III
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 488
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 6, 2023
Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Carper, and Mr. Sullivan) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
Recognizing Jobs for America's Graduates for helping young people of truly great promise in the United States succeed in school, on the job, and in postsecondary education, leading to generations of productive and rewarding careers.
Whereas Jobs for America's Graduates (referred to in this preamble as JAG
) is a State-based national nonprofit organization dedicated to serving youth who face significant challenges and helping them reach economic and academic success;
Whereas Jobs for Delaware Graduates was founded and tested in 1979 in the State of Delaware with the bipartisan leadership of Governor Pete du Pont and members of the General Assembly of the State of Delaware, and became the model for the creation of JAG;
Whereas JAG has served over 1,600,000 young people since its inception in 1980;
Whereas JAG has affiliates across 39 States and territories, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, the United States Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wisconsin;
Whereas the Board of Directors of JAG is made up of leading Governors, executives of Fortune 500 companies, and national community leaders;
Whereas the JAG model consists of a comprehensive set of services designed to keep young people in school through graduation and improves their success rates in education and career by—
providing classroom instruction;
delivering competency-based instruction that seeks to equip students with not less than 37 JAG Employability Skills competencies;
providing project-based learning;
using trauma-informed care;
advising students as they make significant career and life decisions during the school year and beyond;
exposing students to job opportunities and career pathways in their own communities;
developing student civic engagement, public service, leadership development, career preparation, and social awareness;
helping graduates identify job opportunities and post-secondary education; and
helping to ensure that young people achieve success at work and in postsecondary education during the year following graduation;
Whereas JAG participants have regularly achieved higher than 90 percent graduation rates since the establishment of JAG, and a 95 percent graduation rate since 2019;
Whereas, every year, JAG meets the goals of employers in having well-prepared young people enter the workforce; and
Whereas the JAG National Student Leadership Academy will take place from November 30, 2023, to December 2, 2023, with more than 250 elected student officers: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
acknowledges the significant accomplishments of the members, volunteers, alumni, and community partners of Jobs for America's Graduates in helping at-risk youth reach economic and academic success; and
congratulates the young people enrolled in 2023 across 39 States in Jobs for America's Graduates.