III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 528 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 22, 2008 Ms. Murkowski (for herself, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Bayh, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brown, Mr. Burr, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Obama, Mr. Specter, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Tester) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating April 25, 2008, as Global Youth Service Day.

Whereas Global Youth Service Day is an annual public awareness and education campaign that highlights the valuable contributions that young people make to their communities; Whereas the goals of Global Youth Service Day are to—(1) mobilize the youth of the United States to identify and address the needs of their communities through service and service-learning; (2) support young people in embarking on a lifelong path of service and civic engagement; and (3) educate the public, the media, and policymakers about contributions made by young people as community leaders throughout the year; Whereas Global Youth Service Day, a program of Youth Service America, is the largest service event in the world and in 2008 is being observed for the 20th consecutive year in the United States and for the 9th year globally in more than 100 countries; Whereas young people in the United States and in many other countries are volunteering more than in any other generation in history; Whereas children and youth not only represent the future of the world, but also are leaders and assets today; Whereas children and youth should be valued for the idealism, energy, creativity, and unique perspectives that they use when addressing critical global issues such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy, education, gang activity, natural disasters, climate change, and myriad others; Whereas a fundamental and conclusive correlation exists between youth service, lifelong adult volunteering, and philanthropy; Whereas service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with mastery of academic curricula by helping young people make important connections between what they are studying and the challenges that they see in their communities; Whereas several private foundations and corporations in the United States support service-learning as a means for young people to build character and develop the leadership and career-preparedness skills that are necessary for the United States to be competitive in the 21st century, including time management, decision-making, teamwork, and problem solving; Whereas a report by Civic Enterprises found that 47 percent of high school dropouts reported boredom as a primary reason for dropping out; Whereas high quality, semester-long service-learning has been found to increase students’ academic engagement and achievement, motivation to learn, school attendance, civic participation, character development, and career aspirations; Whereas Global Youth Service Day engages millions of young people worldwide with the support of 75 lead agencies, 45 international organizations, and 120 national partners; Whereas a growing number of Global Youth Service Day projects involve youth working collaboratively across national and geographic boundaries, increasing intercultural understanding and promoting the sense that they are global citizens; and Whereas both young people and their communities will benefit greatly from expanded opportunities for youth to engage in volunteer service and service-learning: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes and commends the significant contributions of the youth of the United States and encourages the cultivation of a civic bond among young people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation; (2)designates April 25, 2008, as Global Youth Service Day; and (3)calls on the citizens of the United States to— (A)observe the day by encouraging youth to participate in civic and community service projects and by joining them in such projects; (B)recognize the volunteer efforts of the young people of the United States throughout the year; and (C)support the volunteer efforts of young people and engage them in meaningful learning and decision-making opportunities today as an investment in the future of the United States.