[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.

                          ____________________