[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 17, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2452-S2453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now
proceed to S. Res. 421.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 421) designating April 20 through 22,
2012, as ``Global Youth Service Day.''
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise to speak about a resolution I
have submitted designating April 20 through 22, 2012, as Global Youth
Service Day.'' My resolution recognizes and commends the significant
community service efforts that youth are making in communities across
the country and around the world on this weekend in April and every
day. This resolution also encourages the citizens of the United States
to acknowledge and support these volunteer efforts. Passage of this
resolution sends a very strong message of support to the thousands of
youth across our great Nation who are contributing positively to their
communities--your efforts are recognized and appreciated.
Beginning Friday, April 20, youth from across the United States and
around the world will carry out community service projects in areas
ranging from hunger to literacy to the environment. Through this
service, many will embark on a lifelong path of service and civic
engagement in more than 100 countries around the world.
Mr. President, the participation of youth in service to their
communities is more than just a way to spend a Saturday afternoon. All
year long, young people across America, indeed--across the globe--
identify and address the needs of their communities, make positive
differences in the world around them, learn leadership and
organizational skills, and gain insights into the problems of their
fellow citizens.
The positive effects of this service are not limited to the projects
our young people complete. Youth who are engaged in volunteer service
and service-learning activities do better in school than their
classmates who do not volunteer because they see a direct connection to
what they are learning and the real world in which they live. Youth who
engage in volunteering and other positive activities are also more
likely to avoid risky behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use, crime,
and promiscuity. Service within the community also contributes
positively to young people's character development, civic
participation, and philanthropic activity as adults.
Youth service also plays a role in encouraging our young people to
stay in school. A survey by Civic Enterprises found that 47 percent of
high school dropouts reported that boredom in school was a primary
reason why they dropped out. High quality service-learning activities
can, however, help young people see that school matters to them
personally.
It is important, therefore, that the Senate encourage youth to engage
in community service and to congratulate them for the service they
provide.
In an effort to recognize and support youth volunteers in my State, I
am proud to acknowledge some of the young people who have participated
in community service activities over the past year. Last year, the
members of the Youth Advisory Board for Anchorage's Promise partnered
with various community and faith-based organizations in Anchorage and
held a ``Solidarity Sleep Out'' event that taught both middle school
and high school students what it means to be homeless and what can be
done to help. I am told that the impact of this event was huge and
long-lasting. This year, these young leaders have decided to focus on
the problems of suicide and bullying--two major issues facing Anchorage
and our entire State. Their goal is to find ways to bring more
awareness, resources, and funding to these two issues.
In addition to these efforts, young people from across my home State
and this country have and will continue to engage in projects such as
helping the homeless, the hungry, and the elderly. In fact, young
people from across Alaska turn their energy and initiative to projects
such as restoring salmon streams, combating domestic violence, raising
money for community needs, and providing other significant acts of
service for their peers and for adults.
I am so proud of all of these young Alaskans. I value their idealism,
energy, creativity, and unique perspectives as they volunteer to make
their communities better and assist those in need.
Many similarly wonderful activities will be taking place all across
the Nation. I encourage all of my colleagues to learn about and applaud
the selfless and creative youth who are contributing in their own
States this year.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be
laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 421) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 421
Whereas Global Youth Service Day is an annual event that
celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and young
people who improve their communities each day of the year
through community service and service-learning projects;
Whereas Global Youth Service Day, a program of Youth
Service America, is the largest and longest-running service
event in the world dedicated to engaging youth ages 5 through
25;
Whereas, in 2012, Global Youth Service Day is being
observed for the 24th consecutive year in the United States
and for the 13th year globally in more than 100 countries;
Whereas nearly \1/3\ of the population of the United States
(approximately 104,000,000 people) and nearly \1/2\ of
population of the world is under the age of 25;
Whereas Global Youth Service Day assists children and young
people to position themselves as active citizens and
community leaders as they apply their knowledge, skills,
idealism, energy, creativity, and unique perspectives to
serve their communities and help address a myriad of critical
issues;
Whereas thousands of students and teachers in conjunction
with local schools, colleges, and universities are planning
Global Youth Service Day activities as part of a Semester of
Service, an extended service-learning campaign launched on
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, in which young people
spend the semester addressing a meaningful community need
connected to intentional learning goals or academic standards
over the course of not less than 70 hours;
Whereas Global Youth Service Day participants are serving
in conjunction with other community events, including Earth
Day, J-Serve, Great American Bake Sale National Challenge
Weekend, National Volunteer Week, Kiwanis One Day, Alpha Phi
Omega's Spring Youth Service Day, Sigma Alpha Epsilon's True
Gentleman Day of Service, National Day of Silence, National
Environmental Education Week, National Park Week, National
Student Leadership Week, and World Malaria Day;
Whereas Global Youth Service Day engages millions of young
people worldwide with the support of the Global Youth Service
Network of Youth Service America, including more than 200
National and Global Partners, 125 State and local Lead
Agencies and Lead Organizers, and thousands of local schools,
afterschool programs, youth development organizations,
community organizations, faith-
[[Page S2453]]
based organizations, government agencies, businesses,
neighborhood associations, tribes, and families;
Whereas Youth Service America will provide support to more
than 800 schools and community organizations, including State
Farm GYSD Lead Agency and Good Neighbor grants, UnitedHealth
Heroes grants, Sodexo Foundation Youth, Lead Organizer, and
School Engagement grants, Disney Friends for Change grants,
and Learn and Serve America STEMester of Service grants;
Whereas, in 2011, youth volunteers who engaged in Global
Youth Service Day projects served an estimated 1,417,000
hours of service that benefitted at least 885,000 individuals
and contributed $30,267,120 worth of time to their
communities;
Whereas high-quality community service and service-learning
programs increase--
(1) the academic engagement and achievement of young
people;
(2) the workforce readiness and 21st century skills of
young people;
(3) the civic knowledge and engagement of young people;
(4) the intercultural understanding and global citizenship
of young people; and
(5) the connectedness and commitment of young people to
their communities; and
Whereas the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) calls on the Corporation for National
and Community Service, other Federal agencies and
departments, and the President of the United States to
recognize and support youth-led activities: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes and commends the significant contributions
of young people of the United States and the world and
encourages the continued engagement and support of young
people dedicated to serving their neighbors, their
communities, and their countries;
(2) designates April 20 through 22, 2012, as ``Global Youth
Service Day''; and
(3) calls on the people of the United States to observe
Global Youth Service Day by--
(A) encouraging young people to participate in community
service and service-learning projects and to join their peers
in those projects;
(B) recognizing the volunteer efforts of the young people
of the United States throughout the year; and
(C) supporting the volunteer efforts of young people and
engaging them in meaningful community service, service-
learning, and decision-making opportunities as an investment
in the future of the United States.
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