The presentation of the 2009 Harris Wofford Award for Public Officials at the United States Capitol to Senator Christopher Dodd and Senator Lisa Murkowski

We will also celebrate the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, Global Youth Service Day (April 24-26, 2009), Semester of Service, and the annual GYSD U.S. Senate resolution introduced by Senator Murkowski.

The Harris Wofford Awards, presented by Youth Service America and sponsored by State Farm Companies Foundation, were established in 2002 to honor former Senator Harris Wofford, one of our nation's greatest public servants and long-time board member of Youth Service America. Awards are presented annually to a youth, an organization, a media outlet, and public officials who actively contribute towards Harris Wofford's vision of "making service the common expectation and common experience of every young person in America." Talia Leman (age 14), the National Education Association (NEA), and Country Music Television (CMT) were honored in the Youth, Organization, and Media categories last month at the State Farm Awards Celebration at the National Service-Learning Conference in Nashville, TN.

Youth Service America (YSA) improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles. YSA envisions a global culture of engaged children and youth committed to a lifetime of service, learning, leadership, and achievement. The impact of YSA's work through service and service-learning is measured in student achievement, workplace readiness, and healthier communities.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a recipient of the Harris Wofford Public Official Award, is an alumnus of the Peace Corps and a longtime champion of national and community service. Senator Dodd is the Co-Chair of the Senate National Service Caucus. He introduced the Semester of Service Act that would offer young people the chance to spend a semester in service as part of service-learning programs for academic credit as well as the Summer of Service Act that would provide middle school students with a chance to serve in their local communities over the summer months. Senator Dodd has also introduced the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act, the AmeriCorps: Together Improving Our Nation Act, and the Encore Service Act. He was first elected to the Senate in 1980 and is a senior member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a recipient of the Harris Wofford Public Official Award, has introduced a U.S. Senate resolution each year since 2003, with as many as 43 co-sponsors, officially recognizing Global Youth Service Day and honoring young people who serve their communities across the country and around the world. She also participates in Global Youth Service Day
celebrations each year in Alaska organized by Anchorage's Promise, a GYSD Lead Agency, and issues a press release recognizing all GYSD projects that take place in Alaska. After
being appointed to the Senate in 2002, Senator Murkowski was elected to a full six-year Senate term in 2004 and is a member of the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee.

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