President Barack Obama signs S. 1177, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), during a bill a signing ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Dec. 10, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
This week, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan bill to revise and replace No Child Left Behind.
This new law helps states and districts reduce unnecessary standardized tests, gets rid of one-size-fits-all mandates on our schools, ensures that our education system will prepare every child to graduate from high school ready for college and careers, and provides more children access to high-quality state preschool programs.
The First Lady also shared why college is so important!
The President and the First Lady also hosted a Hannukah reception, with the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a meet and greet with service members, in support of the Joining Forces initiative, at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Nov. 3, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
This week, the First Lady travelled to Qatar and Jordan to speak at the WISE Summit and promote her new education initiative, Let Girls Learn. The First Lady gave an impassioned speech calling for an end to 'outdated laws and traditions' that prevent millions of girls across the globe from completing their education. During her trip, Mrs Obama also met with troops at Al Udeid Air Base.
Fancy becoming a White House Fellow? You've got until January 12th to apply. White House Fellows are extraordinary Americans, selected by the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, who have demonstrated remarkable achievement early in their careers and have a commitment to service. During their year in Washington, Fellows are placed as advisors to senior White House staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking government officials. They also participate in a robust education program that includes conversations with a range of leaders and skill-based leadership development sessions. It is an extraordinary year where Fellows are pushed outside their comfort zones and immersed in the study of leadership.
This week, President Barack Obama welcomed, from left, Anthony Sadler, U.S. Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos and U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone to the Oval Office while handing them each a Presidential Challenge Coin, Sept. 17, 2015. The President expressed his gratitude to the three Americans for their selfless actions and extraordinary bravery on Aug. 21, 2015, while subduing a gunman on a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris.
On Tuesday, the Pope will visit Washington DC, New York and Philadelphia. The Pope will tour the National Mall and address a Joint Session of Congress whilst in DC. For further details about his trip click here.
This week, the White House released the College Scorecard, a resource providing comprehensive data on costs and student outcomes at nearly all post-secondary institutions in the United States. For the first time, students and their advisors can search for the earnings of students who attended an institution, along with the most up-to-date information about other measures of a college’s quality, including the percentage of students who graduate or repay their loans. Students can also access a new measure of cumulative student debt for borrowers who complete their degree at each institution and an improved measure of students’ success in repaying their loans. For more details click here.
An interpreter signs in the foreground while President Barack Obama, with Vice President Joe Biden, delivers remarks during a reception for the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the East Room of the White House, July 20, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
This week, President Obama marked 25 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the East Room, President Obama honored those who made the ADA the law of the land – the activists, congressional representatives, and stakeholders who worked tirelessly to ensure that millions of Americans with disabilities had the chance to make their contributions to the world. You can watch his full remarks below.
As part of the Reach Higher initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama held the 2015 Beating the Odds Summit in the East Room of the White House to honor youths who overcame obstacles during high school.
First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at Mulberry School for Girls in London, England. The First Lady visits the school to discuss cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom to improve educational opportunities for girls around the world through the Let Girls Learn initiative June 16, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
This week, the First Lady was in London to launch her new project, Let Girls Learn. This new initiative is dedicated to expanding access to education for adolescent girls around the world. Mrs Obama received a rapturous welcome at the Mulberry School for Girls in London, where she delivered an empowering speech and answered questions from the audience with Julia Gillard, former Prime Minister of Australia.
On Thursday, President Obama delivered a statement on the tragic shooting in South Carolina.
This week the White House announced that they will be taking part in a Worldwide InstaMeet! On the weekend of March 21, people all over the world will meet up and take photos together as part of the 11th Worldwide InstaMeet. Instagram followers to filter their way through the White House and share its history, art, and architecture with their followers. I can't wait to see the photos!
Don't miss out on your chance to ask Dr Biden about community colleges! Dr Biden will be attending SXSWedu 2015 to discuss the importance of community colleges to America’s future. You can tweet your questions about community colleges to her @DrBiden using the hashtag #AskDrBiden. Then, watch here on Tuesday, March 10 at 9 a.m. CST/10 a.m. EST to see if she responds to your question!
Dr. Biden meets with students during her Community College to Career bus tour in 2012. Photo by Gary Fabiano, US Department of Labor.
On Tuesday, the President and First Lady announced that the White House is ramping up its efforts to Let Girls Learn with a new initiative focused on supporting girls’ education around the world.
The Obama administration has partnered with the Peace Corps to take on the challenge of keeping girls in school. Even in 2015, more than 62 million girls across the globe are not receiving an education, and even more are fighting to stay there. In many countries around the world, a girl risks dangerous walks to school, pressure to give up her education, and a lack of support for the resources she needs in her schooling. Watch the announcement below.
This week, President Obama announced progress regarding the ConnectED initiative. The scheme aims to enrich K-12 education for every student in America -- empowering teachers with technology and training to make the most of it, and empowering students through individualized learning and rich, digital content. At the center of that program: a challenge to connect 99% of students to next-generation connectivity within five years. Because, as the President has said, "In a country where we expect free Wi-Fi with our coffee, why shouldn't we have it in our schools?"
The White House also released a special video from the First Lady. Titled 'I'm First,' it shared her experience of being the first in her family to attend college and why higher education is so important. West Wing Week turned 200 and a special video was released to coincide with last week's State of the Union. You can watch the video below!
I'm delighted to share with readers of Political Style information about Many Hopes, a great charity that rescues, loves, houses and educates abandoned girls in Kenya and equips them with the vision to be change-makers in their community.
Many Hopes was founded in 2007, and volunteers have started chapters in locations including Boston, New York, London, Bristol and San Francisco. Many Hopes currently provides full care for 43 girls in a newly constructed home, and the charity aims to increase this number to 60 by the middle of this year.
For readers in DC and the surrounding area, why not attend a reception at the 14th Street Corridor Art Gallery on May 16th from 6.30pm-9pm, where the founders of Many Hopes will be present to share their continued mission and vision of the charity. For more information on the event and to register click here.
