[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6501-6502]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 528--DESIGNATING APRIL 25, 2008, AS ``GLOBAL YOUTH 
                             SERVICE DAY''

   Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Bayh, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Brown, Mr. Burr, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. 
Cochran, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Inouye, Mr. 
Isakson, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. 
Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Menendez, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Nelson of Florida, 
Mr. Obama, Mr. Specter, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Tester) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 528

       Whereas Global Youth Service Day is an annual public 
     awareness and education campaign that highlights the valuable 
     contributions that young people make to their communities;
       Whereas the goals of Global Youth Service Day are to--(1) 
     mobilize the youth of the United States to identify and 
     address the needs of their communities through service and 
     service-learning; (2) support young people in embarking on a 
     lifelong path of service and civic engagement; and (3) 
     educate the public, the media, and policymakers about 
     contributions made by young people as community leaders 
     throughout the year;
       Whereas Global Youth Service Day, a program of Youth 
     Service America, is the largest service event in the world 
     and in 2008 is being observed for the 20th consecutive year 
     in the United States and for the 9th year globally in more 
     than 100 countries;
       Whereas young people in the United States and in many other 
     countries are volunteering more than in any other generation 
     in history;
       Whereas children and youth not only represent the future of 
     the world, but also are leaders and assets today;
       Whereas children and youth should be valued for the 
     idealism, energy, creativity, and unique perspectives that 
     they use when addressing critical global issues such as 
     poverty, hunger, illiteracy, education, gang activity, 
     natural disasters, climate change, and myriad others;

[[Page 6502]]

       Whereas a fundamental and conclusive correlation exists 
     between youth service, lifelong adult volunteering, and 
     philanthropy;
       Whereas service-learning is a teaching and learning 
     strategy that integrates meaningful community service with 
     mastery of academic curricula by helping young people make 
     important connections between what they are studying and the 
     challenges that they see in their communities;
       Whereas several private foundations and corporations in the 
     United States support service-learning as a means for young 
     people to build character and develop the leadership and 
     career-preparedness skills that are necessary for the United 
     States to be competitive in the 21st century, including time 
     management, decision-making, teamwork, and problem solving;
       Whereas a report by Civic Enterprises found that 47 percent 
     of high school dropouts reported boredom as a primary reason 
     for dropping out;
       Whereas high quality, semester-long service-learning has 
     been found to increase students' academic engagement and 
     achievement, motivation to learn, school attendance, civic 
     participation, character development, and career aspirations;
       Whereas Global Youth Service Day engages millions of young 
     people worldwide with the support of 75 lead agencies, 45 
     international organizations, and 120 national partners;
       Whereas a growing number of Global Youth Service Day 
     projects involve youth working collaboratively across 
     national and geographic boundaries, increasing intercultural 
     understanding and promoting the sense that they are global 
     citizens; and
       Whereas both young people and their communities will 
     benefit greatly from expanded opportunities for youth to 
     engage in volunteer service and service-learning: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes and commends the significant contributions 
     of the youth of the United States and encourages the 
     cultivation of a civic bond among young people dedicated to 
     serving their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation;
       (2) designates April 25, 2008, as ``Global Youth Service 
     Day''; and
       (3) calls on the citizens of the United States to--
       (A) observe the day by encouraging youth to participate in 
     civic and community service projects and by joining them in 
     such projects;
       (B) recognize the volunteer efforts of the young people of 
     the United States throughout the year; and
       (C) support the volunteer efforts of young people and 
     engage them in meaningful learning and decision-making 
     opportunities today as an investment in the future of the 
     United States.

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