[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 25 (Thursday, February 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN CELEBRATION OF THE TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MCLEAN COUNTY 
                           COMMUNITY COMPACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DEBORAH L. HALVORSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 25, 2010

  Mrs. HALVORSON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 20th 
Anniversary of the McLean County Community COMPACT (Collaborating on 
Meaningful Partnerships and Careers for Tomorrow). The COMPACT, through 
a coalition of business, education, community, and government 
volunteers, offers support to school-aged youth in McLean County, 
Illinois. The COMPACT helps youth become self-sufficient, contributing 
citizens, through an effective transition from formal schooling to the 
world of work.
   The COMPACT offers a variety of supportive special programs and 
services for students, teachers, and educational entities through a 
collaborative effort among business and community leaders. The COMPACT 
promotes active exchange of resources among businesses and educational 
entities, including the participation of students in research projects.
   The McLean County Community COMPACT was born in 1989 when a small 
group of local leaders met to address the high school dropout rate and 
the number of children in McLean County living in poverty. From these 
leaders came invitations to colleagues to join the effort and a 
volunteer organization named the COMPACT was born. Since 1990, 
thousands of students have participated in the COMPACT's projects and 
from those projects created awareness, motivation, and direction for 
many young people.
   In November of 1994, the COMPACT entered into a partnership with the 
University of Illinois Extension in McLean County. The organization 
continued to move forward, hiring an executive director who coordinates 
among the COMPACT's 250 members. In its 20th year, the COMPACT focuses 
on 8 project areas including the original Sixth Grade Business 
Education Partnerships, Principal for a Day, and Career Preparation 
Realities. It also serves at-risk youth through Achieving Competence in 
Education and brings technology to homes of students without it through 
the Clearinghouse Project. More recently, the COMPACT has developed 
youth leadership activities through Teens in Prevention and YouthLEADS, 
offering opportunities for youth to help their peers find the correct 
path.
   I would like to commend the McLean County Community COMPACT staff, 
volunteers and board of directors for their commitment and innovative 
collaborative efforts in preparing the youth of McLean County for the 
world of work. I wish them many more years of continued success.-

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