[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 23716-23717]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 46--RECOGNIZING THE BENEFITS OF SERVICE-
LEARNING AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE GOALS OF THE NATIONAL LEARN AND 
                            SERVE CHALLENGE

  Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Dodd, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
Feingold, Ms. Collins, Mr. Bayh, and Mrs. Gillibrand) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                            S. Con. Res. 46

       Whereas service-learning is a teaching method that enhances 
     academic learning by integrating classroom content with 
     relevant activities aimed at addressing identified needs in a 
     community or school;
       Whereas service-learning has been used both in school and 
     community-based settings as a teaching strategy to enhance 
     learning by building on youth experiences, granting youth a 
     voice in learning, and making instructional goals and 
     objectives more relevant to youth;
       Whereas service-learning addresses the dropout epidemic in 
     the United States by making education more ``hands-on'' and 
     relevant, and has been especially effective in addressing the 
     dropout epidemic with respect to disadvantaged youth;
       Whereas service-learning is proven to provide the greatest 
     benefits to disadvantaged and at-risk youth by building self-
     confidence, which often translates into overall academic and 
     personal success;
       Whereas service-learning provides not only meaningful 
     experiences, but improves the quantity and quality of 
     interactions between youth and potential mentors in the 
     community;
       Whereas service-learning empowers youth as actively engaged 
     learners, citizens, and contributors to the community;
       Whereas youth engaged in service-learning provide critical 
     service to the community by addressing a variety of needs in 
     towns, cities, and States, including needs such as tutoring 
     young children, care of the elderly, community nutrition, 
     disaster relief, environmental stewardship, financial 
     education, and public safety;
       Whereas far-reaching and diverse research shows that 
     service-learning enhances the academic, career, cognitive, 
     and civic development of students in kindergarten through 
     12th grade, and students at institutions of higher education;
       Whereas service-learning strengthens and increases the 
     number of partnerships among institutions of higher 
     education, local schools, and communities, which strengthens 
     communities and improves academic learning;
       Whereas service-learning programs allow a multitude of 
     skilled and enthusiastic college students to serve in the 
     communities surrounding their colleges;
       Whereas service-learning programs engage students in 
     actively addressing and solving pressing community issues and 
     strengthen the ability of nonprofit organizations to meet 
     community needs;
       Whereas Learn and Serve America, a program established 
     under subtitle B of title I of the National and Community 
     Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12521 et seq.), is the only 
     Federally funded program dedicated to service-learning and 
     engages more than 1,100,000 youth in service-learning each 
     year;

[[Page 23717]]

       Whereas Learn and Serve America is a highly cost-effective 
     program, with an average cost of approximately $25 per 
     participant and leverage of $1 for every Federal dollar 
     invested;
       Whereas the National Learn and Serve Challenge is an annual 
     event that, in 2009, will take place October 5 through 
     October 11; and
       Whereas the National Learn and Serve Challenge spotlights 
     the value of service-learning to young people, schools, 
     college campuses, and communities, encourages others to 
     launch service-learning activities, and increases recognition 
     of Learn and Serve America: Now, therefore, be it:
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the benefits of service-learning, which 
     include--
       (A) enriching and enhancing academic outcomes for youth;
       (B) engaging youth in positive experiences in the 
     community; and
       (C) encouraging youth to make more constructive choices 
     with regards to their lives;
       (2) encourages schools, school districts, college campuses, 
     community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and 
     faith-based organizations to provide youth with more service-
     learning opportunities; and
       (3) expresses support for the goals of the National Learn 
     and Serve Challenge.

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