III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 156 

Designating April 15 through 17, 2011, as ‘‘Global Youth Service Days’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 14, 2011 

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. BEGICH, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. UDALL of 

Colorado, Mr. AKAKA, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. 

COCHRAN, Mrs. MURRAY, and Mr. COONS) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating April 15 through 17, 2011, as ‘‘Global Youth 

Service Days’’. 

Whereas Global Youth Service Days is an annual campaign 

that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of young people 

who improve their communities each day through community service and service-learning programs; 

Whereas the goals of Global Youth Service Days are— 

(1) to mobilize and support young people to address 

the needs of their communities, their countries, and the 

world through community service and service-learning; 

(2) to mobilize and support schools and organizations to provide meaningful opportunities for youth engagement; 


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(3) to educate the public, the media, and policymakers about the year-round contributions of young people as community leaders; 

(4) to recognize and celebrate young people as community assets, resources, leaders, and problem-solvers; 

and 

(5) to inspire and sustain a lifelong commitment to 

service and civic engagement; 

Whereas Global Youth Service Days, a program of Youth 

Service America, is the largest service event in the world 

and the only service event dedicated to engaging young 

people ages 5 through 25; 

Whereas, in 2011, Global Youth Service Days is being observed for the 23rd consecutive year in the United States 

and for the 12th year globally in more than 100 countries; 

Whereas Global Youth Service Days provides an opportunity 

for young people to position themselves as assets, resources, active citizens, and community leaders through 

the application of their knowledge, idealism, energy, creativity, and unique perspective to improving their communities by addressing a myriad of critical issues, such as 

childhood obesity, illiteracy, hunger, environmental degradation, public safety, and disaster preparedness; 

Whereas, in 2011, thousands of participants in schools and 

community-based organizations plan to hold Global Youth 

Service Days 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 at least 70 hours; 


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Whereas Global Youth Service Days engages millions of 

young people worldwide with the support of the Global 

Youth Service Network of the Youth Service America, including more than 200 national and international partners, 100 State and local lead agencies, and thousands 

of local schools, afterschool programs, youth development 

organizations, community organizations, faith-based organizations, government agencies, businesses, neighborhood 

associations, and families; 

Whereas, in 2011, Youth Service America intends to distribute more than $1,000,000 in grants to more than 800 

projects led by young people, including State Farm 

GYSD Lead Agency and Good Neighbor grants, 

UnitedHealth Heroes grants, Sodexo Youth and Lead 

Organizer grants, Disney Friends for Change grants, 

Learn and Serve America STEMester of Service grants, 

NEA Youth Leaders for Literacy grants, and MLK Semester of Service Lead Organizer Grants; 

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 section 198(g) of the National and Community 

Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12653(g)) recognizes 


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Global Youth Service Days as national days of service 

and 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 on the designated days: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes and commends the significant 

3 contributions of young people of the United States 

4 and encourages the continued engagement and sup5 port of young people dedicated to serving their 

6 neighbors, their communities, and the United States; 

7 (2) designates April 15 through 17, 2011, as 

8 ‘‘Global Youth Service Days’’; and 

9 (3) calls on the people of the United States to 

10 observe Global Youth Service Days by— 

11 (A) encouraging young people to partici12 pate in community service and service-learning 

13 projects and to join their peers in those 

14 projects; 

15 (B) recognizing the volunteer efforts of the 

16 young people of the United States throughout 

17 the year; and 

18 (C) supporting the volunteer efforts of 

19 young people and engaging them in meaningful 

20 community service, service-learning, and deciVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:18 Apr 15, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR156.ATS SR156

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1 sion-making opportunities as an investment in 

2 the future of the United States. 

Æ 


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