FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
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The White House
Office of the First Lady |
Remarks by the First Lady at the Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentors 2005 Annual Summit |
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Wyndham Orlando Resort
Orlando, Florida
12:49 P.M. EDT
MRS. BUSH: Thank you all. Carmella, thank you very, very much for your kind
introduction, and thank you for mentoring children. You can be very proud of the
work you’ve done, and you’re an inspiration to me and I know to everyone here,
as well.
And thanks also to your Governor, who’s a terrific leader for Florida.
(Applause.) And I'd say that even if we weren’t related.
Is Mayor Crotty still here? Thank you very, very much for being here with us,
too. And thanks, of course, to all of the Trendsetters, and special
congratulations to the Champions we recognized. Your commitment to service is an
inspiration to other students in your schools and communities, and to adults.
You’re showing people that with just a few hours a month, you can make a
profound difference in a child’s life. Thank each one of you very, very much.
(Applause.)
President Bush and Governor Bush and I believe that more people will
volunteer in their communities if they are asked to volunteer and if they’re
shown how to get started. I'm proud that your Governor has made mentoring a
centerpiece of his administration.
Governor Bush spoke about the success of Florida’s fourth-graders on the
state test. Students across America are experiencing similar success. Last
month, new scores from the NAEP test -- which is also called “The Nation’s
Report Card” -- showed that nine-year-olds had the highest scores ever recorded
in both reading and math.
More good news is that the difference between the scores of majority students
and the scores of minority students -- what we call the achievement gap -- is
getting narrower. The gap between white and African American nine-year-olds in
reading is the narrowest it’s ever been in the 30-year history of the NAEP test.
We know from this report that students are striving to reach higher standards,
and that more students are meeting those standards.
And the success of Florida’s fourth-graders must make Teen Trendsetters very
proud. As Governor Bush said, you played an important part in their success. And
you’ve experienced it directly. You’ve seen boys and girls beam with pride over
a good report card. You’ve seen children’s eyes light up because they were able
to read a whole book -- maybe for the first time.
Ryan Wooten, one of the Teen Trendsetter Champions, and his group of mentors
gave their children a book by Dr. Seuss called I Can Read with My Eyes Shut.
Ryan asked the boys and the girls if they wanted the older students to read to
them. But one of the younger students said, “Can we read it to you?” Moments
like that are what make mentoring so fulfilling.
Of course, Trendsetters go beyond helping children improve their reading
skills. You serve as role models for children who look up to you. In the eyes of
a third-grader, teenagers are pretty cool. And little boys and girls can’t wait
to be grown-up like you are. So it’s so important to set a positive example.
Children watch you to learn about good behavior, about being responsible and
honest. By not smoking and staying away from alcohol and drugs, you teach
children the importance of good health and good choices. And your emphasis on
education sends the message that working hard in school is an important part of
growing up.
Teen Trendsetters is the kind of program President Bush and I are
highlighting around the country through an initiative called Helping America’s
Youth. The President announced Helping America’s Youth in his State of the Union
Address last January. The initiative concentrates on the three most important
parts of a child’s life -- a child’s family, a child’s school, and a child’s
community.
Across America people have found ways to help boys and girls make healthy
choices in life, and to help them excel in school. In Detroit, coaches volunteer
in a program called Think Detroit, where they teach life lessons through sports.
During practices and games children learn about respect for other people, about
teamwork, and about achieving goals. Children also learn to stay healthy through
physical exercise and by avoiding dangerous behaviors like smoking or drug or
alcohol abuse.
In Los Angeles, Will Power to Youth uses drama to help gang-infested -- young
people in gang-infested neighborhoods. Teenagers are employed to producee a
Shakespeare play. Consider all the benefits of this. The theater is a safe place
to go after school, the students learn classic literature, they gain
self-confidence by performing in front of other people, and they even learn the
technical skills of using sound and lights to stage a performance, skills that
can help them get a job when they get older.
These programs and many others across America are run by caring people who
want to help children navigate all the challenges that come with growing up.
These people have the same ethic of service that you’ve developed at a very
early age. And in the future, you’ll learn the lessons that you’ve learned at
Teen Trendsetters to help even more children.
There are 15 million children in our country who need a mentor. Surely there
are 15 million caring Americans who can fill that need. Individuals who
participate in youth programs have the insight to share with people who want to
get involved in their communities. The federal government can help by fostering
these connections. We can bring people together to share ideas and experiences,
and motivate others to take action.
On October 27th, I’ll host a White House Summit on Helping America’s Youth in
Washington. We’ll invite researchers, service providers, and volunteers who can
help us understand the challenges faced by today’s youth and recommend effective
programs to help children.
By bringing together these experts and sharing their knowledge with people
across America, we can help build bridges between children and their families,
schools, and communities. We want every child in America to have a parent, a
teacher, a coach, or a mentor that he or she can turn to for support, guidance,
and love.
Thank you for taking the time to mentor children in your communities. You
have discovered what a privilege it is to make a difference in the life of a
child. I urge you to share your experiences -- and keep inspiring other people
to help America’s youth.
Thank you all very much. Enjoy the rest of the summit, and have a great
summer. (Applause.)
END 12:57 P.M. EDT
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