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** The Senate ** ** 1st Session ** ** S. ** Providing teenagers with alternatives to violence by promoting them to give back to their communities by doing community service, with the purpose of promoting a sense of community and civic duty. ** IN THE MCGEHEE CONGRESS ** ** April, 2009 ** Sponsored by Senator Proze of Massachusetts Co-Sponsored by Senator Spangenberg, Senator Gilbert, Senator Wilbert, Senator McLellan, Senator Platt A Bill  // Be it enacted by the Members of the McG Congress // // of the United States of America in Congress assembled, // This Act may be cited as the “ Empower Our Kids” To provide teenagers with alternatives to violence by promoting them to do community service within their own communities. To // expand and strengthen service-learning programs through year-round opportunities, including opportunities during the summer months. The programs would be to improve the education of high school aged kids and to maximize the benefits of national and community service, in order to renew the spirit of civic responsibility and the strength of community for high school youth throughout the United States. // Disadvantaged Youth – students/youth you are economically disadvantaged and 1 or more of the following: (a) are out-of-school youth, including those who are unemployed (b) are in or aging out of foster care. (c) are homeless or who have run away from home. (d) are at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma. (e) are former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency. Qualified Organization – a public/nonprofit organization or school that has experience working with school-age youth that meets the criteria that the Chief Executive Officer establishes: (a) assurances about the applicant's efforts to – a. ensure that students of different ages, races, sexes, ethnic groups, and economic background have the same opportunities to serve together b. include opportunities for students enrolled in high schools to participate in service-learning programs and ensure that such service-learning programs include opportunities for such students to serve together c. involve the participants in the design and operation of the programs d. promote the most service-learning in areas of greatest need, including low-income or rural areas e.  integrate service opportunities into the academic program of the participants Grants for Schools (a) State educational agencies receiving a grant should use the grant to make sub grants to high schools or alternative schools and should agree to require the selected high school students in the school or program to: a. perform not less than 100 hours of community service each school year b. should have a least 25 of those hours spent in improving their own communities c. receive training or counseling on conflict resolution as a prerequisite to performing such    community service (a) to provide service-learning opportunities for in-school and out-of-school high school youth that live in high-need, low-income communities with the goal to retain and re-engage the youth likely to drop out of school and those youth who have already dropped out (b) to encourage more individuals, mainly youth, to engage in service by teaching them the value of service early in their lives so that they can carry that knowledge of civic duty throughout their adult lives; and how it can improve their communities as well as themselves. (c) to establish “youth engagement zones” with the goal that it would involve all of the selected high school aged youth, and they would, through service-learning and community service, learn how to solve problem and solve a specific community challenge (d) give grants to State educational agencies for the purpose of making sub grants to the high schools or programs that agree to implement the community service requirement, with the objective to reduce youth and gang violence *** “** Text of H.R. 1184 [110th]: At-Risk Youth Protection Act of 2007**.”** __Govtrack.us: a civic project to track Congress__. 2007-2008. GovTrack. 22 April 2009. < http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1184>. *** “** Text of S. 3487 [110th]: Serve America Act**.”** __Govtrack.us: a civic project to track Congress__. 2007-2008. GovTrack. 22 April 2009. < http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-3487>. 
 * SECTION 1. Empower Our Kids **
 * SECTION 2. PURPOSE* **
 * SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY*. **
 * SECTION 4. TERMS AND BENEFITS OF SERVICE*. **