This week, the President wrapped up a six day trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia, spoke on the success of the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act, traveled to Michigan to highlight the importance of raising the federal minimum wage, and honored both the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, and the 2014 US Olympic and Paralympic teams. That's March 28th to April 3rd or, "The Rosies."
April 03, 2014 | 5:18 | Public Domain
This week, the President wrapped up a six day trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia, spoke on the success of the first open enrollment period of the Affordable Care Act, traveled to Michigan to highlight the importance of raising the federal minimum wage, and honored both the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, and the 2014 US Olympic and Paralympic teams.
This afternoon, the President and First Lady hosted members of the 2014 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams at the White House, in honor of their performance in this year's Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
At an event in the East Room of the White House, the First Lady told the athletes that she was "truly amazed" by their performances in Sochi:
I am really in awe of everything you do, as so many people here in America and across the globe are. Again and again, you all showed us that being an Olympian is about heart; it’s about guts; and it’s about giving it your all no matter what stands in your way. And that’s a message that I try to convey to young people all the time — the idea that if you work hard and commit yourselves to a goal, and then pick yourself up when you fall, that there is nothing that you can’t achieve.
Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the Let's Move blog. See the original post here.
Yesterday, the First Lady welcomed local students and FoodCorps leaders on the South Lawn for the sixth-annual planting of the White House Kitchen Garden. The garden was first planted in 2009 to commence a nationwide conversation on healthy eating and inspired the First Lady to launch Let’s Move!
At this year’s planting, the First Lady hosted the founders of FoodCorps, a program dedicated to teaching our nation’s children about healthy food while ensuring they have access to it during the school day. This fall, FoodCorps members will serve D.C.-area schools including Cleveland Elementary School, Friendship Public Charter School, and Kimball Elementary School — and students from these schools accompanied FoodCorps at the garden planting. In addition, students from Bancroft Elementary School and Harriet Tubman Elementary School who have participated in previous White House Garden events also attended this year’s planting.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
White House Kitchen Garden
3:37 P.M. EDT
MRS. OBAMA: Hey, people! Little people and big people. How are you guys? This is the sixth annual planting of the White House kitchen garden -- six times we’ve done this over six years. Pretty amazing, huh?
STUDENTS: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: So guess what we’re doing differently this year? We are going to plant something called a pollinator garden. Did you hear about this?
STUDENTS: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: So just for the folks at home who have not heard about a pollinator, but a pollinator garden helps to encourage the production of bees and monarch butterflies. And why do we need to do that? You guys -- just yell it out.
STUDENT: Because they pollinate the plants.
MRS. OBAMA: They pollinate the plants, they help the plants grow. But why do we need to help bees and butterflies -- what’s happening to them? Yell it out. They’re dying because of disease -- we don’t even know why some beehives are just totally disappearing. But that could be a problem for the planet because if you don’t have insects and great pollinators to pollinate the plants, it could affect our food source, it could affect our ability to continue to grow things. And that would be a problem.
So this garden is going to help to contribute to improving that problem. So we’re going to plant all kinds of flowers that attract bees and butterflies, which is not going to make the Obama girls happy because they don’t really like bees. But bees are good. Bees are a good thing. So you guys are going to help do that, and that’s the first time we’ve done a pollinator garden. Pretty cool, huh?
All right, well, let me welcome you guys who are here so we get good shoutouts from all the schools that are participating, okay. So when I say your school name, I want to hear it. All right? If you really love your school, then you’ll hear it -- we’ve got schools that have been here every single year.
We’ve got Bancroft. (Applause.) Bancroft! (Laughter.) Another longstanding school partner, we have Harriet Tubman. (Applause.) Tubman, yes! And we’ve got Kimball Elementary School. (Applause.) Now, the teachers, you all could help, too. Where are the -- you guys, come on.
And we have a couple of new schools this year. We’ve got the Cleveland Elementary School. (Applause.)
STUDENT: Yeah!
MRS. OBAMA: All right! (Applause.) See, that’s new. They've never been here before, so they’re still excited. And then we’ve got Friendship Public Charter School. (Applause.) Yay! Very exciting.
But we also have some special friends from the FoodCorps -- let’s hear it for the FoodCorps. (Applause.) Now, the FoodCorps are near and dear to my heart because they’re an AmeriCorps national service program. And before I became First Lady, I ran an AmeriCorps program called Public Allies.
But what these young people do -- young people. You guys are getting old compared to these guys. (Laughter.) Young compared to me. But you guys take a year, right, and spend a year either after college, during college, after college, and they spend it in a community, in a school helping you guys understand the importance of healthy eating and knowing what good food is and helping you plant gardens in your schools and in your communities, right? You’re helping to spread that knowledge about why eating fresh fruits and vegetables is so important -- so important that they have dedicated a year of their life to making that happen. They’re going to be helping out today. Thank you guys so much. Thanks for your service and your efforts. It really makes a difference. The whole notion of getting out there and teaching healthy habits for our kids is brilliant, and we’re grateful. And welcome here to the White House. (Applause.) Yay!
And we’ve got our White House team, our crew who is here. (Applause.) Our crew, our chefs who -- they are so invested in this garden, because they use the garden every day. They pull things out of that garden every day, they put it on our plates and we eat it for dinner and they serve it at big state dinners. So the garden is very important to them, which is why they always come down and make sure that you guys do it right.
Yes?
Q Where are you from?
MRS. OBAMA: Where am I from? Chicago. Good question. (Laughter.) All right, you guys. So I think we’re ready. Sam -- and then we have Sam Kass. Have you guys met Sam?
All right, so you guys have your jobs. You’ve got your assignments. All right, well, let’s get to work. Let’s move! Let’s move! (Applause.)
END
3:43 P.M. EDT
This week, the First Lady wrapped up her visit to China -- of course, pandas were involved -- while the President started a week-long trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia. And the Vice President gave seven reasons why you should get covered before open enrollment ends on March 31. Check out what else you may have missed in this week's wrap up.
While touring Xi'an, China, First Lady Michelle Obama was greeted by local kids and students performing music, double-dutch jump roping, flying kites, and more. Of course, the First Lady couldn't resist getting in on the fun and showing the kids how she moves.
#LetsMove in China: The First Lady jumps rope with kids at the Xi’an City Wall. http://t.co/YpxikkcLI8 #FLOTUSinChina pic.twitter.com/BQw3bXKqd0
— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) March 25, 2014
First Lady Michelle Obama just returned from a week-long visit to China that focused on the power and importance of education. Throughout the visit, the First Lady posed a daily travel blog, complete with video and photos, and along the way answered questions from kids across America.
It has been a tremendous honor for me, my daughters and my mother to experience this fascinating country over this past week. I've especially enjoyed speaking with young people in China, learning about their hopes and dreams, and sharing your stories with them and their stories with all of you.
In Beijing, Xi'an, and Chengdu, the First Lady met with young people to hear about their challenges, hopes, and dreams. Mrs. Obama tried her hand at calligraphy during a school visit with First Lady Peng and met with President Xi. At Peking University, Mrs. Obama spoke to students about the value of study abroad and the importance of free speech. She shared her personal story with young people at the Chengdu No. 7 High School, highlighting the value of education in her own life. And the First Lady, along with her daughters and mother, took in the ancient wonders that China has to offer -- including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terra Cotta Warriors, and the Summer Palace -- and had a chance to see the Chengdu Panda Base.
See the highlights from Mrs. Obama's visit below, or over at Storify.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
Washington, DC—On Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 3:30 PM ET, First Lady Michelle Obama will join FoodCorps leaders and local students to plant the White House Kitchen Garden for the sixth year in a row. In 2009, Mrs. Obama planted a vegetable garden on the South Lawn to initiate a national conversation around the health and wellbeing of our nation—a conversation that evolved into her Let’s Move! initiative. Since Mrs. Obama launched Let’s Move! in 2010, parents, business leaders, educators, elected officials, military leaders, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders, and kids themselves have stepped up to improve the health of our nation’s children. And thanks to these efforts, we are moving toward a healthier new norm all across the country.
This year, Mrs. Obama is inviting the founders of FoodCorps and six FoodCorps service members to join her at the garden planting. FoodCorps is part of the AmeriCorps Service Network. This nationwide program is dedicated to teaching children about healthy food, how it grows, and where it comes from, and ensuring they have access to these foods each and every day. Serving under the direction of state and community partners, FoodCorps members across the country dedicate a year of public service to help children grow up in healthy school food environments. This fall, FoodCorps plans to serve local DC schools, Cleveland Elementary School, Friendship Public Charter School, and Kimball Elementary School—students from these schools will also be attending the garden planting. In addition, Mrs. Obama will be joined in the garden by students from Bancroft Elementary School and Harriet Tubman Elementary School, who have been active participants in the White House Kitchen Garden.
The following FoodCorps service members will attend the garden planting:
Eileen Garcia (Woodbridge, CT): Eileen's service site is a non-profit community farm that is close enough to some of the schools she serves that students can walk there for their lessons. Her schools include: Ansonia Middle School, Ansonia High School, Mead School, and Prendergast School.
Whitney Smith (Detroit, MI): Whitney is serving a second FoodCorps service term at the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, where she educates students on gardening, food justice, and nutrition and instructs youth on urban agriculture. Her schools include: Timbuktu Academy of Science and Technology, Muhammed University of Islam, and Shrine of the Black Madonna Nursery School.
Greg Beach (Boston, MA): Greg’s service site is City Sprouts, a nonprofit school garden organization that partners with urban public schools to integrate academic and environmental education in schools and neighborhoods. His schools include: Fletcher Maynard Academy, Tobin Montessori School, King Open School, Vassal Lane Upper School, Cambridgeport School, and Cambridge Street Upper School.
Tim Williams (Wilmington, NC): At Feast Down East, Tim creates and maintains school gardens, and helps to develop a farm-to-cafeteria campaign and a Chef to School Program. His schools include: Snipes Academy of Art and Design, Forest Hills Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Rachel Freeman School of Engineering, Supply Elementary, and Town Creek Elementary.
Sarah Ting (Oakland, CA): Sarah’s service site is Oakland Unified School District where she teaches and collaborates with the Farm to School Supervisor on district level procurement for the National School Meal Program.
Alexis Sangalang (Camden, NJ): Alexis serves with the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids located in Camden, New Jersey. Her schools include: Holy Name School, E.C.O. Charter School, Early Childhood Development Center Respond, Inc., Center for Family Services, Head Start, and D.U.E. Season Charter School.
March 27, 2014 | 1:22
Go behind the scenes with the First Lady at Chengdu Panda Base in Chengdu, China, on the last day of her official visit to China. Learn more about the First Lady's trip at http://www.wh.gov/First-Lady-China-Trip
