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President Obama: 'This is what inspires me and gets me up every day'
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Obama hosted the second White House science fair today, using the event both to highlight the work of talented youth and to roll out a series of plans from his administration—and from private partners—to give a boost to STEM education.
One item on the president's agenda is an $80 million proposal for a new federal competition to support "effective STEM teacher preparation programs," according to a White House press release. In addition, the president is seeking to create a $60 million fund to improve mathematics education, to be jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.
Also, an upcoming Race to the Top competition will once again include STEM education as an area of focus in the criteria. And the Education Department will devote "a portion" of its next $300 million Teacher Incentive Fund competition to support local efforts to improve compensation, evaluation, and professional development systems for STEM educators, the White House release says.
In reference to plans to have the Superbowl-winning New York Giants come to the White House, President Obama said: "If we are recognizing athletic achievement, we should also be recognizing academic achievement, and science achievement."
read: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/02/president_obama_hosted_his_sec.html
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The White House announced the initiative Tuesday as President Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair. He credited the young participants in the fair with "getting America in shape to win the future." "You're making sure we have the best, smartest, most skilled workers in the world, so that the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root right here. You're making sure we'll always be home to the most creative entrepreneurs, the most advanced science labs and universities. You're making sure America will win the race to the future," he said.
Mr. Obama has touted science and math education as key to the nation's economic strength and competitiveness.
His initiative aims to prepare 100,000 new teachers to train one million more American graduates in science, technology, engineering and math during the next decade.
In addition to the government's efforts, President Obama said a group of businesses and foundations is announcing a $22 million fund to help train new science and math teachers.
read: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Obama-Promotes-Investment-in-Math-Science-Education-138867404.html
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Obama was thrilled to see a marshmallow launcher in the State Dining Room, which was designed by eighth-grader Joe Hudy. Obama asked if he could give it a go.
"The Secret Service is going to be mad at me about this," he said. According to the White House Pool Report, "With that, he pumped up the compressor and shot a marshmallow across the State Dining Room, where it narrowly missed a window and smashed against the wall near the entrance to the Red Room. The students thoroughly enjoyed this spectacle. "
This isn't the first time Obama's dirtied the White House in the name of innovation. The president told students that he once assisted his daughter Sasha with an egg drop project for school, and to test her invention they dropped the egg from the Truman balcony. Sasha went on to win the contest. "I'm hip to the whole egg thing. It's tough," Obama said.
The president spent a few minutes with each of the students and their projects, praising their hard work and ingenuity. He told one student who created dissolvable sugar packets, which are in the process of being patented, that Starbucks should look into buying the product, adding, "Tell me when I can buy stock.
read: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/02/07/obama-gets-his-hands-dirty-for-science-
(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
After touting the achievements of the students assembled, he requested that this story get what we in the business call “good play.”
“I’m going to make a special plea to the press, not just the folks who are here, but also your editors: Give this some attention. I mean, this is the kind of stuff, what these young people are doing, that’s going to make a bigger difference in the life of our country over the long term than just about anything,” he said. “And you know, it doesn’t belong just on the, you know, back pages of a newspaper. We’ve got to lift this up.”
“As I was walking around the science fair, I was thinking back to when I was your age, and basically, you guys put me to shame,” he said, laughing. “What impresses me so much is not just how smart you are, but it’s the fact that you recognize you’ve got a responsibility to use your talents in service of something bigger than yourselves.”
"We've got to lift this up and emphasize how important this is and recognize these incredible young people. This is what inspires me and gets me up every day."
read: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/02/07/obama-science-fair-deserves-some-attention/
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
related:
White House pool report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/07/obama-white-house-science-fair_n_1260284.html
WP slideshow
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/president-fires-marshmallow-cannon/2012/02/07/gIQA5yqvwQ_gallery.html#photo=8
DonorsChoose will seek to inspire 50,000 citizens to sponsor projects in math and science
http://www.donorschoose.org/
$22M Fund to Kick-Off Effort by Cross-Sector Partnership to Hire, Develop, Retain Excellent STEM Teachers
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/07/4245498/22m-fund-to-kick-off-effort-by.html
Flicker - White House Science Fair
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/sets/72157629218970145/
11 replies
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And congrats to the budding scientists!!!! 
