Expressing support for designation of the week of November 3 through 9, 2019, as National Family Service Learning Week.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 669 Expressing support for designation of the week of November 3 through 9, 2019, as National Family Service Learning Week. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 31, 2019 Mr. YARMUTH (for himself, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Ms. TITUS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor RESOLUTION Expressing support for designation of the week of November 3 through 9, 2019, as National Family Service Learning Week. Whereas the term ‘‘family service learning’’ means a method under which children and families learn and solve prob- lems together in a multigenerational approach, with ac- tive participation in thoughtfully organized service that— (1) is conducted in and meets the needs of their community; (2) is focused on children and families solving com- munity issues together; (3) applies college and career readiness skills for children and relevant workforce training skills for adults; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Oct 31, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR669.IH HR669 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 669 IH (4) is coordinated with an elementary school, sec- ondary school, institution of higher education, or family- community organization, and the community; Whereas family service learning is— (1) multigenerational learning that involves parents, children, caregivers, and extended family members in shared learning experiences in both physical and digital environments; (2) integrated into and enhances the academic achievement of the children or the educational compo- nents of a family service program in which the families may be enrolled; and (3) encompasses skills such as investigation, plan- ning and preparation, action, reflection, demonstration of results, and sustainability; Whereas family service learning has been shown to have posi- tive two-generational effects and invests families in their communities to improve both economic and societal well- being; Whereas, through 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, ini- tiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, and leadership and re- sponsibility; Whereas family service learning activities provide opportuni- ties for families to improve essential skills such as organi- zation, research, planning, reading and writing, tech- nology, teamwork, and sharing; VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Oct 31, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR669.IH HR669 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 669 IH Whereas families participating together in service are af- forded quality time learning about their communities; Whereas adults engaged in family service learning serve as positive role models for their children; Whereas service learning projects enable low-income families to build substantive connections with their community, develop a stronger sense of self-worth, experience a re- duction in social isolation, and improve parenting skills; Whereas service learning has added benefits for non-native- English speakers as participation helps them to feel less like outsiders and more accepted in the United States; Whereas family service learning is particularly important for families at risk because it provides the opportunity for marginalized populations to develop future leadership op- portunities, civic engagement, and the capacity to more effectively advocate for children’s and families’ needs; 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 House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the designation of National Family 2 Service Learning Week to raise public awareness 3 about the importance of family service learning, fam- 4 ily literacy, community service, and two-generational 5 learning experiences; 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Oct 31, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR669.IH HR669 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HRES 669 IH (2) encourages people across the United States 1 to support family service learning and community 2 development programs; 3 (3) recognizes the importance that family serv- 4 ice learning plays in cultivating family literacy, civic 5 engagement, and community investment; and 6 (4) calls upon public, private, and nonprofit en- 7 tities to support family service learning opportunities 8 to aid in the advancement of families. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Oct 31, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR669.IH HR669 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS