Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week is a congressionally chartered event taking place annually during the third week of February for the purpose of democratizing and promoting entrepreneurship across the United States through education, connection, and collaboration; Whereas the United States is the most entrepreneurial country in the world, and the entrepreneurial spirit woven into the national consciousness is central to the identity of the United States; Whereas that entrepreneurial spirit and the countless new businesses it has spawned have built the most innovative and productive economy in the history of the world; Whereas the United States is a nation of entrepreneurs, with new and small businesses comprising 99 percent of all businesses in the United States and employing nearly 1/2 of all workers in the United States; Whereas, given the importance of entrepreneurship to innovation, productivity gains, job creation, and expanding opportunity, a thriving entrepreneurial spirit is critical to economic growth in the United States; Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week celebrates the initiative, drive, creativity, and commitment embodied in the entrepreneurial spirit of the United States; Whereas National Entrepreneurship Week inspires students and the next generation of entrepreneurs by encouraging educators in grade schools, colleges, and universities across the United States to integrate entrepreneurship education into the classroom; and Whereas research has demonstrated that students who participate in entrepreneurship education programs have better attendance records, perform better in core subjects, and have lower drop-out rates than students who do not participate in such programs: Now, therefore, be it