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Mrs. Obama: Well, hello, everyone.
Audience: Hello.
Mrs. Obama: Welcome to the White House -- again!
[laughter]
This is a good time.
We are excited to have you all here.
It's a pleasure to be here today
for the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards,
where we honor outstanding organizations
that are using the arts to lift up our young people.
And I want to start by thanking everyone from the President's
Committee on the Arts and Humanities
for sponsoring these awards.
And we just announced seven tremendous
new committee members this week,
and we're very excited about that.
But I'd like to take a moment to ask everyone from the committee
who is here to please stand so that we can recognize you
for your amazing work.
[applause]
Thank you all so much.
As I told them backstage, this is a real, working committee.
And I just want to tell you how proud I have been
to work beside you all.
You all do real roll-up-your-sleeves
kind of work, and it really matters,
not just to me and to the President
but to the lives of so many young people.
You all should be so proud of yourselves.
We are absolutely proud and grateful.
So thank you.
I also want to recognize
Representatives Elijah Cummings and Bobby Scott.
Where are -- hello.
How are you?
[applause]
We also have Ambassador Kamau, who's here.
Ambassador, thank you.
It's wonderful to have you here.
[applause]
And of course, we have to recognize
all of our young folks,
the young people who are here today.
[applause]
We're so proud.
You guys are so special.
I hope -- do you feel special right about now?
You should.
[laughter]
That's good.
That's the point.
We want you to feel special.
[laughter]
I also want to draw your attention to this beautiful
pastel painting here,
which was made by our student speaker, Danashiya Pritchard --
Danashiya?
-- who we are going to hear from.
You don't have to come up yet.
She's like, "Oh, my God, not now!"
[laughter]
She's going to come up and tell us a little bit
about herself and her work.
We are so proud of you, sweetie.
Don't be nervous.
[laughter]
None of these people bite.
And of course, I want to thank all of the artists,
the teachers, the administrators
in the audience who do the real work.
You guys are amazing.
Every day, you are out there pouring your heart and soul
into these programs.
You've taking time out of your own lives to give young people
the guidance and the support they need to be their very best.
You're doing whatever it takes.
Many of you are answering phone calls and emails
late into the night;
you're reaching into your own pockets when necessary.
And you're doing this because you know the difference
that the arts can make in young people's lives.
You know this better than anyone.
You see firsthand that giving a child
the chance to fill a canvas,
or to perfect a harmony, or to shine on stage,
that can stoke the flames of a lifelong passion,
and it can teach valuable skills --
skills like hard work and persistence.
I could go on and on.
You know the skills.
It can open up possibilities that young people
might not otherwise see for themselves.
And there are thousands of programs all across this country
that are doing this kind of important work every day.
And today's honorees represent organizations
that have found new and creative ways
to give young people these opportunities.
For example, in Baltimore, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
is providing instruments, mentors, and classes
to help young people experience the magic of music
and the magic of the orchestra at a very early age.
In Chicago, my hometown --
[laughter]
-- StoryCatchers Theatre is helping underserved young people
and those in the juvenile justice system write, produce,
and perform their own musicals
based on their own personal stories.
In Los Angeles, WriteGirl is matching at-risk young women
with professional writers for one-on-one
mentoring and coaching.
And these girls are learning to express themselves
through poetry, and journaling, and investigative writing.
And in the last dozen years through this program,
every single one of the program's graduating seniors
has gone on to college.
And these are just a few examples
of how all of you are using the power of the arts
to change our young people's lives.
And as First Lady, as you know,
that is something that I've been working hard to do
as well every day in the White House.
With the incredible support of this phenomenal committee,
we've been able to host youth workshops
on everything from country music to modern dance to poetry.
In fact, just a few weeks ago,
we put together one of our best events ever --
something we called our "Careers in Film Symposium."
We had some of the biggest and best in Hollywood come,
where we brought together about 80 students from Boston,
New York and Washington.
All of these were young people enrolled
in arts and film programs that we were talking about,
and they were there to help celebrate the day.
And we did everything right here on the State Floor.
We set up in the Green Room a green screen
so that the kids could learn about special effects.
We brought in award-winning directors who worked one on one
with these kids to teach them how to bring out the best
in their colleagues and in each other.
In the Blue Room, we let them play around with some makeup,
which terrified our curator.
[laughter]
But they were able to practice that special-effects makeup,
and they put on some disturbingly lifelike cuts
and bruises on our staff members --
[laughter]
-- who then walked around all day looking like --
with vampire bites.
[laughter]
And many of them forgot they had these on,
and they were in the West Wing.
And I think one of them passed by Denis McDonough,
who sort of looked in horror.
[laughter]
But it was a lot of fun.
And as I walked around and talked to these young people,
and I saw the looks in their eyes,
I could tell that they were beginning to truly understand --
some of them maybe for the first time --
that they really do have what it takes
to make it in the movie business
or anywhere else for that matter;
they started to envision possibilities for themselves
that they never even imagined just from that day.
I spoke to one young man who told me that he had never
thought of pursuing special effects until that day.
And he was one of the kids -- I think he spent all of his time
putting on that makeup.
[laughter]
But he was just drawn to it in a way that it surprised him.
And we heard later from the teachers and coaches who told us
that their students left with a purpose
and a fire they'd never seen before.
So that's what the arts can do, a little exposure.
And the research shows that what those kids learned on that day
won't just further their interest in the arts;
as you all know,
it furthers their academic performance, as well.
You all know this.
Studies have shown that students who are highly involved
in the arts stay in school longer
than those who are less involved.
Arts education also leads to better scores
in reading and math.
And it makes students much more motivated
and engaged, period, in school.
They come to school more, they set higher goals for themselves,
and they have a reason to achieve them
because they're determined to succeed
because they're passionate about something.
And those are just some of the skills --
those skills, skills like grit and determination and resilience
that they learn from this work.
Those skills will lead students to success
no matter what path they choose.
You all know this.
You experience this every day.
And as you might have heard,
I believe in this as well myself.
I'm going to be spending a lot more of my time
trying to inspire students in this country to use those skills
to complete their education,
talk to them more about the importance
of reaching beyond high school,
and the power that they already have to make that happen.
So I hope to join you in those efforts,
and make that a big part of what I do for the time that I'm here.
We know that arts education and programs like yours
can play an important role in achieving
the President's North Star goal,
which is one of the reasons why
we are so passionately supporting you all.
So I simply want to say thank you to all of you
for the critical work that you're doing every day.
Thank you for laying that foundation for so many kids.
I met with our performers today, all of them so bright
and articulate and confident, looking me in the eye,
introducing themselves.
[laughter]
Only arts can do that.
[laughter]
Yes, indeed.
[applause]
And to all the young people who are here today,
I just want to say this:
I know you all probably already know this,
but just in case you don't,
these programs will and are changing your lives.
So stick with it.
Stick with it.
If you love what you're doing, immerse yourself in it.
Find the thing you're passionate about and dig really deep.
Don't be afraid to fail.
Just dig deep.
Give it all you've got, whether it's writing or design or music.
Whatever it is, hold onto it.
Because no matter whether you ultimately
want to go into the arts,
or whether you ultimately want to go into business
or teaching, whatever it is,
the skills that you are learning in these programs
will help you do whatever it is you can imagine for yourselves.
But as I always say, you've got to work hard.
That is really the message.
None of this stuff comes easy.
You have to be willing to put in the work.
Just like you do in the things that you're passionate about,
you have to bring that kind of energy
to every single thing you do.
That means you've got to get up and go to school every day --
no exceptions.
You've got to finish school.
High school is not your starting point.
It is not your end.
It is the beginning.
Completing high school is the beginning of a lifelong dream
of education that I hope you guys pursue.
And we all have your back.
We do.
You've got a President who is working hard
to make sure you have the resources you need.
You have teachers.
You've got parents.
You've got this committee of people.
They're really important.
[laughter]
They are.
Just look at them.
It's like, these are some pretty impressive people.
They care so much about you guys.
So we are investing in you, so keep investing in yourself.
You promise me that.
Promise?
All right.
[laughter]
You've got what it takes.
Set your bar high, okay?
Set it really high.
Don't let anybody talk you down to a lower bar.
Think big.
Think about being here one day, running it, all right?
[laughter and applause]
And if you guys do that,
you can do whatever you want in life.
You got that?
So with that, I'm going to turn it over to the co-chair
of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities,
my dear friend, Margo Lion.
Thank you, Margo.
[applause]
Margo Lion: You said it all.
Thank you, Mrs. Obama.
Really, it's impossible to follow her.
[laughter]
So forgive the repetition and the lack of eloquence,
but we will do -- I will do my best.
I do have one comment that I'm trying to think of words
to describe the First Lady that weren't, you know,
repetitive and hackneyed.
I was talking to one of the young recipients outside
and I said, "Well, how are you chosen to represent your group?"
And she stood up very straight and she said,
"Because I have integrity and I have oomph."
[laughter]
And I thought, okay, I'm going to steal those --
[laughter]
-- and say to Mrs. Obama,
you have great integrity and great oomph --
[laughter]
-- for which we are very grateful.
On behalf of my co-chair, George Stevens, Jr.,
and our Vice Chair, Mary Schmidt Campbell,
and all of the members
of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities,
thank you Mrs. Obama for so graciously hosting us here
once again at the White House
to bestow our nation's highest honor
on these exceptional arts and humanities
after school programs.
Today we honor 12 programs selected from a long list
of applications that use the transformative power of the arts
and humanities to change the lives of young people
across our country.
While these programs engage students from a wide range
of backgrounds sparking imaginations,
encouraging collaboration, and promoting academic success
with tangible results,
they are also providing safe and creative havens
for children in some of their most vulnerable hours:
after school, weekends, and evenings.
Mrs. Obama, we are particularly proud of these programs
in light of the work that you are doing around the country
to increase the number of students
from all backgrounds who attend and later graduate from college.
During the 15 years this award has been given,
programs like these which teach self-confidence, life skills,
and the courage to reach for your dreams
are especially effective at sending young people on
to college and beyond.
Often, these young people are the first
in their family to do so.
Among the programs we honor today are several
that boast 100 percent enrollment
in college for the students that they mentor.
What a remarkable achievement.
I'm just thrilled.
We don't just limit the impact, however,
of the arts and humanities to within our borders.
The President's Committee believes
in the universal ability of the arts and humanities
to touch people regardless of geography.
So we are especially delighted to honor this year's
International Spotlight Award winning program
from Nairobi, Kenya.
Before I finish, let me take a moment
to thank our key partners,
the National Endowment for the Arts,
the National Endowment for the Humanities,
and the Institute for Museum and Library Services,
our private supporters and our long time and essential
cooperative partner the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Without all of you, this program would not be possible.
So I'd like to end where I began,
to thank our indescribably fabulous First Lady
and honorary chair, Mrs. Obama,
for making this day so special for all of us,
the committee, the award winners,
and our guests gathered here today.
And with that, I am delighted to invite to the stage
a young woman who embodies so many of the ways the arts
can nurture and sustain our most promising young people
when they need it most --
Danashiya Pritchard.
[applause]
Danashiya Pritchard: Hello everybody.
[laughter]
My name is Danashiya Pritchard.
I am 12 years old and I am a seventh grader
at Parkland Middle School in El Paso, Texas.
When I was six months old,
I was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia.
It is a disease where your --
when one's red blood cells and white blood cells
are in a constant conflict.
Six years into my diagnosis, they found out
that taking chemo would help me stay healthier longer,
so at the young age of six years old,
I began to take chemo.
And it's helped, but what really helps when I'm in the hospital
is the Creative Kids Art Program.
We make art that blows people's minds, and we're so --
[laughter]
-- and some of us are so young.
I remember the first time I went.
I was four.
I was crying, kicking, throwing tantrums.
I didn't want to be alone.
I mean, I was young.
I was in a hospital.
What -- how worse can it get?
[laughter]
But when I sat down with Alyssa
and I started making the artwork,
I think everything just disappeared for me.
We talked and she made me feel comfortable.
She made me feel as if she was my sister
and that really was something I needed at the moment.
By the time I was leaving the art room -- wow.
I can't even -- I can't put it into words.
I didn't want to go home.
I didn't want to go.
I wanted to come back the next day.
And we made some amazing art.
[laughter]
Like my art shown here today.
That one I made when I was eight or nine
and I was also sick then,
and it was one of my worst crises yet.
And Alyssa came and she pulled me out of my room
and we sat down and we began working and talking
and it went by so quickly.
And by the time I was done, I was --
had this beautiful piece of artwork
and this amazing cloud nine feeling.
And it happens all the time.
Every time I enter Creative Kids,
the disease, the I.V., the pain --
it's all gone.
The only thing on my mind is the paintbrush in my hand.
Have you ever had to stay in a hospital?
It is the worst thing.
[laughter]
And when I'm not feeling good, I don't do anything.
I just sit and I mope.
But the Creative Kids Program --
it allows me to come out and do something
and it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
I mean, the hospital --
it's a droopy place, but Creative Kids Art Program --
it makes me feel safe and my grandmother --
that's her over there.
[laughter]
[applause]
My grandmother -- she feels happy when I'm in Creative Kids
because honestly, her watching me be in pain
is not the funniest thing in the world.
It's not even happy
and when I'm in the Creative Kids Art Program,
I'm on cloud nine.
Honestly, I'm not a natural artist.
I'm a writer at heart, but --
[laughter]
But they make it seem as if I'm an actual artist,
and like I said, we do some pretty awesome stuff there.
And it's not all me.
It's my instructors, Mi and Alyssa.
They're great and they're super nice.
They make everybody feel comfortable.
I wanted to stop and take a moment to thank everybody
at the Creative Kids Program for creating a program
that would allow kids like me a moment of bliss,
ignorance and happiness.
Without you guys, there would be no fun in a hospital.
There would be no light to a dark situation.
Thank you.
[applause]
Announcer: Ladies and gentleman,
the presentation of the 2013 National Arts and Humanities
Youth Program Awards.
Joan Shigekawa: Whew.
Mrs. Obama: I know.
[laughter]
Joan Shigekawa: Just so fabulous.
Good afternoon.
My name is Joan Shigekawa and I am the Senior Deputy Chair
of the National Endowment for the Arts.
So our first awardee coming up is the Ifetayo Youth Ensemble.
A program --
[applause]
So Ifetayo Youth Ensemble is a program
of the Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy in Brooklyn, New York.
They inspire youth ages 12 to 19 to create
original theatrical, dance, and vocal pieces and theater
that explores a variety of social issues.
Astonishingly, 100 percent of Ifetayo participants enroll
in college after high school graduation and half of program
graduates return to Ifetayo to counsel younger students
and to volunteer.
[applause]
So we've just heard at Providence Children's Hospital
in El Paso, Texas, art -- come up, folks --
art is used as a coping mechanism
for traumatic cancer treatment through Project AIM,
an art and digital media program of creative kids.
Pediatric oncology patients from six to 18 years old are engaged
in the visual arts to help humanize the hospital setting
and relieve stress and anxiety
in patients, families, and staff.
Project AIM is nationally recognized
through the National Endowment for the Arts
as a best practice model
for arts and healthcare programming.
[applause]
So established in 1990, Storycatchers Theatres Program
is for detained and incarcerated youth
in Chicago, Illinois --
prepares court-involved young people to make
thoughtful life choices through the --
[laughter]
Oh, it's too great.
Okay -- make thoughtful life choices through the process
of writing, producing, and performing original musical
theater inspired by their own personal stories.
Storycatchers uses theater arts to reframe the experience
of court involvement and offer an opportunity
for intervention and positive redirection.
Yay, Story --
[applause]
Susan Hildreth: Good afternoon.
I'm Susan Hildreth, Director of the Institute of Museum
and Library Services, and our next award is presented to
the Provincetown Art Association and Museum's Art Reach Program
in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
[applause]
Whoo!
Art Reach provides in depth visual arts and creative
multidisciplinary education to middle and high school students
from remote, rural communities throughout the northern reaches
of the state of Massachusetts.
The program has received a wide range of support
which includes funding from
the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Youth Reach Program
and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Congratulations.
[applause]
For nearly 20 years, the Center for Exploratory and Perceptual
Arts Community Based Youth Education Program --
that's a mouthful!
[laughter]
Here they come -- have provided photography
and media arts programming for Buffalo
and western New York youth.
[applause]
Woohoo!
CEPA's Arts Programs uses photography and creative writing
as tools for examining such complex themes as urban blight
and the struggle for social equality.
CEPA receives statewide recognition and is the proud
recipient of the New York State Governor's Arts Award.
[applause]
The National Building Museum right here in Washington, D.C.
All right!
[applause]
Woohoo!
They offer Investigating Where We Live,
a five week summer program for middle and high school students.
The students use photography, original artwork,
and essays to design, create, and install exhibitions
that tell a story about Washington, D.C.,
from their own perspective.
Each year, the program culminates with an 11 month
exhibition at the National Building Museum,
which more than 25,000 people will visit while on display.
Congratulations.
[applause]
Carole Watson: Good afternoon.
The Pearl Bailey Youth Program of the Pearl Bailey Library
in Newport News, Virginia,
provides an extraordinary level of academic enrichment
to youth in the southeast community.
The library offers --
[applause]
The library offers a variety of programs designed to expand
young people's knowledge of literature and literacy skills.
Students build ownership and participation in their local
library by playing an active role in the process
of book selection and purchase.
Congratulations.
[applause]
Through Project Discovery in Dallas, Texas,
low income students attend a full season
of theatrical performances --
[applause]
-- at the Dallas Theater Center.
The program provides transportation,
pre-play workshops, after-performance discussions,
and study guides to help students explore the history,
theory, and criticism of the plays they attend.
Congratulations.
[applause]
Sadie Nash Leadership Project Summer Institute
in New York, New York,
delivers a rigorous arts and humanities curriculum
through social justice lens --
[applause]
-- to girls from low income communities throughout
New York City and Newark, New Jersey.
Over six weeks during the summer,
Sadie Nash students take four courses: two core classes,
Power, Identity, Privilege and Leadership Institute;
one academic; and one arts course.
Among the program's achievements --
a recent 10 year impact study of the group showed that 62 percent
of former participants complete a four year college education.
Congratulations.
[applause]
Mary Schmidt Campbell: Good afternoon.
I'm Mary Schmidt Campbell, Vice Chair of the President's
Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
Our next award goes to the Boston Children's Chorus,
an innovate arts education organization that unites Boston
area children ages 17 to 18 across different races
and backgrounds to participate in intensive choral
and music training, leadership development, and mentoring.
The chorus is comprised of 12 choirs
performing 40 shows every year.
Impressively, 100 percent of chorus participants
graduate from high school and 100 percent of graduates
have been accepted to college.
[applause]
OrchKids: Planting Seeds for a Bright Future embodies
the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra belief that music opens door.
OrchKids is a year-round music education and mentorship program
designed to create social change
for Baltimore's most vulnerable youth.
OrchKids provides instruments, academic instruction,
positive role models, meals, field trips,
and performance opportunities to participants, many of whom,
in just five -- excuse me.
In just five years, OrchKids has grown from reaching a group
of 30 students in one school to serving 550 children from four
Title One schools in Baltimore.
[applause]
Our last award goes to WriteGirl,
a creative writing and mentoring program in Los Angeles that
matches at risk teen girls with professional women writers
for one on one mentoring, genre-specific workshops,
public readings, publications, and college and scholarship
application assistance.
Since 2001, WriteGirl has successfully guided 100 percent
of mentees in the core mentoring program to graduate
from high school and enroll in college
with full or partial scholarships.
[applause]
Rachel Goslins: Good afternoon.
My name is Rachel Goslins and I have the honor of serving
as the Executive Director for the President's Committee
on the Arts and Humanities.
As Margo mentioned, each year we present one International
Spotlight Award to an exceptional program
from another country.
We do this because the arts and humanities represent universal
values without respect to borders or nationalities.
Creativity, inspiration, reflection, joy --
these are things that every child in the world
deserves to experience in their lives.
This year, we are proud to recognize a program from
Nairobi, Kenya, and I'm delighted to invite
our distinguished guest, Ambassador Jean Kamau,
to join us in the presentation of this award.
[applause]
Wow.
So our International Spotlight Award goes to Kuruka Maisha,
which in Swahili means jump into life.
[applause]
Kuruka Maisha works with street children
from the poorest neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya.
The program has offered intensive training in music,
dance, and circus arts to hundreds of street children
since its inception in 2006 along with meals, mentoring,
and leadership training.
Participants develop life skills to propel them
into a better future.
Miraculously, Kuruka Maisha has helped over 400 Kenyan children
get off the streets and over 200 students to find jobs
in the performing arts or related vocations.
[applause]
And finally, to help bring this afternoon home,
I have the pleasure of introducing an ensemble from one
of our outstanding awardees this year, the irresistible,
irrepressible, Ifetayo Youth Ensemble from Brooklyn,
New York.
[applause]
[intense drumming]
[applause]
[intense drumming]
[applause]
Mrs. Obama: Oh, my goodness.
Now, that's -- that's some "let's move"
going on right there.
Whoo!
Once again, let's give it up for Ifetayo Youth Ensemble.
Wow!
[applause]
Well, you can see why this is one of my favorite events
of the year.
I mean, you all are all just amazing.
You know, if it isn't clear by now why we have to invest
in the arts and we have to give kids to opportunity
to pursue their gifts,
you know, you just think of all the kids
that are just bursting with this kind of talent and energy
and need who do not have access,
who do not have opportunities to display
and develop these gifts.
Just imagine what we're missing out on as a nation.
We are so proud of you all,
and we want you to continue what you're doing --
the writing, the photography, the dancing, the music.
Just know how blessed you are,
and then pass those blessings on.
That's the only thing that we ask.
That's what the President and I try to do every day
with every blessing we have.
We think about, "How do we pass it on?"
And just keep having fun, all right?
I want to thank you all for being with us today.
I want to thank the committee for all their fine work.
To our teachers and our administrators,
our program directors, please don't get tired.
We know --
[laughter]
We know that you don't get paid enough.
You probably don't get thanked enough.
You don't always feel appreciated.
But, you know, I know what you get from these kids
is what sustains you.
So just keep it up.
Keep it up.
And let's come back again next year and do more.
Thank you all.
Have a great evening, great weekend.
[applause]