III 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 105 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

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.

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.