Announcing the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll Poster Contest Winners

Ellie Schafer
April 15, 2011
04:19 PM EDT

This year we invited local Elementary and Middle School students in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to submit entries for the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll Poster Contest.  The response was tremendous -- we were excited to receive over 400 entries from 135 schools! The First Lady selected the winning designs for the 2011 Official Easter Egg Roll Poster and Program Cover. 

Students were asked to incorporate this year's theme, “Get Up and Go!” The theme goes along with the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, a national effort to combat childhood obesity, and promotes health and wellness.

And the winners are...

Ellie Schafer is the Director of the White House Visitors Office
Related Topics: Healthy Kids, Working Families, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia

A Visit with Wounded Warriors in San Antonio, Texas

Posted by Trooper Sanders on April 15, 2011 at 11:23 AM EDT

Joining Forces is a national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Get involved at JoiningForces.gov. 

Continuing the Joining Forces kick off tour this week, the First Lady and Dr. Biden visited several wounded warriors and their families at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas -- one of the nation's premier medical centers serving our troops and their families. "I think we leave here more inspired, because of the resilience and strength we see in our Wounded Warriors and their families," Dr. Biden said after meeting with soldiers and their families.

They personified both the sacrifice of war on those who fight them on our behalf and their families as well as the extraordinary strength of America's military families.  Some wounded warriors will return to the front lines and military service. Others may not, but still have a lifetime of skills, strength, and commitment to service to contribute to our country.  From ensuring they have the care, support and services they need to expanding opportunities for meaningful careers and active roles in our communities, all segments of our society can work together to express our debt of gratitude to the military families who serve and protect us by supporting and engaging them.

Trooper Sanders is deputy director of policy to the First Lady

 

See more about Defense  

Math, Science, and Military Families

Posted by Rick Weiss on April 15, 2011 at 09:59 AM EDT

Cross-posted from the Office of Science and Technology Policy blog

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 14, 2011. The First Lady and Dr. Biden attended the event to help bring awareness to the need for advanced placement courses in math and science at schools like Fountain-Fort Carson, which serves many military children. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

It’s the ultimate military family battle, and it’s happening today at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs. On one side are the parents—military personnel based at nearby Fort Carson. Challenging them are their kids—students at the high school, where about half the student population consists of military family children. And overseeing the battle—actually a parents-against-kids math and science competition—are First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, with a few scholarly pyrotechnics thrown in by Jamie Hyneman and Grant Imahara from the Discovery Channel program MythBusters.

The event, sponsored in part by National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), is part of a new White House initiative, Joining Forces, aimed at supporting and honoring America’s service members and their families. Launched at the White House on Tuesday, the initiative is focusing on a number of key areas including: beefing up science and math education at schools heavily populated by students from military families; improving health for military families; and focusing on training and jobs for members of the military and veterans.

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl at Fountain-Fort Carson High School

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Math and Science Bowl at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 14, 2011. The First Lady and Dr. Biden attended the event to help bring awareness to the need for advanced placement courses in math and science at schools like Fountain-Fort Carson, which serves many military children. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

See more about Education  

West Wing Week: "Open for Business"

Arun Chaudhary
Arun Chaudhary
April 15, 2011
12:00 AM EDT

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, with the threat of a government shutdown averted, President Obama focused on fiscal responsibility and balancing the need to cut spending and the deficit while continuing to support education, clean energy, and other investments needed to win the future. The Amir of Qatar also visited the White House.

Related Topics: Economy, Financial Reform, Education, Fiscal Responsibility, Foreign Policy, Working Families, Additional Issues

West Wing Week: "Open for Business"

April 14, 2011 | 5:08 | Public Domain

This week, with the threat of a government shutdown averted, President Obama focused on fiscal responsibility and balancing the need to cut spending and the deficit while continuing to support education, clean energy, and other investments needed to win the future. The Amir of Qatar also visited the White House.

Download mp4 (170.3MB)

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at Joining Forces with USO and Sesame Street event

Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Columbus, Ohio

6:32 P.M. EDT
 
DR. BIDEN:  Thank you, Elmo and Katie.  And thank you to the USO, Sesame Street, and Nick Jonas for supporting Joining Forces.  Weren’t they terrific?  (Applause.)
 
It’s so great to be here in Columbus tonight.  I can see a lot of children in the audience.  Can you raise your hand if you’re part of a military family?  Can we have a big round of applause for all our military kids?  (Applause.)  Thank you, kids, for all that you do.  I know just how proud you are of your moms and dad in uniform.
 
But we are all so proud of you.  I’m especially pleased to be here today as the mother of an Army National Guardsman.  (Applause.)
 
I want to thank General McKinley and his wife, Cheryl, and all the other adjutants general for your work on behalf of the National Guard families.  (Applause.)
 
And I want to say a big welcome home to the Marines of the Lima Company.  You make us so proud!  (Applause.)
 
Michelle and I came here today to say thank you to all you servicemembers and your families, and we hope to inspire more communities out around the country to reach out to our military families just like we are doing tonight.  We can all join forces.
 
And now I want to introduce my partner in this effort and my good friend, our First Lady Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Wow!  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  And thank you to Jill Biden, my partner and my friend.  Let’s give Jill a round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
Like Jill, I am thrilled to be here in Columbus with all of you.  And I want to recognize your mayor, Mayor Michael Coleman, who’s here tonight.  Yay, Mayor Coleman!  (Applause.)
 
I also want to thank -- and this is important -- the Franklin County Veterans Memorial Theater -- (applause) -- because you know what, they donated this space for this event tonight.  So let’s give them a round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And we couldn’t do this night without the USO and Sesame Street and of course our dear, dear friend, Nick Jonas.  Again, let’s give them another big hand.  (Applause.)
 
And I also want to thank all of you, those military kids and your moms and your dads that are in the audience.  You all are a guest of honor this evening.  We did all of this for you.  You’re the reason that we’re here.  And I think that, again, we have to give you guys another big round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
And finally I also want to thank all of the community members that are here tonight.  There are a lot of community members who came out tonight because even though you may not be part of a military family yourself, you still feel a whole lot of gratitude and respect for those who are.  I know you do. 
 
And that's why Jill and I have launched Joining Forces.  We launched it Tuesday.  This is our nationwide campaign to recognize, honor and support America’s military families.  We want to give back to these families that have given all of us so much.  So we’re going to join forces across the federal government.
 
We’re joining forces with businesses like Sears and Kmart.  We’re joining forces with organizations like the PTA and the YMCA.  (Applause.) 
 
But most importantly, this effort is about all of us joining forces as Americans, as neighbors, and colleagues, and classmates.  And the motto for this effort is very simple.  Jill and I believe that everyone -- everyone -- can do something, even boys and girls.  Everyone can do something to support a military family.  And everyone can ask themselves, what can I do?  How can I give back? 
 
If you’re a kid, you can ask your teacher if your class can do a project to support military families.  If you’re a parent, maybe you can tell that military mom down the street that you’ll take her shift in the carpool, or maybe mow the lawn, or start a group at your place of worship to help lighten the load for these families during deployments.
 
And when you get home, I want you all to log on to joiningforces.gov and see how you can get involved.
 
In the end, I know that if we all work together, if we all join forces, then we can serve our military families as well as they’ve served us.
 
Thank you all so much.  We are so proud of you.  We love you.  We’re going to come down and shake some hands.  (Applause.)
 
END
6:37 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at Joining Forces Employment Event

Sears Distribution Center
Columbus, Ohio

4:47 P.M. EDT
 
DR. BIDEN:  Hi.  Good afternoon, everyone.  And thank you, Christina, for that kind introduction.  And thank you for your service.
           
My name is Jill Biden, and I’m a proud military mom.  It’s great to be here today and to see so many service members, military families, and veterans.  Thank you all for your service and your sacrifice to this country.  I’m also pleased to see representatives from local businesses and community organizations here today who are doing their part to honor and recognize service members and their families.
  
Over the past two years, Michelle and I have had the privilege of traveling around the country and around the world, visiting with service members and military families and hearing their stories firsthand.  Most of them talk about how proud they are to serve our country. 
 
But there are also challenges that come along with this service.  Frequent moves can be difficult for children who have to switch schools and for spouses who are pursuing an education or trying to get ahead in a career.
 
Last year, I met Alicia, an amazing young nurse -- student nurse from North Carolina.  She managed to finish her nursing degree while caring for her critically-injured husband at -- excuse me -- Brooke Burn Center in Texas.  She triumphed, despite unimaginable circumstances, moving across the country, caring for her husband and completing her degree.
 
As her story demonstrates, our military families are strong.  They are incredibly resilient.  And they are some of the most valuable members of our American workplace.
 
Part of what Michelle and I are doing with “Joining Forces,” is showing Americans how organizations and businesses like the groups here today are reaching out and doing their part.  That’s why we’re here today.
 
Michelle and I have talked a lot about the ways that all Americans can support our troops and thank these men and women for their service.  And all of you are using the workplace to do just that. 
 
I’ve seen, through my work with a grassroots organization in Delaware, that small community groups can make a huge difference.  There are many small and effective groups like this all over the country, from the barbecue master who travels through your state of Ohio to cook for military families, to the accountants providing free tax service, which is timely, to the soldiers in Minnesota collecting hockey equipment for military kids.
 
The organizations here today who are supporting our troops and families are showing all Americans that there are countless ways to help -- some large and many small, but all important, and I can tell you from personal experience, all appreciated. 
 
We can all join forces.  You are doing your part.  The government is doing its part.  And each American has the ability to make a difference in the life of a military family.  That’s what this initiative is all about.
 
It is now my pleasure to introduce my partner and dear friend, a woman we are fortunate enough to call our First Lady, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)  
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you everyone.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you all so much.  Thank you, please.  First of all, let me thank Jill, not just for that very kind introduction, but for being such a tremendous partner in this effort.  This has been something that Jill and I have worked on together for years.  She brings a wealth of expertise as a Blue Star mom.  And her passion and focus on this issue has really helped get this thing off the ground.  So let’s give her another big round of applause.  (Applause.)
 
I also want to thank Secretary Solis and Lou D’Ambrosio for joining us today and for their work and commitment on this issue as well.  And most of all, I want to thank Christina Dibble and all of the other Sears associates here today who have served our country as veterans or as military spouses.  (Applause.) 
 
As Jill mentioned, for the past two years, we have traveled across America and in other parts of the world, meeting with our men and women in uniform, our veterans, and their families.  So we know all about your courage and your patriotism.  We have seen it firsthand.
 
We know about the sacrifices that you have made for our country.  And we know about the challenges that you face every single day.
 
And we’ve met so many military spouses who do so much, who work one fulltime job during the day and then they come home to start that second fulltime job of running a household and raising kids, and doing it all alone while a spouse is deployed.  We see them trying to build seniority at their jobs, but seeing that they have to keep starting over every time that they move to a new duty station.  And with each new move comes a whole new job search.  And that’s not easy, particularly when so many employers see a resume with multiple jobs as a red flag rather than as a reality of military life.
 
The truth is that many employers today simply aren’t aware of all that our veterans and military spouses have to offer.  They don’t realize that members of our military do some amazing things.  They master some of the most advanced technologies.  They run some of the most complex operations.  They have extensive experience managing hundreds of their colleagues.
 
And as for their spouses, as Christina said, on average, they have higher high school graduation rates than the general population.  And more than 80 percent of spouses have some college education as well.
 
And then, there are all the skills and experiences that come with being a military spouse and managing that lifestyle, qualifications that you won’t necessarily learn at school or at a university -- the ability to work well with all kinds of people all over the place; the ability to multitask, because you cannot do this if you cannot multitask and think outside of the box; the ability to weather adversity and adapt to changing circumstances.
 
See, Jill and I can tell, from first-hand experience, that our veterans and military spouses are some of the hardest-working, most talented people that we know.  And we think that it’s time that our country finally tapped into their full potential and took advantage of all these folks have to offer.
 
And that’s really why, this week, we’ve launched this wonderful, new campaign that we’re calling, “Joining Forces.”  So this is a nationwide effort to bring Americans together to recognize, to honor, and to serve our nation’s military families.
 
So we’re joining forces with everyone, with organizations like the PTA and the YMCA.  We’re urging them to reach out to our military kids and do more to support them. 
 
We’re joining forces with cities and states, and we’re encouraging them to adopt policies that help military families. 
 
We’re joining forces with the American people, more importantly, as neighbors and colleagues and classmates and community members, we’re urging people to step up and give something back to the military families who’ve given all of us so much.
 
And we’re joining forces with businesses all across the country.  We’re calling on them to recruit and hire veterans and military spouses.  We’re calling on them to make their workplaces more military-spouse friendly and more Guard and Reserve-family friendly, with things like flexible work schedules and portable jobs.
 
As Lou explained earlier, Sears has already stepped up to answer this call in such a brilliant way.  And they’re not alone.  Siemens is setting aside 10 percent of their open positions for veterans.  Technology leaders like AOL, Indeed.com and Cisco are creating new tools to connect military spouses and veterans with employers that are hiring.  Companies like Walmart and HP and Microsoft made a pledge to train military spouses in new technologies, so that they can start their own businesses.
 
As Secretary Solis said, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is encouraging its millions of members to hire military spouses and veterans, to find more mentors for military wives and women veterans.  And the Chamber is also going to host more than 100 job fairs across the country for these individuals.
 
And in the coming months, Jill and I, we’re going to be highlighting the best programs and initiatives that we can find at companies all across America.  This is a challenge.  Sears has set the bar.  Look at what we can do.  Can you do more?  And we’ll be calling on all companies, all companies in this country -- large and small -- to follow in their footsteps.  We’ll be urging companies to study these best practices and consider how they can incorporate them into their workplaces.  We’ll be urging them to get creative and come up with new ideas to help us benefit from all that our military spouses and veterans have to offer.

And I want to be clear that we’re not just doing this because it’s the right thing to do for America’s veterans and military families, although it is.  This is about doing the right thing.  But we’re also doing it because it’s the right thing to do for America’s businesses; because we know that when our companies hire the best people and then give them what they need to succeed, they see the results in their bottom lines.
 
And if enough companies do that -- if we can get enough companies to give our veterans and military spouses the chances they deserve to put their skills to work, that won’t just be good for those companies.  This is something that’s going to be good for our entire economy and for the future of this country.
 
So I want to end today by thanking all of you at Sears for everything you’ve done, for setting that bar, for showing other companies in the rest of the country what it means to have a workplace that values the service that you provide.  And I want to thank you for everything that you will continue to do in the months and the years ahead.  And we look forward to seeing companies across the country follow your lead.
 
So thank you so much.  Thank you for this event.  Thank you to all of you for your service.  May God bless.  Take care.
 
END
5:00 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden Visit Sears on National Tour for Military Families

Discuss Importance of Employment and Career Development Opportunities for Military Spouses

Today, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will join First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, for an event at Sears in Columbus, Ohio to highlight how several major businesses have made commitments as part of Joining Forces, a national initiative launched on Tuesday at the White House to support and honor America’s service members and their families.  Employment is a key priority of the initiative.  The visit will focus on private sector commitments that ensure transferability to military members and their spouses – when soldiers are transferred, spouses can now more easily retain their jobs at a participating facility in their new community.

On Tuesday, Sears Holdings (Sears, Kmart, and Land’s End) announced its “PCS Promise” – an effort that will cover all military personnel and spouses employed at Sears Holdings to provide transfers in the cases of Permanent Change of duty Station (PCS), retirement, or separation, depending on job availability and performance.  Sears Holdings will conduct a virtual career fair for military spouses this summer that will enable them to connect online with other military spouses currently employed across Sears Holdings and get information on employment opportunities at 3,900 locations.

Also on Tuesday, Walmart and Sam’s Club announced its Military Family Promise, which guarantees a job at a nearby store or club for all military personnel, and military spouses, employed at Walmart and Sam’s Club who move to a different part of the country because they or their spouse have been transferred by the United States military.

Additionally, Siemens Corporation, SCORE, Cisco/Futures, Indeed.com and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have committed to major hiring and training initiatives for veterans and family members, and/or transportable job options for military spouses.

Siemens Corporation will reserve ten percent of the more than 3,000 open positions in their clean tech industries for veterans.  Job training and mentoring through an internal Veterans Network with more than 150 members will be mobilized for these new hires.

SCORE, a leader in providing mentoring and training to entrepreneurs, has created the new Veteran Fast Launch Initiative, in partnership with The Walmart Foundation, to help accelerate veterans’ ability, along with their family’s, to succeed as a small business owner.  The new program will be a combined package of services, scholarships and free software (provided by major corporate partners), and SCORE’s mentoring program. Assistance will be provided to 16,000 military veterans and their families and help launch 3,000 new businesses during the first year.

Cisco is partnering with Futures Inc. on the U.S. Military Pipeline initiative, a web-based program for helping veterans, transitioning military, wounded warriors and spouses connect with education resources, mentors and employment opportunities. Today these partners are announcing the second phase of the program that will support more than 20,000 transitioning personnel at Ft Bragg and Ft Hood and over 51,000 spouses affiliated with these bases.

Indeed.com is announcing Indeed Military, a new online service dedicated to helping military families find employment. Indeed Military provides tools for employers to connect quickly and easily with veterans and military spouses seeking employment. Indeed will provide employers free access to Indeed Military for one year, with an estimated reach of 4 million veterans and military spouses each month.

Over the next year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will conduct hiring fairs for veterans and military spouses in 100 local communities across the country. In partnership with the Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service, local chambers of commerce in all 50 states, and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the Chamber's Hiring our Heroes program will seek to reach 50,000 veterans and military spouses.

The Joining Forces initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society – citizens, communities, businesses, non-profits, faith based institutions, philanthropic organizations, and government – to ensure military families have the support they have earned. 

Additional information on employment commitments in support of military families is available HERE. 

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011

Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at National Math and Science Bowl

Fountain-Fort Carson High School
Colorado Springs, Colorado

9:47 A.M. MDT
 
DR. BIDEN:  Hello.  I’m so incredibly pleased to be back at Fort Carson.  And as a teacher, I feel right at home in this school.
 
The First Lady and I wanted to visit your school today because we know how important the role is that school plays in the lives of military children.  As a teacher and a military mom, I know what a difference a great teacher can make and what a world-class education means for our nation’s military children.
 
In our travels, Michelle and I have seen many teachers who are making things easier and better for these military children in their classrooms -- teachers who arrange parent-teacher conferences by Skype so deployed parents can participate; teachers who encourage students to tape a photo of their deployed parent on their desk so they can look at it whenever they feel the need; or teachers like the one in my granddaughter’s classroom who hung a photo of my son’s deployed unit so the whole class would know that Natalie’s dad was at war.
 
Believe me, that photo of her dad on the wall meant the world to Natalie.  And it meant the world to me and the Vice President, too.
 
These teachers and all other individuals and groups across the country who are supporting our troops and their families are showing all Americans that there are countless ways to help -- some large and some small, but all important.
 
And I can tell you from personal experience, all appreciate it.  We can all join forces.

That's why I’m so excited to be back here today to share what Michelle and I have been working on and to be part of this math and science competition.
 
With that, I'd like to introduce my friend and our First Lady, Michelle Obama.  (Applause.)  
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Hey!  Wow!  (Applause.)  Good morning!  Now, this is how you wake up.  This is good.  You all rest yourselves, rest yourselves.  (Cheering.) 
 
STUDENT:  I love you!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  I love you, guys, too.
 
First, I want to thank -- let’s give Jill Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  My fabulous partner in this effort, she is a terrific partner, and I’m grateful to have her.
 
I also want to recognize and thank Bernard, as well as Superintendent Serrano, as well as recognize Lieutenant Governor Joe Garcia and Fountain mayor Jeri Howells, as well.  Let’s give them a round of applause, because they’re all here.  (Applause.)
 
And most importantly, I want to thank all the students from Fountain-Fort Carson High School, and especially to all of the members of military families that we have here today, the parents and students who are such an important part of this community and important part of this country.
 
You all are really the reasons why Jill and I are traveling around the country over these last couple of days, because right now we’re kicking off a campaign called Joining Forces.  This is a nationwide campaign to recognize, and honor, and support our military families.  (Cheering.)  Yeah, that's a good thing.  (Applause.)
 
See, the truth is you all inspire us, and we really wanted to do something to give back.  So we’ve asked all types of people all around the country and organizations to get involved in Joining Forces because Jill and I know that everyone can do something.
 
We’re Joining Forces with American people all across the country -- our neighbors, and colleagues, and community members -- folks who are stepping up to give something back to the military families that have given us all so much.
 
We’re Joining Forces with companies like Wal-Mart and Sears, who have promised us that if a military spouse who works at their stores has to move to a new duty station, they’ll do their best to have a job waiting for those spouses at their new post.
 
And we’re Joining Forces with schools and organizations like the PTA and the YMCA, who said that they’re going to reach out and do more for our military kids.
 
For example, the National Math and Science Initiative that you’ve heard about is working with the Department of Defense and partners in the private sector to expand a program that they’ve called the Initiative for Military Families.  Now, this program provides Advanced Placement courses, as you’ve heard, in math and science to schools and areas with high military populations. 
 
And that’s really why Jill and I wanted to be here today.  That's why we picked this school, we picked this community.  We’re thrilled about this effort and we’re thrilled about how it’s going to affect students like you.
 
But we’re even more excited that this initiative is going to be opening up to a total of 28 new schools, including right here at Fort-Fountain -- at Fountain-Fort Carson.  And that's why we’re here today.
 
And this means that thousands of additional students just like all of you are going to get access to AP courses.  And this is important because in addition to stretching your minds, it’s going to make you more competitive for college admissions.  All these colleges are looking for kids who are doing AP courses.  This is going to give you a leg up.  And it’s going to open up greater opportunities for you for the rest of your lives.
 
And this isn’t just about the classes that you’ll be taking in the next few years.  This is really about the opportunities that you’re going to have for years to come.  This is about your future.  It’s about the people that you’re going to become.  It’s about the impact that you’re going to make in this country, perhaps in the world. 
 
See, the truth is, as Bernard has said, math and science skills are important.  And the ones that you’re going to learn through these AP courses are going to open up a whole new world for all of you.  Maybe they’ll get you to medical school, because you need those types of courses to be competitive.  Maybe they’ll get you work at a software company.  Those companies are hiring so much and they’re looking for the top students in the areas of math or science. 
 
Or maybe it’ll get you in space, just like Bernard, or even to become one of the top CEOs in one of the most powerful companies in the country, because most of the CEOs of S&P 500 companies don't get their degrees in business or economics.  They really are usually getting their educations in engineering.  And I didn’t even realize that.  I thought that all CEOs were business and law majors, I thought, because I was a lawyer, you know.  But it’s really engineering.  It’s the math and the sciences. 
 
And an education in math and science can put you on the path to success in almost any field that you can imagine.  It helps you to see things differently and it gives you a special set of skills to go out and to tackle the world.
 
And there's something that I’ve learned in working and learning from and hearing from military families, and it’s that growing up in a military family also gives you a special set of skills.  I’ve learned that from the young people that I’ve met again and again.  When we talked to students like many of you, I’ve seen how having a parent in the military gives you all a unique perspective. 
 
And I’m just curious -- I want to see by a show of hands how many students here have parents who have served in the military.  I just want to see.  Just look at that.  (Applause.)  Just look at that.  (Applause.)
 
So I know that you all have some idea of what I’m talking about, because you all are the ones filling in for your moms and dads when they’re deployed, right?  You’re the ones who are taking on those extra household chores, stepping up at home.  You’re the ones making sure that your little brothers and sisters stay in line.  I know that's true, right?
 
You’re dealing with those moves every few years.  How many of you have had to move several times in your high school careers?  How many of you?  And having to adjust to that fourth or five or sixth new school? 
 
And I know that that's not always easy.  That can’t be easy.  And that wasn’t my life.  I was one of those kids who lived in the same city, went to the same high school, and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for kids who have to move and readjust every couple of years.  So I know it’s not been easy for you all. 
 
But one of the things I want to say is that on those tough days -- and I know they come around every now and then, those tough days when you feel like you don't want to roll out of bed, right?  Yeah, I see some heads nodding.  I know those days.  We have those days, too, every now and then.  I think the President does, too.  I got to push him out of bed.  It’s like, “Get up!”  (Laughter.)  We all have those days.
 
But when you feel that, and you don't want to take that extra effort, you think about skipping school, I just hope that you realize just how special your circumstances are.  I want you to realize that you all are really living an Advanced Placement kind of life.  You’re living it.  You’re learning what responsibility really means.  Right now, all of this that you’re going through is teaching you responsibility. 
 
And you’re learning how to be flexible.  And flexibility is key to just surviving as adults.  You’re learning how to be resourceful.  And more important, you’re learning how to be resilient, and that's 80 percent of the battle, and I think a lot of adults here will agree, right, a little flexibility and resilience will take you a long way.
 
So those are your specific skill sets that you’re learning.  And when you use that knowledge alongside with what you’ll be learning in these math and science courses and other classes, there’s no telling what you guys will be able to do and what you’ll be able to achieve.
 
So I want you all to be proud of who you are.  I want all of you young people from military families to know just how unique you are, how unique your experiences are, and take that with you, and know that you can conquer anything.  If you can do this, you can definitely go to college, right?  You can definitely succeed in college.  Come on, let me hear this.  Right?  (Applause.)
 
If you can do this, you can go on to be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher.  You can do anything you want.  If you can get through this, you can do anything. 
 
And just know that this whole country is behind you.  That's what Joining Forces is all about -- making sure that you know that from the President of the United States on down, we’re behind you.  And in the months and years ahead, we want you to show us what you’ve got, right?  You’ve got to show us your stuff.  Can you do that?  (Applause.)  I think you can.  (Applause.)
 
We’re proud of you.  And actually, I think we’re going to get a chance to see some stuff showing right now.  I understand that we’ve got a little competition coming up.  Is that right? 
 
We’ve got the students versus the parents!  Oh, I know, parents are groaning there.  It’s, like, are you smarter than a fifth-grader?  (Laughter.)  I know sometimes I’m not.  (Laughter.) 
 
But each team will have one Mythbuster, Jamie and Grant, to a team.  So I don't want anyone blaming it on your Mythbuster, all right?  I’m talking to the parents.  (Laughter.)  If you lose, don't blame the Mythbusters.
 
So Jill and I are going to sit down.  We’re going to be asking the questions.  So we’re excited.  So now it’s time for us to meet our contestants and get this started. 
 
Thank you all so much.  Keep doing what you’re doing.  (Applause.)
 
END
10:02 A.M. MDT

Watch Live: The First Lady and Dr. Biden Host a Military Families Event in Columbus, Ohio

Posted by Kori Schulman on April 14, 2011 at 02:33 PM EDT

Joining Forces is a national initiative to support and honor America’s service members and their families.  The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of our society – get involved at JoiningForces.gov.

Join First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in Columbus, Ohio on the final stop of their national Joining Forces tour to support America's military families. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden, along with the USO and Sesame Street, will host a special community event to honor National Guard members and their families, with performances by Nick Jonas and Sesame Street. The event will also recognize local organizations doing great work in their communities to support military families.

Watch the event live on Thursday, April 14 at 6:00 PM EDT on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

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