whereas National Youth Service Day, a program of Youth Service America, is the 
        largest service event in the world and is being observed for the 17th 
        consecutive year in 2005;
Whereas National Youth Service Day, with the support of 50 lead agencies, 
        hundreds of grant winners, and thousands of local partners, engages 
        millions of young people nationwide;
Whereas National Youth Service Day will involve 114 national partners, including 
        8 Federal agencies and 10 organizations that are offering grants to 
        support National Youth Service Day;
Whereas National Youth Service Day has inspired Global Youth Service Day, which 
        occurs concurrently in over 120 countries and is now in its sixth year; 
        and
Whereas young people will benefit greatly from expanded opportunities to engage 
        in meaningful volunteer service and service-learning: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. RECOGNITION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUTH COMMUNITY SERVICE.

    The Senate recognizes and commends the significant contributions of 
American youth and encourages the cultivation of a common civic bond 
among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their 
communities, and the Nation.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY.

    The Senate--
            (1) designates April 15, 2005, as ``National Youth Service 
        Day''; and
            (2) calls on the people of the United States to--
                    (A) observe the day by encouraging and engaging 
                youth to participate in civic and community service 
                projects;
                    (B) recognize the volunteer efforts of our Nation's 
                young people throughout the year; and
                    (C) support these efforts and engage youth in 
                meaningful decision making opportunities today as an 
                investment in the future of our Nation.
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