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The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388) was signed into law on April 21, 2009 as Public Law 111-13. On March 18, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act (H.R. 1388) (GIVE) by a vote of 321-105. On March 26, 2009,
the Senate passed an amended version of H.R. 1388 by a vote of 79-19, renaming the bill "The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act." On March 31, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act by a vote of 275-149.
The Serve America Act reauthorizes and expands national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service by amending the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA). Specific to service-learning, the Act:
- Adds authority to designate up to 25 institutions of higher education with exemplary records of student civic engagement and service-learning as Campuses of Service
- Includes new authority for a Summer of Service program providing a $500 summer of service education award (up to $750 for disadvantaged youth) for rising 6-12 graders who complete 100 hours in an approved position
- Includes new authority for a Semester of Service program under which high school students engage in service-learning for at least 70 hours in a semester to engage economically disadvantaged students
- Authorizes a new Youth Engagement Zones grant program, under which the Corporation may make grants to eligible partnerships to carry out school-based or communitybased service-learning programs with secondary school students and out-of-school youth to address specific community challenges
- Authorizes a 10-year longitudinal study on the benefits/ impact of service-learning programs.
For current information on implementation of the Act, visit the Corporation's page on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009.
NSLC Library Items
- Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388) (2009), United States Congress (PDF)
Related Websites
- Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 (CNSC)
- Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act Summary (CNCS)
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