[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 556--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THE 
 WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 16, 2016, AS ``NATIONAL FAMILY 
                        SERVICE LEARNING WEEK''

  Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Peters, and 
Ms. Mikulski) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 556

       Whereas family service learning is a method under which 
     children and families learn and solve problems together in a 
     multi-generational approach with active participation in 
     thoughtfully organized service that--
       (1) is conducted in and meets the needs of their 
     communities;
       (2) is focused on children and families solving community 
     issues together;
       (3) applies college and career readiness skills for 
     children and relevant workforce training skills for adults; 
     and
       (4) is coordinated between the community and an elementary 
     school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or 
     family community service program;
       Whereas family service learning--
       (1) is multi-generational learning that involves parents, 
     children, caregivers, and extended family members in shared 
     learning experiences in physical and digital environments;
       (2) is integrated into and enhances the academic 
     achievement of the children or the educational components of 
     a family service program in which the families may be 
     enrolled; and
       (3) encompasses skills, such as investigation, planning and 
     preparation, action, reflection, demonstration of results, 
     and sustainability;
       Whereas family service learning has been shown to have 
     positive 2-generational effects and encourages families to 
     invest in their communities to improve economic and societal 
     well-being;
       Whereas, through family service learning, children and 
     families are offered the opportunity to solve community 
     issues and learn together, thereby enabling the development 
     of life and career skills, such as flexibility and 
     adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and 
     cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, and 
     leadership and responsibility;
       Whereas family service learning activities provide 
     opportunities for families to improve essential skills, such 
     as organization, research, planning, reading and writing, 
     technology, teamwork, and sharing;
       Whereas families participating together in service are 
     afforded quality time learning about their communities;
       Whereas adults engaged in family service learning serve as 
     positive role models for their children;
       Whereas family service learning projects enable families to 
     build substantive connections with their communities, develop 
     a stronger sense of self-worth, experience a reduction in 
     social isolation, and improve parenting skills;
       Whereas family service learning has added benefits for 
     English language learners by helping individuals and families 
     to--
       (1) feel more connected with their communities; and
       (2) practice language skills;
       Whereas family service learning is particularly important 
     for at-risk families because it--
       (1) provides opportunities for leadership and civic 
     engagement; and
       (2) helps build the capacity to advocate for the needs of 
     children and families; and
       Whereas the value that parents place on civic engagement 
     and relationships within the community has been shown to 
     transfer to the child who, in turn, replicates values, such 
     as responsibility, empathy, and caring for others: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of the week of September 12 
     through September 16, 2016, as ``National Family Service 
     Learning Week'' to raise public awareness about the 
     importance of family service learning, family literacy, 
     community service, and 2-generational learning experiences;
       (2) encourages people across the United States to support 
     family service learning and community development programs;
       (3) recognizes the importance that family service learning 
     plays in cultivating family literacy, civic engagement, and 
     community investment; and
       (4) calls upon public, private, and nonprofit entities to 
     support family service learning opportunities to aid in the 
     advancement of families.

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