[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 110 (Monday, July 7, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6364-S6365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 607--DESIGNATING JULY 10, 2008, AS ``NATIONAL SUMMER 
                             LEARNING DAY''

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Obama, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
Rockefeller, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Feingold) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 607

       Whereas all students experience a measurable loss of 
     mathematics and reading skills when they do not engage in 
     educational activities during the summer months;
       Whereas summer learning loss is greatest for low-income 
     children, who often lack the academic enrichment 
     opportunities available to their more affluent peers;
       Whereas recent research indicates that \2/3\ of the 
     achievement gap between low-income children and their more 
     affluent peers can be explained by unequal access to summer 
     learning opportunities, which results in low-income youth 
     being less likely to graduate from high school or enter 
     college;
       Whereas recent surveys indicate that low-income parents 
     have considerable difficulty finding available summer 
     opportunities for their children;
       Whereas structured enrichment and education programs are 
     proven to accelerate learning for students who participate in 
     such programs for several weeks during the summer;
       Whereas students who participate in the Building Educated 
     Leaders for Life (``BELL'') summer programs gain several 
     months' worth of reading and mathematics skills through 
     summer enrichment, and students who regularly attend the 
     Teach Baltimore Summer Academy for 2 summers are \1/2\ year 
     ahead of their peers in reading skills;
       Whereas the Summer Youth Program Fund in Indianapolis, 
     Indiana, the first community collaborative fund for youth 
     programs in the United States, serves as an example for other 
     urban communities by providing summer learning opportunities 
     for young people;
       Whereas thousands of students in similar programs make 
     measurable gains in academic achievement;
       Whereas recent research demonstrates that most children, 
     particularly children at high

[[Page S6365]]

     risk of obesity, gain weight more rapidly when they are out 
     of school during the summer;
       Whereas Summer Learning Day is designed to highlight the 
     need for more young people to be engaged in summer learning 
     activities and to support local summer programs that benefit 
     children, families, and communities;
       Whereas a wide array of schools, public agencies, nonprofit 
     organizations, universities, museums, libraries, and summer 
     camps in many States across the United States, will celebrate 
     annual Summer Learning Day on July 10, 2008: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates July 10, 2008, as ``National Summer Learning 
     Day'', in order to raise public awareness about the positive 
     impact of summer learning opportunities on the development 
     and educational success of the children of the United States;
       (2) urges the people of the United States to promote summer 
     learning activities, in order to send young people back to 
     school ready to learn, to support working parents and their 
     children, and to keep the children of the United States safe 
     and healthy during the summer months; and
       (3) urges communities to celebrate, with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities, the importance of high quality 
     summer learning opportunities in the lives of young students 
     and their families.

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