[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8414-S8415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Kennedy):
  S. 3479. A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 
1990 to establish a Semester of Service grant program, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Semester of Service 
Act--a bill which would offer young people the opportunity to spend a 
semester serving their communities during their junior or senior year 
of high school. I want to thank Senators Cochran and Kennedy for 
joining me in introducing this legislation.
  Throughout the U.S., there are mounting problems and unmet needs.
  We have millions of families losing their homes. We have 14 million 
children that have no supervised place to go after school. We have a 
health care system that is barely able to hold itself together. And we 
have veterans and seniors who have given so much to our country unable 
to get the treatment they were promised and retire with the dignity 
they have earned.
  We can debate how best to solve these problems and others. Some 
suggest the market can do the job. Others believe the government has an 
appropriate role to play.
  But one thing upon which we can all agree is that when we provide 
service to our communities, we can tackle so many of our toughest 
challenges. Service that draws upon our collective imaginations, ideas, 
and resolve. No one is better equipped to take part in that effort, Mr. 
President, than our Nation's young people.

[[Page S8415]]

  As the father of two young daughters, every day I bear witness to the 
energy, enthusiasm and imagination children bring to every single thing 
they do. And if the online communities of today teach us anything, it 
is that young people yearn for shared experiences--for experiences that 
take them out of their comfort zones to introduce them to new people, 
put them in new situations and teach them things they might never 
otherwise learn.
  As a young man serving in the Peace Corps, I learned for myself how 
much we can grow and learn and, more importantly, the difference we can 
make when we serve. Today, what children need from us is the impetus 
and leadership to redirect that boundless energy of theirs toward the 
betterment of our communities. Unlocking the remarkable potential in 
our young people is what this legislation is all about.
  With a semester of service, they can help tutor elementary-school 
students. They can assist those living in our veterans' hospitals or in 
hospice. Or they can help clean up neighborhoods and the environment. 
Those are just a few of the opportunities the Semester of Service Act 
offers. The difference service makes to our younger generation is as 
clear as the need for it.
  We talk so much about ways to improve academic performance in our 
schools. Well, when community service is integrated into our students' 
curricula at school, we know that young people make gains on 
achievement tests. Service-learning results in grade point averages 
going up and more positive feelings about high school.
  The benefits of service-learning go well beyond the classroom. When 
young people participate in community service activities they feel 
better able to control their own lives in a positive way. They are less 
prone to engage in risky behavior, more likely to engage in their own 
education, and far more aware of the career opportunities before them.
  Indeed, research shows that for every dollar we spend on a service-
learning project, $4 worth of service is provided to the community 
involved. That means by authorizing $200 million for fiscal year 2009, 
as this legislation does, our country will save more than half a 
billion dollars in service performed.
  This legislation works by creating a competitive grant program that 
provides school districts, or nonprofits working in partnership with 
local school districts, the opportunity to have students participate in 
a semester of service in their junior or senior year for academic 
credit. These students are required to perform a minimum of 70 hours of 
service learning activities over 12 weeks, with at least 24 of those 
hours spent participating in field-based activities--outside of the 
classroom.
  By engaging both the public and private sector, Semester of Service 
teaches civic participation skills and helps young people see 
themselves not merely as residents in their communities--but resources 
to them.
  Ultimately, that is what this legislation is about. As with our 
legislation to strengthen and expand AmeriCorps and increase senior 
involvement in national service, this bill is about maximizing our 
resources. It's about increasing participation, engaging our young 
people, and lifting up our communities. That is why communities from 
all across this Nation have endorsed this Semester of Service 
legislation.
  If we ask all Americans to take responsibility for the future of our 
country as we do with this legislation, I believe our best days can be 
ahead of us--not in the memories of the past, but in the world of our 
children. We can move forward as a Nation, lead the world and create a 
better, brighter tomorrow for all of us.
  Let us start that journey today.
                                 ______