April 06, 2015 | 10:25 | Public Domain
First Lady Michelle Obama reads "Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are Good for You: All About Staying Healthy (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library)", written by Tish Rabe, at the 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll.
The President and First Lady are hosting the 137th annual Easter Egg Roll today, a White House tradition full of music and activities. Throughout the day, more than 35,000 visitors will pass through the South Lawn and have the opportunity to get active with the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative, listen to stories, and even pick up some healthy eating tips from special guest chefs.
Six of these visitors began their journey to the White House by writing a letter to the President. Every day, the President reads 10 letters from Americans all across the country and takes time to write some of these letter-writers back. Jordan, Jaylon, Rodney, Sofia, Zach, and Annikah are students who not only received a response from the President, but also got an invite to this year’s Easter Egg Roll.
Meet these six special guests and read their letters to the President:
Seven-year-old Jordan wrote to share some good news with the President. In his letter, Jordan told the President that he’s getting adopted. After having been a foster child for six years, Jordan says he has finally found his "forever family."
I have two dads named Jeremy and Matt that are keeping me forever. I know you can’t come to my adoption, but I wanted to tell you thank you for everything that you are doing to keep me safe.
Today, the President and First Lady will host more than 35,000 people at the 137th-annual White House Easter Egg Roll. And, we’re excited to bring you new ways to experience the fun of the South Lawn from anywhere.
For the first time ever, the White House and Snapchat are teaming up on an Easter Egg Roll "Our Story." Snapchatters on the South Lawn are invited to share their experience in Snaps with access to special Easter Egg Roll filters. Through the Snapchat app, anyone around the world can experience the live event as it happens with behind-the-scenes photos and videos.
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, this year’s Easter Egg Roll theme is #GimmeFive – and Mrs. Obama is challenging Americans across the country to share five things they’re doing to eat better, stay active, and lead a healthier life. Though Instagram's photo booth experience, you can get an exclusive glimpse on the First Lady's Instagram, @MichelleObama. Performers, athletes, and families will join the First Lady’s #GimmeFive call to action – and you won’t want to miss it.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a Passover Seder dinner in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, April 3, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
For the seventh year in a row, President and Mrs. Obama hosted the annual White House Seder. The Seder provides an opportunity for the First Family to join in retelling the story of the Israelites’ arduous journey through the desert from slavery in Egypt to liberation in the Promised Land. In recounting the story, they joined their guests in performing the Seder rituals and followed the Haggadah’s command that we see ourselves as though we personally were liberated from Egypt. And they acknowledged how this story has inspired generations of Americans in the struggle for civil rights.
This year’s Seder continued a new tradition of having a guest chef. Susan Barocas, one of the inaugural guest chefs from last year – and Washington-based filmmaker and foodie – returned again this year to assist White House Chef Cris Comerford with the meal and brought new additions to the menu, including Moroccan Haroset Balls from the Sephardic tradition, and dishes emphasizing seasonal ingredients, including beets, squash, spring onions, radishes, arugula, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. These recipes were combined with family recipes provided by several of the Seder’s attendees.
This week, the President made a historic announcement on Iran, helped dedicate the new Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston, granted 22 commutations for those impacted by unjust and outdated drug sentencing laws, traveled to Louisville to see a job training program in action, and held a roundtable in Utah about the importance of solar energy.
Find out more about the past week in our latest weekly wrap-up.
In November 2013, the P5+1 and Iran took an important first step toward that goal with the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA), which halted the progress of Iran’s program and rolled back it back in key areas for the first time in nearly a decade. The IAEA has verified that Iran has met all of its obligations under the JPOA.
On Thursday, after many months of principled diplomacy building on the JPOA, we have achieved a framework for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Full video: President Obama delivers a statement on #IranTalks: http://t.co/e94eTqLJNO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 2, 2015
Learn more about the President's Iran deal.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Invites Kids to Submit Healthy Lunch Recipes for a Chance to Win a Trip to Washington, D.C. and Attend the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House
Washington, D.C. – First Lady Michelle Obama is teaming up with PBS flagship station WGBH Boston, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to host the fourth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” to promote cooking and healthy eating among youth. Teaching kids to cook is a great way to ensure they learn healthy habits early in life. Research shows that children who help with cooking and meal preparation are more likely to consume fruits and vegetables, and they are more aware of the importance of making healthier food choices. The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” invites kids, ages 8-12, with the help of their parents or legal guardians to create and submit a recipe at pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious.
This year, WGBH Boston is joining the First Lady to present the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” in an effort to raise national awareness about the importance of healthy cooking and eating. To make the challenge possible for kids and their families across America, support is being provided to WGBH by Newman’s Own® and Newman’s Own Foundation.
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” invites kids, in collaboration with a parent or guardian, to create an original lunch recipe that is healthy, affordable, and tasty. In support of Let’s Move!, launched in 2010 by the First Lady to help kids and families lead healthier lives, entrants are encouraged to reference ChooseMyPlate.gov to ensure recipes meet the USDA’s recommended nutrition guidelines. Entries should represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Kids from all U.S. states and territories are invited to participate, including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. One winner from each and a parent or guardian will win the opportunity to be flown to Washington D.C. and the opportunity to attend the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House, hosted by the First Lady, where a selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served.
“It is such a pleasure to host the Kids’ ‘State Dinner’ at the White House each year, and I am thrilled to announce the fourth year of our Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Every year I am blown away by the talent and creativity of the young chefs, and I cannot wait to welcome this year’s group at the White House this summer. So I hope young people across the country will get into the kitchen and get cooking!”
“We are honored to be partnering with the First Lady to help raise awareness about the importance of healthy cooking and eating and hope that we can help make a positive change in the way that families eat by empowering them with the information and tools they need to make healthy choices,” said Brigid Sullivan, WGBH Vice President for Children’s Media and Educational Programming. “We are delighted to be at the table in support of kids and their families and look forward to the opportunity to build this challenge and campaign in the years to come.”
“We know that improving childhood nutrition is key to ensuring a healthier next generation. Through our efforts to improve the school nutrition environment and getting kids involved in nutrition through activities at school and this annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, we are helping to make the healthy choice the easy choice, and setting kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“It’s great to see our students setting an example for their classmates – and for adults - on the importance of nutrition and the critical role healthy eating plays in academic success. I love to see the excitement and enthusiasm that these young chefs bring to this competition as they dream up fresh, new school lunch recipes that are both nutritious and delicious,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
The winning recipes will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes: Let’s Move! Executive Director Debra Eschmeyer, representatives of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, previous Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners, and Tanya Steel, children's healthy eating expert and founder of Cooking Up Big Dreams. The winning recipes will be featured in a downloadable, printable free e-cookbook that includes a nutritional analysis and photos of the winning chefs, and their recipes and will be available on the contest website: pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge, as well as on letsmove.gov, USDA.gov, and Ed.gov.
Recipe submissions will be accepted from March 31 through April 30 online at pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge or by mail at: Healthy Lunchtime Challenge c/o WGBH, 1 Guest Street, Boston MA 02135. Winners will be notified in June, and the White House Kids’ “State Dinner” will take place in the summer of 2015. Travel to Washington, D.C. and accommodations for the winning families will be provided by Delta Air Lines and The Westin Georgetown. For more information and for contest rules, visit pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge.
"For a century, rangers, and interpreters, and volunteers and visitors have kept alive what the writer Wallace Stegner once called 'the best idea we ever had' — our belief that the country’s most special places should belong not just to the rich, not just to the powerful, but belong to everybody — not just now, but for all time."
— President Obama
Next year, the National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday. That marks 100 years of preserving, restoring, and sharing some of America's most special places — from gorgeous, iconic landscapes like Yellowstone and Yosemite to the sites across the country that tell the stories of people and events that have shaped our history. Our parks are an essential part of our heritage and a source of great pride. And, most importantly, our parks belong to all of us.
That’s a lot to celebrate, so we’re starting now. Last month, President Obama kicked things off when he launched Every Kid in a Park — an initiative that will give every fourth-grade student and their families a free pass to National Parks and all other federal lands and waters for a full year.
And today, the National Park Service and National Park Foundation are continuing the celebration with the launch of #FindYourPark, a new campaign to encourage Americans to connect to our astounding network of parks and public lands — whether it’s for the first time or the hundredth.
President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the First Lady traveled to Boston today to celebrate the opening of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The building — complete with a full-scale replica of the United States Senate chamber — honors the life and legacy of Edward "Ted" Kennedy, who served as a U.S. Senator from 1962 to 2009.
Located adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the Institute offers interactive exhibits, a replica of Sen. Kennedy’s D.C. office, and historic documents and memorabilia from the Senator’s life.
“The John F. Kennedy Library next door is a symbol of our American idealism. The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is a living example of the hard, frustrating, never-ending, but critical work required to make that idealism real,” President Obama said today.
Watch the President's full remarks here:
The White House
Office of the First Lady
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Newark, New Jersey
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you so much to Beverly; to my dear friend, Debra. I am so excited to be here -- (applause) -- at Black Girls Rock! (Applause.)
To all the young women here tonight and all across the country, let me say those words again -- black girls rock! (Applause.) We rock! (Applause.) We rock! (Applause.) No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you are beautiful. You are powerful. You are brilliant. You are funny. Let me tell you, I am so proud of you. My husband, your President, is so proud of you. (Applause.) And we have such big hopes and dreams for every single one of you.
Now, I know that’s not always the message that you get from the world. I know there are voices that tell you that you’re not good enough, that you have to look a certain way, act a certain way; that if you speak up, you’re too loud; if you step up to lead, you’re being bossy.
You see, when I was a girl, I had parents who loved me and believed in me, but those doubts still worked their way inside my head and my heart. And I was always worried about something: Does my hair look right? Am I too tall? Do I raise my hand too much in class? So when folks said that a girl like me shouldn’t aspire to go to the very best colleges in this country, I thought, maybe they’re right. But eventually, I learned that each of those doubts was like a little test -- a challenge that either I could shrink away from or rise up to meet.
And I decided to rise. (Applause.) Yes, I decided to rewrite those tired old scripts that define too many of us. I decided that I wasn’t bossy -- I was confident and strong. (Applause.) I wasn’t loud -- I was a young woman with something important to say. (Applause.) And when I looked into the mirror, I saw a tall and smart and beautiful black girl. (Applause.) And that, more than anything else, is what I want all of you to know. I want that for you. I want you to live life on your own terms, according to your own script.
I want you to use those tests in your lives today to make you stronger for the bigger challenges tomorrow. Because, trust me, those challenges will come. No one just glides their way from success to success -- not me, not the President, not anyone being honored here tonight. Anyone who has achieved anything in life knows that challenges and failures are necessary components of success. (Applause.) They know that when things get hard, that’s not always a sign that you’re doing something wrong, it’s often a sign that you’re doing something right. (Applause.) Because those hard times are what shape you into the person you’re meant to be.
And tonight, we’ve got three young women here who are living, breathing examples of that fundamental truth. So let’s welcome back to the stage this year’s MAD Girls: Kaya Thomas, Chental-Song Bembry, and Gabrielle Jordan. (Applause.) I am so proud of these young women -- (applause) -- for the lives they are leading, for the lives they are transforming in their communities.
But let me tell you something. I am sure that in the process of achieving all that they’ve achieved that they have faced plenty of obstacles. I am sure that they heard plenty of voices telling them that their dreams were too big, or too hard, or not the right kind of dreams for girls like them. See, but these girls didn’t listen to those voices. They listened to their own voices. They held fast to their own dreams. And most importantly, they prepared themselves to achieve those dreams by working hard in school and getting their education. (Applause.)
So one message that I want to leave you with tonight is this: The secret to everything in life -- every aspiration, every opportunity -- is education. (Applause.) It’s education. There is nothing more important than being serious about your education.
That’s the reason I am able to stand here tonight -- because look, I worked hard in school. Education was cool for me. (Applause.) I did my best on every test, every paper, every test, every homework assignment. (Applause.)
And I want every single one of our black girls to do the same -- and our black boys. (Applause.) I want them to do that all the way through high school, then college, and then beyond. I want you to work as hard as you can, learn as much as you can.
That is how you’ll go from being black girls who rock to being black women who rock. (Applause.) That is how you will unleash the genius and the power and the passion required to rock your communities, to rock our country, to rock this world.
I love you all. (Applause.) I believe in you all. (Applause.) And I am confident that you all will shine brightly, lighting the way for generations of girls to come.
Thank you all. God bless. (Applause.)
END
This week, the President welcomed to the White House both student filmmakers and student scientists, hosted the Afghan president, and honored the five year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, while the First Lady championed the Let Girls Learn initiative in Japan and Cambodia. That's March 20th to March 26th or, "The Magic Page."
Don't forget to tune in next week for a special, 5th-anniversary edition of West Wing Week:
