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SCR-20 State Employee Mentor Awareness and Recruitment Day.(2001-2002)

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SCR20:v95#DOCUMENT

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 20
CHAPTER 21

Relative to State Employee Mentor Awareness and Recruitment Day.

[ Filed with Secretary of State  April 06, 2001. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SCR 20, Alpert. State Employee Mentor Awareness and Recruitment Day.
Existing law known as the California Academic Volunteer and Mentor Service Act of 1992 creates the Academic Volunteer and Mentor Service Program, administered by the office of the Governor and local school jurisdictions, in order to provide academic support and guidance to each child who requires it. Existing law also provides for the participation of volunteer mentors within certain substance abuse treatment programs.
This measure would designate April 3, 2001, as State Employee Mentor Awareness and Recruitment Day with the purpose of focusing positive attention on state employee mentors and encouraging others to mentor a young person.
WHEREAS, The development and success of California’s young people is threatened by the ongoing problems of early parenthood, drug and alcohol use, gang involvement and violence, and academic difficulties; and
WHEREAS, There is overwhelming evidence that young people who do not have the benefit of a caring adult in their lives are more likely to engage in destructive social behavior and fail in school; and
WHEREAS, Mentoring is a proven and effective way to match a caring adult with a young person to help boost the youth’s self-esteem and foster the academic and social skills necessary to succeed in school and life; and
WHEREAS, The Governor and the First Lady have recognized the effectiveness of mentoring and local mentoring programs, and called for the recruitment of one million mentors by 2005 to assist California’s children and teens in becoming productive, successful citizens; and
WHEREAS, State employees and state employee bargaining units, including the California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS), the California State Employees Association (CSEA), and the Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), share the Governor and First Lady’s goal and are committed to helping to recruit a minimum of 10,000 state employee mentors in the next five years; and
WHEREAS, Many collective bargaining agreements allow state employees to receive up to 40 hours of paid mentoring leave per calendar year to volunteer as mentors provided an equal amount of their personal time is also used for mentor activities; and
WHEREAS, State agencies are directed to encourage state employees to become mentors and participate, at a minimum, at the level set forth in employee contracts; and
WHEREAS, There are an estimated 80,000 children in California on waiting lists for a mentor, and state employees will be referred to community and school-based mentor programs that have adopted the California Mentor Initiative’s Quality Assurance standards; and
WHEREAS, The state employee mentor recruitment campaign will kick off with a lunchtime rally on the west steps of the State Capitol on April 3, 2001; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That April 3, 2001, shall be designed “State Employee Mentor Awareness and Recruitment Day,” with the purpose of focusing positive attention on state employee mentors and encouraging others to mentor a young person.