This morning Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appeared on NBC’s "Today" show and MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" to discuss the President’s Race to the Top education program and to remind high schools across the country to participate in the President’s Commencement Challenge. I don’t know about you but I can’t remember who my high school commencement […]
Today in Washington, we’re hosting the first-ever ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit. We’re bringing together some of our nation’s brightest minds in science, engineering, and business to focus on tackling the energy problem. Through the ARPA-E program, we are funding cutting-edge technologies that could provide game-changing breakthroughs. We’re trying to hit home runs, not base hits. […]
As part of our "Education in Focus" program this week, we’re happy to host Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes for a live video chat on making college more affordable. In particular, they’ll be discussing the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act and Obama Administration’s efforts to reform student lending. […]
My wife Alma and I are honored to have President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joining us today to announce a new multi-year campaign to mobilize all Americans to help end the high school dropout crisis. We call this work Grad Nation. For the past two years, America’s Promise Alliance has been traveling […]
The Vice President is now accepting applications to the United States service academies online. Starting today, potential Cadets and Midshipmen will be able to apply through a more efficient, paperless process. The Vice President is authorized to nominate individuals to the United States Military, Naval, and Air Force Academies, and is the only nominating authority […]
I’m happy to announce that today we launch the White House Urban Affairs website. This effort is an important addition to our ongoing conversation on the Future of America’s Cities and Metropolitan Areas. We have already met with many urban stakeholders, elected officials, and academics; and we’ve been around the country visiting places that are […]
Growing up on a ranch in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, my parents taught me and my seven brothers and sisters that our way of life depended on the health of the lands, waters, and wildlife around us. Though we had no television, electricity, or telephones on our ranch, the beauty of our surroundings […]
On Wednesday, February 17th, on the one-year anniversary of the Recovery Act, I had the pleasure to help celebrate and support recovery from addiction at the opening of a transitional residential program for women in Knoxville, Tennessee. The program, which received money from a grant made possible by the Recovery Act, will help approximately 45 […]
Today, I joined President Obama and Colin Powell to reaffirm our strong commitment to addressing the graduation crisis in America’s high schools. America’s prosperity in the 21st century rests on how well we prepare our children for success in college and in the workplace. Because economic progress and educational achievement go hand in hand, educating […]
Click here to see the video. As I stood watching the Virginia State University drum-line perform in the White House this week (likely the first time an HBCU drum-line has ever perform ed at the White House), I was reminded of how far we have come as a nation and hopeful about where we are […]
