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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 23, 2009

Remarks by the President on the "Education To

Innovate" Campaign

South Court Auditorium, Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building

11:46 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I am extraordinarily excited to have you all here today. A couple of

special acknowledgements I want to make -- first of all, two of my outstanding Cabinet

members: Secretary Arne Duncan, our Education Secretary; and Secretary Steven Chu, who is our

Energy Secretary. They are both doing outstanding work each and every day.

I want to acknowledge Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, who is from Texas, and she is one of the

members of our Science and Technology Committee and doing outstanding work. NASA Administrator

Charlie Bolden is in the house. Where's Charlie? There he is, right there in front. NSF Director Dr.

Arden Bement is here, right there. Dr. John Holdren, my Science and Technology Advisor -- where's

John? Right there. Melody Barnes, our Domestic Policy Council chair or head,

director. (Laughter.) Director.

And then we've got some students from -- some wonderful students from some wonderful

schools: Oakton High School in Vienna, Virginia; Longfellow Middle School in Fairfax, Virginia; the

Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter High School here in D.C., and the Herndon

High School in Herndon, Virginia. Welcome, everybody. (Applause.)

Now, the students from Oakton High School are going to be demonstrating the "Cougar Cannon,"

designed to scoop up and toss moon rocks. I am eager to see what they do -- for two reasons. As

President, I believe that robotics can inspire young people to pursue science and engineering. And I

also want to keep an eye on those robots, in case they try anything. (Laughter.)

It's an honor to be here and to be joined by Sally Ride, the first American woman in

space. Sally. (Applause.) This is a person who's inspired a generation of girls and boys to think bigger

and set their sights higher. I want to thank NASA and Charlie for providing the interactive globe -- an

innovative and engaging way of teaching young people about our world.

Welcome, Mythbusters, from Discovery Channel. Where are they? There they are. (Applause.) I

hope you guys left the explosives at home. (Laughter.) And finally, allow me to thank the many leaders

here today who've agreed to be part of this historic effort to inspire and educate a new generation in math

and science.

We live in a world of unprecedented perils, but also unparalleled potential. Our medical system holds

the promise of unlocking new cures -- but it's attached to a health care system that's bankrupting families

and businesses and our government. The sources of energy that power our economy are also

endangering our planet. We confront threats to our security that seek to exploit the very openness that

is essential to our prosperity. And we face challenges in a global marketplace that link the trader to Wall

Street to the homeowner on Main Street, to the office worker in America to the factory worker in China --

an economy in which we all share in opportunity, but we also share, unfortunately, in crisis.

The key to meeting these challenges -- to improving our health and well-being, to harnessing clean

energy, to protecting our security, and succeeding in the global economy -- will be reaffirming and

strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific discovery and technological

innovation. And that leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today, especially in

those fields that hold the promise of producing future innovations and innovators. And that's why

education in math and science is so important.

Now the hard truth is that for decades we've been losing ground. One assessment shows American

15-year-olds now rank 21st in science and 25th in math when compared to their peers around the

world. And this isn't news. We've seen worrying statistics like this for years. Yet, time and again,

we've let partisan and petty bickering stand in the way of progress. And time and again, as a nation,

we've let our children down.

So I'm here and you are here because we all believe that we can't allow division and indifference to

imperil our position in the world. It's time for all of us -- in Washington and across America -- to take

responsibility for our future.

And that's why I'm committed to moving our country from the middle to the top of the pack in science and

math education over the next decade. To meet this goal, the Recovery Act included the largest

investment in education in history while preventing hundreds of thousands of educators from being fired

because of state budget shortfalls. Under the outstanding leadership of Arne Duncan, we've launched a

$4 billion Race to the Top fund, one of the largest investments in education reform in history.

And through the Race to the Top, states won't just be receiving funding, they'll have to compete for

funding. And in this competition, producing the most innovative programs in math and science will be an

advantage. In addition, we are challenging states to improve achievement by raising standards, using

data to better inform decisions, and taking new approaches to turn around struggling schools. And

because a great teacher is the single most important factor in a great education, we're asking states to

focus on teacher effectiveness and to make it possible for professionals -- like many of the people in this

room -- to bring their experience and enthusiasm into the classroom.

But you are here because you know the success we seek is not going to be attained by government

alone. It depends on the dedication of students and parents, and the commitment of private citizens,

organizations, and companies. It depends on all of us. That's why, back in April, at the National

Academy of Sciences, I issued a challenge: to encourage folks to think of new and creative ways of

engaging young people in science and engineering. And we are here because the leaders in this room

answered that call to action.

Today, we are launching the "Educate to Innovate" campaign, a nationwide effort to help reach the goal

this administration has set: moving to the top in science and math education in the next decade. We've

got leaders from private companies and universities, foundations and non-profits, and organizations

representing millions of scientists, engineers, and teachers from across America. The initial

commitment of the private sector to this campaign is more than $260 million –- and we only expect the

campaign to grow.

Business leaders from Intel, Xerox, Kodak, and Time Warner Cable are teaming up with Sally Ride, and

the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as the Carnegie Corporation, to find and replicate

successful science, math, and technology programs all across America. Sesame Street has begun a

two-year initiative to teach young kids about math and science. And Discovery Communications is going

to deliver interactive science content to 60,000 schools reaching 35 million students.

These efforts extend beyond the classroom. Time Warner Cable is joining with the Coalition for Science

After School and FIRST Robotics -- the program created by inventor Dean Kamen, which gave us the

"Cougar Cannon" -- to connect one million students with fun after-school activities, like robotics

competitions. The MacArthur Foundation and industry leaders like Sony are launching a nationwide

challenge to design compelling, freely available, science-related video games. And organizations

representing teachers, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers -- joined by volunteers in the

community -- are participating in a grassroots effort called "National Lab Day" to reach 10 million young

people with hands-on learning.

Students will launch rockets, construct miniature windmills, and get their hands dirty. They'll have the

chance to build and create -- and maybe destroy just a little bit -- (laughter) -- to see the promise of being

the makers of things, and not just the consumers of things.

The administration is participating as well. We've already had a number of science-focused events with

young people at the White House, including Astronomy Night a few weeks ago. The National Science

Foundation and the Department of Energy, under the leadership of a terrific scientist, Steven Chu, have

launched an innovative -- an initiative to inspire tens of thousands of students to pursue careers in clean

energy.

And today, I'm announcing that we're going to have an annual science fair at the White House with the

winners of national competitions in science and technology. If you win the NCAA championship, you

come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you've produced the best experiment or

design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too. Scientists

and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models, and here at the

White House we're going to lead by example. We're going to show young people how cool science can

be.

Through these efforts, we're going to expand the scope and scale of science and math education all

across America. And we're going to expand opportunities for all our young people -- including women

and minorities who too often have been underrepresented in scientific and technological fields, but who

are no less capable of succeeding in math and science and pursuing careers that will help improve our

lives and grow our economy. I also want to note that this is only the beginning. We're going to

challenge the private sector to partner with community colleges, for example, to help train the workers of

today for the jobs of tomorrow, even as we make college more affordable -- so that, by 2020, America

once again leads the world in producing college graduates.

Now, I have to say to the young people who are here, we can't let students off the hook. In the end, the

success of this campaign depends on them. But I believe strongly that America's young people will rise

to the challenge if given the opportunity -- and given a little bit of a push. We've got to work together to

create those opportunities, because our future depends on it.

And I just want to mention the importance not only of students but also of parents. You know, I was in

Asia, I think many of you are aware, for a week, and I was having lunch with the President of South Korea,

President Lee. And I was interested in education policy -- they've grown enormously over the last 40

years. And I asked him, what are the biggest challenges in your education policy? He said, the biggest

challenge that I have is that my parents are too demanding. (Laughter.) He said, even if somebody is

dirt poor, they are insisting that their kids are getting the best education. He said, I've had to import

thousands of foreign teachers because they're all insisting that Korean children have to learn English in

elementary school. That was the biggest education challenge that he had, was an insistence, a demand

from parents for excellence in the schools.

And the same thing was true when I went to China. I was talking to the mayor of Shanghai, and I asked

him about how he was doing recruiting teachers, given that they've got 25 million people in this one

city. He said, we don't have problems recruiting teachers because teaching is so revered and the pay

scales for teachers are actually comparable to doctors and other professions.

That gives you a sense of what's happening around the world. There is a hunger for knowledge, an

insistence on excellence, a reverence for science and math and technology and learning. That used to

be what we were about. That's what we're going to be about again.

And I have to say that this doesn't get a lot of focus. Not once was I asked about education policy

during my trip by the press. And oftentimes events like this get short shrift. They're not what's debated

on cable. But this is probably going to make more of a difference in determining how well we do as a

country than just about anything else that we do here.

Everyone in this room understands how important science and math can be. And it goes beyond the

facts in a biology textbook or the questions on an algebra quiz. It's about the ability to understand our

world: to harness and train that human capacity to solve problems and think critically, a set of skills that

informs the decisions we make throughout our lives.

So, yes, improving education in math and science is about producing engineers and researchers and

scientists and innovators who are going to help transform our economy and our lives for the better. But

it's also about something more. It's about expanding opportunity for all Americans in a world where an

education is the key to success. It's about an informed citizenry in an era where many of the problems

we face as a nation are, at root, scientific problems. And it's about the power of science to not only

unlock new discoveries, but to unlock in the minds of our young people a sense of promise, a sense that

with some hard work -- with effort -- they have the potential to achieve extraordinary things.

This is a difficult time in our country, and it would be easy to grow cynical and wonder if America's best

days are behind us -- especially at a time of economic uncertainty, especially when we've seen so many,

from Wall Street to Washington, fail to take responsibility for so long. But I believe we have an

opportunity now to move beyond the failures of the recent past and to recapture that spirit of American

innovation and optimism.

This nation wasn't built on greed. It wasn't built on reckless risk. It wasn't built on short-term gains and

short-sighted policies. It was forged on stronger stuff, by bold men and women who dared to invent

something new or improve something old -- who took big chances on big ideas, who believed that in

America all things are possible. That's our history. And, if we remain fixed on the work ahead, if we

build on the progress we've made today, this is going to be our legacy as well.

So, with that, just as proof of the extraordinary promise of American young people, I'd like to invite Steven

Harris and Brian Hortelano from Oakton High School to come up here and demonstrate what their team

has built. And it's flashing so far. I don't see it whirling. (Laughter.) Where are they? Give them a big

round of applause. (Applause.)

END

12:03 P.M. EST