STAND. COM. REP. NO. 7

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 220

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 220 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SERVICE-LEARNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education to implement a service-learning curriculum to develop student character, values, self-esteem, civic responsibility, and knowledge of local community issues and concerns though community service volunteer work.  

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Common Cause Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Green Party Hawaii, and sixteen individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

 

     Your Committee finds that learning through community service volunteering activities, known as service-learning, is a powerful instructional strategy for improving the educational performance of students.  Your Committee further finds that students who participate in servicelearning experience numerous positive outcomes, including a positive development of character, values, selfesteem, civic responsibility, and knowledge of local community issues and concerns; higher academic achievement; higher attendance rates; a greater sense of civic responsibility; greater acceptance of cultural diversity; increased awareness of cultural difference; positive attitudes toward helping others; greater social competency; lower dropout rates; lower disciplinary rates; and lower rates of engagement in behaviors that lead to arrest or pregnancy.  This measure will implement a mandatory service-learning curriculum for students, which will help to build positive community attitudes and relationships among youths. 

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by specifying that another purpose of the service-learning curriculum is to develop financial literacy.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 220, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 220, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair