The 2013 Kids’ State Dinner And First Lady Michelle Obama Appears At The Eastern Kentucky University Commencement

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

The 2013 Kids’ State Dinner

Entries are now being accepted for the Second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ State Dinner, a nationwide recipe challenge that originated to promote healthy eating among America’s youth, sponsored by Epicurious, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Department of Agriculture.

Fifty-six children and their parent/guardian (one pair from each of the 50 states, plus the U.S. Territories, D.C., and Puerto Rico) will be flown to Washington, DC where they will have the opportunity to attend a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House this summer, hosted by Mrs. Obama. A selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served.

LEARN MORE

Check out the photo gallery from the first Kids’ State Dinner

Stay up to date on all the latest Let’s Move news, plus ideas for helping your family make healthy choices (plus recipes and tips for healthy meals!) sign up for the Let’s Move newsletter.

The Quest:

A healthy, delicious kids’ lunch recipe

The Prize:

A trip to Washington, D.C., and the opportunity to attend the Kids’ “State Dinner”

Boosting brain power and energy are just two of the reasons kids and parents alike should eat a healthy lunch every day.

That’s why First Lady Michelle Obama, the USDA, the U.S. Department of Education, and Epicurious have joined together again for the second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.

Children 8 to 12 and their parents (or legal guardians) are invited to create and enter their best original lunch recipes inspired by MyPlate, the USDA’s user-friendly guide to healthy eating. One winner from each of the 50 states and U.S. Territories will be awarded a trip to Washington, D.C., and the opportunity to attend the Kids’ “State Dinner,” hosted by Mrs. Obama at the White House this summer. These lucky finalists might also have their recipes served at the event!

Picture of Michelle Obama speaking

Your recipe(s) should include each of the five food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal: Fruit and veggies should make up about half of the recipe or meal, along with whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Each recipe should be the creation of a child working with a parent or guardian. Your lunch entry should also be original, affordable, and, of course, delicious!

The range of recipe submissions is limitless. The Challenge welcomes sandwiches or wraps with lean meats, fish, or vegetables; soups or stews; pastas; grain, green, or fruit salads; yogurt parfaits…anything perfect for a healthy kids’ lunch, whether devoured at home or at school.

First Lady Michelle Obama among Spring Commencement Speakers

First Lady Michelle Obama will join former University of Kentucky President Dr. Charles Wethington and Kentucky author Silas House as speakers at Eastern Kentucky University’s spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 11th.

Three ceremonies, all in Alumni Coliseum, will recognize a total of 2,428 degree candidates.

The First Lady will address degree candidates from the Colleges of Education and Business and Technology at 7:30 p.m. (a change from the usual time) and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. The First Lady will be speaking at EKU as part of her Joining Forces initiative to assist military families. The University has received national recognition in recent years for its commitment to helping veterans further their education. EKU, home to more than 1,200 veterans and their dependents, earned a No. 1 national ranking in 2010 and 2012 from Military Times magazine in its annual “Best for Vets: Colleges” issues.

Because of limited seating and to ensure that graduates’ families are able to attend, the 7:30 p.m. ceremony will be restricted to those holding tickets. Graduating students, in addition to receiving one ticket each for personal use, will receive six additional tickets for use by family members; remaining tickets will be distributed by general lottery.

To pick up tickets, graduating students must appear in person at the EKU Athletic Ticket Office in Alumni Coliseum any weekday between April 22 and May 3, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Degree candidates must show a valid EKU ID, and the candidate’s name must be on the list of graduating students.

Those who wish to submit a request for general lottery tickets must complete a form at registrar.eku.edu/lottery by no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3. The submissions will be selected at random, and individuals will be notified by the end of the business day on Monday, May 6 if their ticket request has been chosen. Availability of lottery tickets is limited to two tickets per entry and one entry per person.

All attendees that evening will be required to go through security screening similar to that encountered at airports. Doors for the 7:30 p.m. ceremony will open at 5:30 p.m.

The first ceremony, at 9 a.m., will recognize degree candidates in the Colleges of Health Sciences and Justice & Safety. The second ceremony, at 1:30 p.m., will recognize degree candidates in the College of Arts & Sciences. The 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ceremonies are open to the public. All ceremonies will be streamed live, with a link on the EKU home page (www.eku.edu).

The First Lady is a Chicago Public Schools graduate who went on to earn degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She joined the University of Chicago in 1996 as Associate Dean of Student Services and developed the University’s first community service program. Later, during her tenure as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.

In 2010, two years after the election of her husband, Barack Obama, as U.S. President, she launched Let’s Move, a nationwide collaborative effort to tackle the challenge of childhood obesity. The following year, she and Dr. Jill Biden (wife of Vice President Joe Biden) launched Joining Forces to raise awareness of the unique needs of American military families.

Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters, Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11.

Wethington, president at UK from 1990 to 2001, will speak at the morning ceremony. The Casey County native headed the Commonwealth’s community college system, then under the control of the UK, from 1981 to 1990. Wethington, who earned bachelor’s degrees in English and history from EKU in 1956, retired in 2012 after 47 years in higher education.

House, author, educator and environmental activist, will speak at the 1:30 ceremony. The Laurel County native, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English from EKU in 1993, is the author of five critically acclaimed novels: “Clay’s Quilt,” “A Parchment of Leaves,” “The Coal Tattoo,” “Eli the Good,” and “Same Sun Here,” co-authored with Neela Vaswani, among other works. He currently serves as the director of the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College.

Wethington will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, House an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.

In all, 1,806 bachelor’s degree candidates will be recognized, plus 490 master’s degree candidates, 115 associate degree candidates, 10 specialist degree candidates and seven doctoral degree candidates.

Watch Live here: (EKU Link)

Filed under: "BARACK" The Vote, 2014 Mid Term Elections, Awards, Black History, Business, Causes, Celebrity, Cooking, Daily White House Schedule, Democrats/Democratic, Education, Event, Food, Fun & Games, Good News, Information & Links, Michelle Obama, News, Photographs, Recipes, Recipes ~ Food, Speech, Stories, The White House, The White House Daily Snapshot, Videos, White House Blog, World News | Tagged: Alumni Coliseum, First Lady Michelle Obama among Spring Commencement Speakers at Eastern Kentucky University, Lets Move, Michelle Obama, MyPlate, United States, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Education, White House | Leave a Comment »

Barack’s House Updates: Performance At The White House: “Memphis Soul” And 1st Lady Michelle Obama Host Second Recipe Challenge

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Epicurious Host Second Recipe Challenge

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA AND EPICURIOUS HOST
SECOND RECIPE CHALLENGE
TO PROMOTE HEALTHY EATING NATIONWIDE

“The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge” Welcomes Children and Their Parents to Create
Healthy Lunch Recipes for an Invite to a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House

New York, NY (April 3, 2013) – With the overwhelming success of the inaugural Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” in 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama is again teaming up with Epicurious, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Department of Agriculture to host a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy eating among America’s youth.

“Last year’s Kids State dinner was one of my favorite events we’ve ever done for Let’s Move! because it perfectly captured how young people, parents, community leaders and businesses can come together for innovative, healthy solutions,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Last year’s young chefs impressed and inspired me with their creativity, and I can’t wait to welcome a whole new group to the White House this summer and taste their creations. So kids, let’s get cooking!”

The second Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” invites parents or guardians and their children, ages 8-12, to create and submit an original lunch recipe that is healthy, affordable, and tasty. In support of Let’s Move!, launched by the First Lady to solve the issue of childhood obesity, each recipe must adhere to the guidance that supports USDA’s MyPlate (at ChooseMyPlate.gov) to ensure that the criteria of a healthy meal are met. Entries must represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods, with fruits and veggies making up roughly half the plate or recipe.

All U.S. states and territories, including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, are invited to participate. Fifty-six children and their parent/guardian (one pair from each of the 50 states, plus the U.S. Territories, D.C., and Puerto Rico) will be flown to the nation’s capital where they will have the opportunity to attend a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House this summer, hosted by Mrs. Obama. A selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served.

“In order to promote a healthier next generation of Americans, we need to encourage kids to make healthier choices now – which they can carry into adulthood,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is thrilled to be part of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge again this year because it inspires kids to use USDA’s MyPlate to take a hands-on approach to building healthier meal times.”

“We know healthy kids are healthy students, and healthy students are better able to engage in the classroom and excel academically,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “If we can get our children to eat healthier and exercise more, that’s a recipe for success. Kids are the best judges of what looks and tastes good, so we’re challenging them to create lunches that all their peers will enjoy.”

“We are thrilled to once again partner with Mrs. Obama, and to champion her Let’s Move! initiative, in an effort to raise awareness for the importance of healthy eating among kids,” said Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious. “Through ‘The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,’ we will, for the second year, create a call to action for kids, highlighting the importance of healthy meals. This initiative will continue to make a positive impact on the way our children eat, and will reinforce that meals, especially school lunches, can be delicious and nutritious.”

The winning recipes will be chosen by a panel of judges, including Tanya Steel, Let’s Move! Executive Director Sam Kass, USDA and U.S. Department of Education representatives, as well as a celebrity chef, to be named. At the conclusion of the Challenge, a free, downloadable and printable e-cookbook featuring the winning recipes, nutritional analysis, photos and drawings, will be available via LetsMove.gov, USDA.gov, Ed.gov and recipechallenge.epicurious.com.

The White House Kids’ “State Dinner” is currently scheduled to take place in July or August 2013.

Recipes can be submitted April 3 through May 12, online at recipechallenge.epicurious.com, or via mail at “The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge c/o Epicurious.com,” 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 15^thFloor, New York, NY 10036. Winners will be notified at the end of June. For more information and contest rules visit recipechallenge.epicurious.com.

Upcoming Guidance on “in Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul”

Event includes Evening Performances and Daytime Student Workshop
Honoring Memphis Soul Sound

Tuesday, April 9 * White House – As part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will invite music legends and contemporary major artists to the White House for a celebration of Memphis Soul music. The program will include performances by Alabama Shakes, William Bell, Steve Cropper, Al Green, Ben Harper, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Joshua Ledet, Sam Moore, Charlie Musselwhite, Mavis Staples and Justin Timberlake, with Booker T. Jones as music director and band leader. The President’s remarks will be pooled press and the entire event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live starting at 6:55 PM ET. “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” will be broadcast Tuesday, April 16 at 8 PM ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). The program will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.

As she has done with previous White House music events, the First Lady will host a special daytime event for students. The First Lady will welcome 120 middle and high school students from across the country to take part in an interactive student workshop event: “Soulsville, USA: The History of Memphis Soul.” Beginning at 11:00 AM in the State Dining Room, Robert Santelli, Executive Director of The GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, will lead the students in an overview of the origins of Memphis Soul, discuss important artists from throughout its history, and explore the elements of soul and gospel that helped contribute to the genre’s unique sound.

Featured performers from the evening event will share their experiences as well as answer student questions about the music and entertainment world. Students from 16 schools and organizations from the following ten communities will participate: Herndon, Virginia; Los Angeles and Oakland, California; Memphis, Tennessee; New York, New York; Sandy Spring, Maryland; Seminole, Tampa; Tarpon Springs, Florida; and Washington, D.C.

The workshop, “Soulsville, USA: The History of Memphis Soul,” will stream live on www.whitehouse.gov/live. This event will be open press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover this event must RSVP to firstladypress@who.eop.gov by Friday, April 5, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET. Press who do not have a White House hard pass must include their social security number, date of birth, country of citizenship, current city/state of residence and gender.

“In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” will be the tenth “In Performance at the White House” program hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama. Starting in February 2009, these events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring music from the Civil Rights Movement, Motown and the Blues; spotlighted Broadway and the unique spirit of the American musical; and explored the rich roots and resiliency of Country Music.

Filed under: Causes, Celebrity, Cooking, Education, Event, Food, Fun & Games, Good News, Joy & Happiness, Michelle Obama, Music, News, Recipes, Recipes ~ Food, Stories, The White House, White House Blog | Tagged: Lets Move, Memphis soul, MichelleObama, MyPlate, Obama, United States, United States Department of Agriculture, White House | Leave a Comment »

Get Involved With “Let’s Move!” Childhood Obesity Ain’t No Joke.

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

Waterford, Michigan Students Get Onboard the “New-Trition” Train

Posted by Doreen Simonds, Associate Director, Nutrition and Purchasing Services, Waterford Public Schools, Waterford, Michigan on March 27, 2013

Student with “Diggin,” the “New-Trition” train conductor (nutrition mascot) for the Waterford schools. (Photo courtesy of Waterford Public Schools)

“Let’s Move! and get on the right track” became our mission a few short years ago at Waterford. Our journey began with a Michigan Team Nutrition Wellness grant that taught us about the HealthierUS School Challenge and the many wellness and menu changes we needed. Our first focus was encouraging students to embrace new foods.

First, we started a “Fruity Friday” program. One Fruity Friday, we featured fresh pears from our local farmer’s market, and one little girl asked how to eat it, saying, “I’ve never seen a pear out of a can before!” We also started a Veggie Venture school garden.

Another focus area was nutrition education. We turned our K5 cafeterias into WSDepot Cafés with the creation of “Tracker, the New-Trition Train” and his conductor “Diggin” (the mascot who gets kids to “Dig In” to good nutrition). Tracker, Diggin and friends began to grace the cafés and schools via murals, a book series, nutrition skills visits and MyTrackerTray Taste Tests. Our community sponsors helped create student teams and a district Wellness Committee. All these moves helped us to meet the Healthier US School Challenge and the new school menu requirements.

This year we moved full steam ahead with the new school meal standards. We kicked off the school year with a Fuel Up to Play60 “Let’s MOOve” event. Our students attempted a Guinness World Record (“The Longest Sequential Toast”) by toasting healthy choices like no-fat milk and whole grains.

By using Tracker and his Train Gang, we helped students identify food groups and menu items and make sound choices. Our “Fruit First” program, starring Frieda the Fruit Train, encouraged students to take their fruit at the start of the line. Victor the Veggie Train promoted tasty veggie choices. We started a “MyAppTray” program to help the older students understand the new meal patterns. We’re thrilled that our adventure will be moving along this year with a USDA Farm to School Planning Grant. Our kids will be able to enjoy even more fresh and local choices and “dig in” to the good earth with help from “Diggin.”

Our kids are our true engineers; they keep us rolling along this wholesome adventure!

Let’s Move! is celebrating National Nutrition Month with stories of school cafeterias serving healthy meals across the country. Learn more about the historic, healthy changes to school meals.

First Lady Calls on School Leadership and School Champions to Get America’s Kids Moving

Posted by Ali Kelley on March 22, 2013

Earlier this week, the First Lady hosted two calls to ask school leadership and prospective school champions – including teachers, staff, parents, and community members – to join the new Let’s Move! Active Schools initiative. An unprecedented collaboration of organizations across sectors, the new program will bring physical activity back to America’s schools through a simple, six-step process that helps all students get moving before, during, and after the school day.

The First Lady acknowledged that schools today face tight resources and difficult decisions, emphasizing that making time for physical activity can actually help schools advance their other priorities. She explained how the new program is designed to make it easier for schools to create active environments and she urged everyone – from school administrators and boards, to P.E. teachers and parents – to go to LetsMoveSchools.org to join.

“I want to thank all of you for the outstanding leadership that you provide every single day in schools across this country. And I know that you all know better than just about anyone else how important physical activity is for our children’s health and for their well-being.

You all know the statistics about the impact that it has on their behavior and their success in school and in life. But the fact is that more than ever before I know that many of you are stretched very thin. You’re facing budget cuts. You are juggling all kinds of competing demands. And I know that as the years pass, it can feel like it’s getting harder to find the time and the money to help your students be active.

And that is precisely why a few weeks ago we launched Let’s Move! Active Schools, because we wanted to give all of you the tools and the support you need to bring physical activity back to your schools.

At the end of the day, whether or not this new initiative is successful will really be up to folks like all of you. And that’s why I thought it was so important for me to be on this call today. Because we need you, and I want to make sure you understand how much you play a key role in bringing this effort to life, because we need your energy, we need your effort. More importantly, we need your imagination to make this initiative work.”

The First Lady was joined by an impressive and diverse lineup of guest speakers, each of whom has been a pioneer in creating active school environments. The guests included:

Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Deb Delisle, Assistant Secretary for Elementary & Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
Dr. John Skretta, Superintendent, Norris School District 160 in Firth, NE
Jill Wynns, Board Member, San Francisco County and Unified School District & Immediate Past President, California School Boards Association
Mike Humphreys, P.E. Teacher & U.S. Department of Education Classroom Fellow in Arlington, VA
Apryl Krakovsky, Parent & Founder of “My School in Motion” in Overland, CA
Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition
Sam Kass, Executive Director of Let’s Move!

These leaders shared accounts of the how regular physical activity is benefiting their students’ health, happiness, and performance in school. They suggested innovative, cost effective solutions for making physical activity a part of every school day, and they emphasized the importance of leadership and recognition at every level.

So, what are you waiting for? No matter who you are, you have a role to play in activating the schools in your area. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Get informed. Learn about the many benefits of regular physical activity.
Talk to your kids. Find out how much they’re moving throughout the day.
Talk to your school. Tout the benefits of physical activity and ask how you can help create an active environment.
Build a network of support. Engage other parents and community members to raise awareness and help your school become a Let’s Move! Active School. Spread the word with this fact sheet.
Get started! Sign your school up at www.LetsMoveSchools.org.

Watch the First Lady’s launch of Let’s Move! Active Schools as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! third anniversary.

First Lady Michelle Obama exercises with kids during a “Let’s Move! Active Schools” event at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill., Feb. 28, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Ali Kelley is the Deputy Director of Let’s Move Outside!

Healthy Game-Day Meals with the LA Kings & LA Galaxy

Published on Mar 27, 2013

Members of the Major League Soccer champion Los Angeles Galaxy and the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings discuss their go-to healthy game-day meals.

Let’s Move! London

Published on Aug 3, 2012

First Lady Michelle Obama hosts a Let’s Move! event for about 1,000 American military children and American and British students to engage them in the spirit of the Olympic Games. The event includes sports stations, performances and Olympic and Paralympic legends including the members of the U.S. delegation along with David Beckham, Bart Conner, Nadia Comaneci, Teresa Edwards, Emily Hughes, Sarah Hughes, Shawn Johnson, Carl Lewis, Dikembe Mutombo, Dara Torres, members of the 2012 US Track and Field Team and Manchester United legends, among others.

On Board with The First Lady: Let’s Move! 3rd Anniversary Tour

Published on Mar 8, 2013

On Board with the First Lady! First Lady Michelle Obama travels to Mississippi, Chicago and Missouri on the Let’s Move! 3rd anniversary tour. She meet with elementary school kids and teachers, announced the Let’s Move Healthy Schools initiative, filmed a lunch-lady cook off with Rachael Ray and visited a Walmat neighborhood market to see changes that have been made to make healthy foods more accessible and affordable to families.

Filed under: Causes, Celebrity, Charity/Giving, Cooking, Cooking Food Recipes, Education, Event, Food, Fun & Games, Good News, Information & Links, Joy & Happiness, Michelle Obama, News, Photographs, Recipes, Recipes ~ Food, Stories, The White House, Videos, White House Blog, World News | Tagged: First Lady, Guinness World Record, Health, Lets Move, Nutrition, School meal, United States, United States Department of Agriculture | Leave a Comment »

Friday’s Pictorial Potpourri

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

I just wish to express my loving thanks to all who have followed, supported and understood this blog the past year…..

Without each and every one of you, TheObamaCrat.Com™ would not exist.

I also wish to thank all those who leave nasty, evil, stupid comments as well, lets face it, if you morons take time from your lives to comment on TheObamaCrat.Com™…..it means I’m doing “it” right.

Filed under: "BARACK" The Vote, Black History, Business, Campaign Ads, Causes, Celebrity, Democrats/Democratic, Event, Fun & Games, Good News, Gun Control, Gun Violence, Holidays, Joy & Happiness, Michelle Obama, News, NRA, Opinion, Photographs, Politics, POTUS Obama, Stories, The White House, Thoughts Opinions & Ideas, Women's Causes, World News | Tagged: American Broadcasting Company, BarackObama, interview, Lets Move, MichelleObama, United States, Vogue (magazine), White House | 14 Comments »

Monday Potpourri From Washington D.C.

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

#AskFLOTUS About Let’s Move!

Kori Schulman

March 10, 2013

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the Let’s Move! website. You can see that post here.

To celebrate the third anniversary of Let’s Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama traveled around the country to highlight healthy changes being made in schools, towns and businesses across America.

Tomorrow, we’re continuing the celebration on Twitter to discuss the First Lady’s initiative to ensure that all our children grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

On Monday, March 10th at 11:05 a.m. EDT, First Lady Michelle Obama will answer some of your questions about Let’s Move! using her office’s @FLOTUS account. Here’s how you can join:

Ask a question using the hashtag #AskFLOTUS now and during the chat
Follow along live through the @FLOTUS Twitter account
If you miss the live event, we’ll post the full Q&A on LetsMove.gov

Be sure to follow @FLOTUS for updates from the First Lady’s Office and @LetsMove for the latest about the initiative

Sunshine Week: In Celebration of Open Government

Lisa Ellman and Melanie Ann Pustay
March 11, 2013

Ed. Note: This post is the first in a Sunshine Week series on whitehouse.gov. Sunshine Week is a national initiative to celebrate and focus on government transparency and open government.

As President Barack Obama has stated, “Openness will strengthen our democracy, and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” This week, we celebrate Sunshine Week — an appropriate time to discuss the importance of open government and freedom of information, and to take stock of how far we have come, and think about what more can be done.

Over the last few weeks, we have asked for your feedback on some of our open government efforts, and you have responded, whether in meetings with civil society or via Quora, or a web formon WhiteHouse.gov. We thank you for taking the time to talk to us about this important work, and we hear you – and we will continue to consult with you.

In the spirit of Sunshine Week, the White House will highlight one initiative a day which demonstrates the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to open and accessible government. Today, we will focus on progress made improving the administration of the FOIA. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” In our democracy, FOIA, which encourages accountability through transparency, is the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open government.

As President Obama declared in his landmark Memorandum on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) issued on his first full day in Office: “A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency.” The FOIA – which provides the public with a statutory right to request and receive information from their government – is a key way in which government transparency is realized.

Over the past four years agencies have been working hard to improve their administration of the FOIA under guidance issued by Attorney General Holder. That guidance directed agencies to apply a presumption of openness in responding to requests and to make it a priority to respond promptly. Both the President and Attorney General stressed that it is also vital for agencies to make information available proactively, without the need to make a request, so that what is “known and done by their Government” is readily available to all. These directives are taking hold across the agencies and real improvements are being made.

In Fiscal Year 2012, the government as a whole:

Processed more FOIA requests: Agencies processed 665,924 total requests. This is a 5.5 percent increase over the total number of requests processed last fiscal year.

Decreased the FOIA request backlog: The efforts of agencies to increase the numbers of requests processed has paid off as the government was able to reduce its backlog of pending requests by 14 percent from last year. The current backlog marks a 45 percent reduction from the backlog that existed four years ago in 2008.

Maintained a release rate above 92 percent for the fourth straight year: Of the 464,985 requests processed by agencies for disclosure, the government released records either in full or in part in response to 93.4 percent of these requests. For half of those requests all the information was released, with nothing withheld. This marks the fourth year in a row where the number of responses to FOIA requests providing a release of information either in full or in part exceeded 92 percent of the requests processed for disclosure.

Improved average processing times: Agencies improved the average processing times for all categories of requests.

Disclosed more information proactively: Agencies met public demand for information by posting a wide range of material on their websites, allowing the public to easily find information of interest without the need to make a FOIA request.

All of the detailed data on agency FOIA compliance from Fiscal Year 2012 is compiled and displayed graphically on the Department of Justice’s government FOIA website FOIA.gov, providing a clear picture of government FOIA administration and progress during the last fiscal year.

These are more than just statistics. They represent the efforts of agencies across the government to answer the call to improve transparency. They demonstrate that agencies are responding to requests more quickly and releasing more information when they do. Agencies are reducing backlogs of pending requests and helping eliminate the need to even make requests by proactively providing information online. The public is the beneficiary of this progress. While there is more work to be done, this past year demonstrates that agencies are answering the President’s and Attorney General’s call for greater transparency.

AmeriCorps: Service, Sacrifice, and Solutions

Jonathan Greenblatt

March 11, 2013

Each generation of Americans embraces the belief that no problem is too big for a determined group of people to conquer. This challenge is central to national service, which gives thousands of Americans a chance to unite with like-minded people and work toward improving the lives of our most-vulnerable citizens.

Each year, we take time to honor this American tradition of service as we mark AmeriCorps Week.

During this week, March 9^th – 17^th, we salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their service, thank AmeriCorps community partners, and communicate AmeriCorps’ impact on communities and on the lives of those who serve.

Since 1994, more than 800,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1 billion hours in service to others across America. Currently, more than 75,000 AmeriCorps members are touching the lives of millions as they tackle challenges that improve lives, strengthen communities, expand economic opportunity, and bolster civic and faith-based organizations.

AmeriCorps may be one of America’s best assets, with members making an impact through organizations such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Public Allies, and Teach for America. In addition, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and VISTA, the longtime anti-poverty program, are transforming communities every day.

Service is a proven solution for our nation whether national service members are providing disaster relief and recovery services in the AmeriCorps NCCC and its FEMA Corps unit; enhancing educational outcomes through teaching, tutoring, or mentoring efforts; or supporting veterans and military families with re-entry and employment services.

The following are just a few examples of how AmeriCorps members are “working for America”:

In the past year, I met with and witnessed the work of the more than 2,400 AmeriCorps members who participated in relief and recovery efforts for Hurricane Sandy. Disasters require an immediate response to needs in the immediate aftermath of the storm as well as longer-term recovery efforts that benefit storm survivors.

More than 17,000 veterans have served in AmeriCorps since its inception, helping other veterans and military families get benefits and services; obtain job training and conduct job searches; provide safe and affordable housing; and mentor and tutor children of service members.

The Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service recently announced the formation of the School Turnaround AmeriCorps, a new program that will support a dedicated unit of national service members who will provide additional support and resources in the nation’s persistently underachieving schools.

Service initiatives like AmeriCorps do more than move communities forward; they serve their members by creating jobs and providing pathways to opportunity for young people entering the workforce. AmeriCorps places thousands of young adults into intensive service positions where they learn valuable work skills, earn money for education, and develop an appreciation for citizenship.

AmeriCorps is a program that’s right for the times in which we live and demonstrates what happens when our nation invests in “getting things done.”

Jonathan Greenblatt is Special Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation at the Domestic Policy Council

Speeches and Remarks

March 10, 2013

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