HARTFORD – Westhill High School sophomore Henry Graves testified today before the Education Committee regarding Senate Bill 913, his idea for the creation of a “Connecticut Youth Corps” to give high school juniors various public service jobs around the state.

Graves’ proposal was selected by Education Committee member Sen. Andrew J. McDonald, (D-Stamford) as the 2007 winner of Sen. McDonald’s annual “Who Wants to Change the World” contest.

“This law will benefit everyone,” Graves told members of the Education Committee Wednesday afternoon. “The state will have more workers and be able to accomplish more projects. The community will improve because of all the work being done to make it more suitable for human life. The teenagers will gain work experience and they will expand their horizons. If this law is passed, Connecticut will benefit.”

Graves’ proposal is specifically aimed at linking a student’s public service with his or her idea as outlined in the Connecticut legislature’s popular “Who Wants to Change the World” contest. Last year, Elizabeth DeMott, a 9th-grader at Stamford High School, won the award for her proposal to require seat belts in all public buses. Other past winners have suggested regulating smoking in public places, honoring the spirit of Veteran’s Day by keeping schools open for veteran-related learning activities on the holiday, and officially recognizing and honoring the Muslim Holidays of Eid-Al-Fitr and Eid-Al-Adha in Connecticut.

“Henry deserves a lot of credit for recognizing the incredible energy and optimism that young people have and want to put to use in order to make our world a better place in which to live and work,” Sen. McDonald said. “By creating a vehicle for these ideas, the Connecticut Youth Corps, Henry is helping to ensure the success of a wide variety of initiatives.”