English subtitles for clip: File:The First Lady announces the “Better Make Room” Initiative.webm

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Secretary Duncan: I'm
thrilled to be here.

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I'm the warm-up act - I'm
the warm-up act for

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the First Lady.

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And we want to get to that,
so this will not be that

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long of a speech.

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But this is a really
really important day,

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and I want to thank
all of our partners.

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New Media, Old Media, Media
that hasn't been invented

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yet that you
guys will invent.

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This is so important to
have you helping us in

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this effort.

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And pleased to announce
today that we've past talked

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about high school graduation
rates at all-time highs.

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I'll make a little news,
I'll make in an hour from

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now, we'll put out there.

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We have now 36 states whose
graduation rates went up again.

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So we think, while we won't
have the final numbers for a

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little while longer,
the nation's high school

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graduation rate
will climb again.

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And that's so
hugely important.

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(applause)

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That's
so hugely important,

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because when young people
drop out of high school

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today, there are basically
no good jobs out there.

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There are basically
condemned to poverty and

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social failure.

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But I want to be very very
clear the goal can't simply

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be to graduate
from high school.

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It's got to be to go on
to some form of

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higher education.

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So, four-year universities,
two-year community colleges,

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trade technical
vocational training.

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Whatever a young person's
interest or passion is,

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they have to take the
next step on the

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education journey.

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And we need all of
your help to inspire,

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to build community, to
let people know that we

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absolutely support them
in taking that next step.

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We know the good jobs out
there are not just for the

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person with a high
school diploma.

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They have to have some kind
of education beyond that.

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And if we can help reach
young people where they are

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13, 14, 15, 16,
17 year-olds.

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18 year-olds.

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And let them know this
is a real possibility,

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it opens up a new
world of opportunity,

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particularly for
first-generation

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college-goers, kids who
weren't born with a silver

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spoon in their mouth, folks
who might be new to the

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country, immigrants,
English-language learners,

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whatever might be.

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And there's so many
missed out there.

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I hear sometimes - too often
from young people that,

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"well, college is
for rich folks.

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It's not for
people like me."

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They don't realize that
every single year our

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department puts out 150
billion - with a B -- $150

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billion in grants and loans.

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Every single year.

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And all you have to do is
fill out a financial aid

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form that takes less
than half an hour.

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It's the only time in your
life you can spend 28-29

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minutes and have
access to $150 billion.

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So I don't care how much
money your family has or

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doesn't have, or
your community.

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If you want to work
hard and go to college,

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you can do it.

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I often hear "Oh, maybe
there's not a school for

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someone like me."

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There's 7,000
colleges out there.

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We have the most diverse set
of universities of anywhere

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in the world.

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So two-year, four-year,
big, small, stem-focused,

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liberal arts,
whatever it might be.

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And we can help young people
find the right fit for them.

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And then finally the goal is
not just to go to college,

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the goal is to graduate
and get that degree.

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And that transition,
particularly for

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first-generation
college-goers,

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can be difficult.

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And making sure we support
young people not just in the

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application process, but
going all the way through.

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So this campaign "Better
Make Room" I think is a

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chance to have a huge impact
on young people's mentality,

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their understanding of,
regardless of where they

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come from, this is a real
opportunity for them.

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We want to partner with you,
we want to learn from you,

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and we want to build a
community that helps support

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these extraordinary
teenagers who are doing

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amazing things every day.

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And I always say the sad
thing for me is if one of

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these young people does
something crazy that's a

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lead story on the
nine o'clock news.

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But if they work hard,
and get good grades,

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and contribute to the
community, and help others,

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no one tells that story.

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Well, we got to
help them tell it,

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we got to tell it with them,
we got to share that story,

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and help inspire the
hundreds of thousands of

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young people every single
day who are beating the

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odds, who are doing
the right thing.

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Help to give them
their own voice.

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Help to empower them, and
help to inspire others by

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learning from their example.

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The final thing I'll say,
and you'll hear in a few

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moments from the First Lady.

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This is just really
really personal for her.

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And she'll tell her story.

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But she came from a
very very strong family,

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but neither one of her
parents ever went to college.

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She and her brother
were first-generation

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college-goers, and she's
had this amazing life and

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amazing opportunity because
she believed in herself,

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and had other to
believe in her.

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We need a lot more young
people who can follow in

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those footsteps.

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So, thrilled that high
school graduation rates are up.

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Thrilled that from 2008 we
have a million additional

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students of color
going to college.

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But we have to lead the
world in college graduation

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rates again.

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We did one generation
ago, today we're 12th.

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That's not good enough.

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That has to change.

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And I think all of you can
help to inspire movement

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that will lead the country
where we need to go.

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So thank you so much.

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Please challenge us
to be a good partner.

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And thanks for the
difference I know you're

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going to make in the lives
of so many young people.

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Thank you.

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Male Speaker: Thank
you, Secretary Duncan.

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You have been such an
incredible advocate for our

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nation's young people.

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And we are so grateful
for your service.

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"Better Make Room" is about
inspiring young people,

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and we are so thrilled that
Andra Day is here to offer

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her incredible voice and
song "Rise Up" to this movement.

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Ladies and
gentlemen, Andra Day.

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Andra Day: Hello, hello. (inaudible)

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(music)

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♪♪You're
broken down and tired♪♪

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♪♪Of living life on a
merry-go-round♪♪

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♪♪And you can't find the fighter♪♪

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♪♪But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out♪♪

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♪♪And move mountains♪♪

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♪♪We gonna walk it out♪♪

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♪♪And move mountains♪♪

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♪♪And I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise like the day♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise unafraid♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪And I'll do it a thousand times again♪♪

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♪♪For you♪♪

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♪♪When the silence isn't quiet♪♪

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♪♪And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe♪♪

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♪♪And I know you feel like dying♪♪

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♪♪But I promise we'll take the world to it's feet♪♪

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♪♪And move mountains ♪♪

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♪♪Bring it to it's feet♪♪

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♪♪And move mountains♪♪

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♪♪And I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise like the day♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise unafraid♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪And I'll do it a thousand times again♪♪

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♪♪For you♪♪

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♪♪All we need♪♪

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♪♪All we need is hope♪♪

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♪♪And for doubt we have each other♪♪

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♪♪We will rise♪♪

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♪♪We'll rise♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise like the day♪♪

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♪♪I'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪In spite of the ache♪♪

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♪♪I will rise a thousand times again♪♪

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♪♪And we'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪High like the waves♪♪

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♪♪We'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪In spite of the ache♪♪

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♪♪We'll rise up♪♪

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♪♪And we'll do it a thousand times again♪♪

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♪♪For you♪♪

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♪♪We will rise♪♪

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♪♪Spread
a little hope and love, now♪♪

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♪♪Encourage them to rise up now♪♪

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♪♪Spread a little love to the White House now♪♪

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♪♪Spread a little hope and love, now ♪♪

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(applause)

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Thank you.

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Chris Malberger:
How's it going, guys?

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My name is Chris Malberger.

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I'm a Viner, entrepreneur,
and a neat dude.

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I feel - Oh, sorry.

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I only operate six
seconds at a time.

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(laughter)

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That's
a vine joke.

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I am here today
to share my story,

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because like many people
today, it's untraditional.

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After high school, I wasn't
quite sure what I wanted to

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do, or where I wanted
my career to take me.

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So I enrolled in
community college.

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Those two years taught
me responsibility,

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accountability, and free
time should be productive time.

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After community college,
I transferred to a Digital

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Media and Graphic Design
program at Marist College in

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Poughkeepsie, New York.

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I dove into classes
on Multimedia, Design,

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3D Sculpting, and had
internships with crazy hours

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and many many late nights.

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But it all helped prepare
me for future gigs.

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The skills and experience I
learned from my professors

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at Marist showed me that I
could take my passion and

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creativity, and make
it into a career.

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Even my senior thesis was a
collective of my best friend

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and I's work under the name
and branding "Neat Dude."

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To this day, we are
still using this name,

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which has evolved and grown
into something much bigger

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than we ever anticipated.

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This was around the time I
first downloaded Vine in my

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apartment around 2
am one random night.

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I was so impressed with
the touch to record

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functionality I couldn't
put my phone down.

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Almost two and a
half years later,

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I still haven't
put my phone down.

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Vine and Social Media have
given me a creative outlet

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to reach hundreds of
thousands of people and

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allow my voice and vision
to be seen and heard.

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It's given me a job at
a start-up app in Soho,

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it's helped my company "Neat
Dude" expand and evolve,

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and it has now
come full circle.

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Because last week I started
working at Vine's new office

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at Twitter headquarters.

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(applause)

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Thank you.

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So my advice to anyone in
high school today is to not

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lose track of your passion.

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Social media can be a
blessing, but also a curse.

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Understanding time
management and designating

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hours in the day where you
can't access your phone,

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so you won't be distracted
from getting your dreams

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started is very important.

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And with that, it is
my absolute pleasure to

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introduce the First Lady,
Mrs. Michelle Obama.

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00:13:13,292 --> 00:13:17,296
(applause)

249
00:13:27,706 --> 00:13:29,175
Mrs. Obama: Thanks, guys.

250
00:13:29,175 --> 00:13:30,543
(applause)

251
00:13:30,543 --> 00:13:31,410
Thank you all.

252
00:13:31,410 --> 00:13:32,745
(applause)

253
00:13:32,745 --> 00:13:33,846
Good morning.

254
00:13:33,846 --> 00:13:35,814
Rest yourselves.

255
00:13:35,814 --> 00:13:37,916
Welcome to the White House!

256
00:13:37,917 --> 00:13:40,319
(applause)

257
00:13:40,319 --> 00:13:41,719
It's okay to
be excited about that.

258
00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:43,589
Welcome to the White House!

259
00:13:43,589 --> 00:13:47,459
(laughter and applause)

260
00:13:47,459 --> 00:13:49,828
Don't act like you all are proper people, all right?

261
00:13:49,828 --> 00:13:51,463
(laughter)

262
00:13:51,463 --> 00:13:53,732
Just loosen
up a little bit.

263
00:13:53,732 --> 00:13:57,102
Look, I am thrilled to be
here today as we launch

264
00:13:57,102 --> 00:13:58,571
Better Make Room.

265
00:13:58,571 --> 00:14:02,107
This is an amazing new
campaign to empower young

266
00:14:02,107 --> 00:14:05,444
people to own their
education and fulfill

267
00:14:05,444 --> 00:14:06,444
their dreams.

268
00:14:06,445 --> 00:14:09,481
And I want to start by
thanking Chris for sharing

269
00:14:09,481 --> 00:14:12,985
his story, offering some
good advice -- which I hope

270
00:14:12,985 --> 00:14:16,322
my kids are listening to --
and for giving us more than

271
00:14:16,322 --> 00:14:17,823
six seconds of
your time today.

272
00:14:17,823 --> 00:14:18,824
(laughter)

273
00:14:18,824 --> 00:14:19,824
We really
appreciate it, Chris.

274
00:14:19,825 --> 00:14:23,062
Who would have thought that
you had so much to say?

275
00:14:23,062 --> 00:14:26,966
(laughter)

276
00:14:26,966 --> 00:14:28,500
Chris, we're
really impressed by

277
00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:29,802
everything that you've
achieved, so thank you.

278
00:14:29,802 --> 00:14:32,004
Thanks for being here.

279
00:14:32,004 --> 00:14:34,540
And thank you also to Andra
Day for her

280
00:14:34,540 --> 00:14:35,974
magnificent performance.

281
00:14:35,975 --> 00:14:36,976
(applause)

282
00:14:36,976 --> 00:14:40,379
Yes, Andra
and her entire crew.

283
00:14:40,379 --> 00:14:41,580
Yes!

284
00:14:41,580 --> 00:14:46,518
(applause)

285
00:14:46,518 --> 00:14:48,454
Andra, you
impressed everybody.

286
00:14:48,454 --> 00:14:52,524
My staff is buzzing off the
chain about whatever you

287
00:14:52,524 --> 00:14:54,126
have just done.

288
00:14:54,126 --> 00:14:55,261
(laughter)

289
00:14:55,261 --> 00:14:56,694
So I don't think
this will be the last time

290
00:14:56,695 --> 00:14:58,664
we'll see you here at the
White House -- if you'll

291
00:14:58,664 --> 00:14:59,898
have us.

292
00:14:59,898 --> 00:15:07,106
(laughter and applause)

293
00:15:07,106 --> 00:15:11,510
I also want to recognize someone who has been a passionate leader

294
00:15:11,510 --> 00:15:16,649
and visionary on behalf of kids,
our Secretary of Education

295
00:15:16,649 --> 00:15:17,983
and dear friend,
Arne Duncan.

296
00:15:17,983 --> 00:15:20,286
Arne -- is Arne
here or did he go?

297
00:15:20,286 --> 00:15:21,453
Male Speaker:
He had to leave.

298
00:15:21,453 --> 00:15:21,987
Mrs. Obama: He had to leave.

299
00:15:21,987 --> 00:15:22,988
(laughter)

300
00:15:22,988 --> 00:15:23,989
But, Arne, we love you.

301
00:15:23,989 --> 00:15:27,893
We're going to miss you.

302
00:15:27,893 --> 00:15:31,997
And thank you for working so
hard on behalf of all of us.

303
00:15:31,997 --> 00:15:37,303
(applause)

304
00:15:37,303 --> 00:15:39,038
And of
course, most of all,

305
00:15:39,038 --> 00:15:40,873
I want to thank all of you.

306
00:15:40,873 --> 00:15:43,309
You all are the very first
members of our

307
00:15:43,309 --> 00:15:45,810
Better Make Room campaign team.

308
00:15:45,811 --> 00:15:47,713
You're on our team!

309
00:15:47,713 --> 00:15:51,617
(applause)

310
00:15:51,617 --> 00:15:54,687
Whether you're
a Viner, a YouTuber,

311
00:15:54,687 --> 00:15:58,157
an educator, or a business
or foundation leader,

312
00:15:58,157 --> 00:16:01,593
you all will be the ones
driving this campaign

313
00:16:01,593 --> 00:16:03,962
forward long after the
President and I have left

314
00:16:03,962 --> 00:16:04,963
the White House.

315
00:16:04,963 --> 00:16:08,467
And we are so incredibly
grateful for your passion

316
00:16:08,467 --> 00:16:11,103
and your commitment
to this cause.

317
00:16:11,103 --> 00:16:15,674
Now, the idea behind Better
Make Room is pretty simple.

318
00:16:15,674 --> 00:16:18,544
We want to create a space
where young people can

319
00:16:18,544 --> 00:16:22,614
engage with each other;
where they can inspire each

320
00:16:22,614 --> 00:16:26,719
other to complete their
education beyond high school.

321
00:16:26,719 --> 00:16:28,721
We want to make room
for their stories,

322
00:16:28,721 --> 00:16:32,558
for their dreams,
their achievements.

323
00:16:32,558 --> 00:16:34,927
Because the truth
is that right now,

324
00:16:34,927 --> 00:16:39,431
that space really doesn't
exist in our popular culture.

325
00:16:39,431 --> 00:16:42,568
Instead, these days so much
of our national conversation

326
00:16:42,568 --> 00:16:46,905
is focused on celebrities
and their stories -- their

327
00:16:46,905 --> 00:16:50,074
breakups and hairstyles;
the tweets they send;

328
00:16:50,075 --> 00:16:52,311
the points they score.

329
00:16:52,311 --> 00:16:55,848
So there's no room for the
story of that young woman

330
00:16:55,848 --> 00:16:58,916
whose parents don't speak
a word of English but who's

331
00:16:58,917 --> 00:17:01,053
determined to be a
first-generation

332
00:17:01,053 --> 00:17:02,554
college graduate.

333
00:17:02,554 --> 00:17:05,324
There's no room for the
story of that young man

334
00:17:05,324 --> 00:17:09,428
who's been told that he's
not college material,

335
00:17:09,428 --> 00:17:12,598
but he decides to ignore
the doubters and just work a

336
00:17:12,598 --> 00:17:13,598
little harder.

337
00:17:13,598 --> 00:17:17,668
There's no room for those
kids who don't fit in at

338
00:17:17,669 --> 00:17:20,973
their school, but who know
that things will get better

339
00:17:20,973 --> 00:17:24,943
if they just hang on
and get to college.

340
00:17:24,943 --> 00:17:27,512
And that's what Better
Make Room is about.

341
00:17:27,512 --> 00:17:32,583
It's about valuing success
in the classroom instead of

342
00:17:32,584 --> 00:17:36,054
just on the big screen or
on the basketball court.

343
00:17:36,054 --> 00:17:39,892
And it's about turning the
culture of celebrity upside

344
00:17:39,892 --> 00:17:43,529
down so that we don't
just have kids worshipping

345
00:17:43,529 --> 00:17:47,900
celebrities, but we also
have celebrities honoring

346
00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:52,237
kids who are working hard
and achieving their goals.

347
00:17:52,237 --> 00:18:02,181
(applause)

348
00:18:02,181 --> 00:18:05,217
That's where
we're going to shine the

349
00:18:05,217 --> 00:18:06,618
spotlight -- on those
kids and their stories.

350
00:18:06,618 --> 00:18:09,788
So the question is, how
are we going to do this?

351
00:18:09,788 --> 00:18:12,958
Because the truth is,
Generation Z -- that's what

352
00:18:12,958 --> 00:18:15,594
they're called; these are
the kids who are right now

353
00:18:15,594 --> 00:18:18,530
in high school and middle
school -- they interact with

354
00:18:18,530 --> 00:18:21,066
the world in fundamentally
different ways than

355
00:18:21,066 --> 00:18:22,267
generations before them.

356
00:18:22,267 --> 00:18:25,838
And I'm someone who lives
with two Generation Z-ers,

357
00:18:25,838 --> 00:18:28,407
and I'm experiencing
this firsthand,

358
00:18:28,407 --> 00:18:30,842
as I'm sure many
of you are, too.

359
00:18:30,843 --> 00:18:32,644
Hands raised.

360
00:18:32,644 --> 00:18:33,645
(laughter)

361
00:18:33,645 --> 00:18:35,647
For example,
you may have noticed that

362
00:18:35,647 --> 00:18:38,750
instead of watching TV,
your kids are on YouTube.

363
00:18:38,750 --> 00:18:40,752
And they don't just
want to watch a screen,

364
00:18:40,752 --> 00:18:42,754
they want to swipe
it, and poke it,

365
00:18:42,754 --> 00:18:45,389
create their own
content on it.

366
00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:47,693
And don't waste your time
trying to connect with your

367
00:18:47,693 --> 00:18:49,995
kids via email.

368
00:18:49,995 --> 00:18:50,795
(laughter)

369
00:18:50,796 --> 00:18:53,031
That antiquated
method is as useless as

370
00:18:53,031 --> 00:18:54,332
Morse code.

371
00:18:54,333 --> 00:18:56,101
(laughter)

372
00:18:56,101 --> 00:18:57,970
Instead,
they're into texting,

373
00:18:57,970 --> 00:18:59,872
and Snapchat and Vine
-- all that stuff.

374
00:18:59,872 --> 00:19:04,176
And don't make the mistake
of responding to a text

375
00:19:04,176 --> 00:19:06,812
using full sentences
with proper grammar

376
00:19:06,812 --> 00:19:07,612
and punctuation.

377
00:19:07,613 --> 00:19:08,680
(laughter)

378
00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,482
Look, whenever I
do that my kids always think

379
00:19:10,482 --> 00:19:11,750
I'm mad at them.

380
00:19:11,750 --> 00:19:13,085
(laughter)

381
00:19:13,085 --> 00:19:14,086
It's like,
what did I do mom?

382
00:19:14,086 --> 00:19:15,954
Why are you using sentences?

383
00:19:15,954 --> 00:19:17,589
(laughter)

384
00:19:17,589 --> 00:19:20,325
They prefer very
-- and I mean very -- short

385
00:19:20,325 --> 00:19:25,264
responses; one word --
better yet, a few letters.

386
00:19:25,264 --> 00:19:27,265
And if you really want
to get their attention,

387
00:19:27,266 --> 00:19:28,867
use symbols, little symbols.

388
00:19:28,867 --> 00:19:30,002
(laughter)

389
00:19:30,002 --> 00:19:33,171
There's the
smiley face, the angry face,

390
00:19:33,171 --> 00:19:36,375
and all the other faces that
can show any emotion that

391
00:19:36,375 --> 00:19:37,376
you may be feeling.

392
00:19:37,376 --> 00:19:41,013
So it's no wonder why
Generation Z-ers have short

393
00:19:41,013 --> 00:19:42,614
attention spans.

394
00:19:42,614 --> 00:19:46,084
They usually stop listening
to us after about 6 seconds.

395
00:19:46,084 --> 00:19:46,885
(laughter)

396
00:19:46,885 --> 00:19:49,621
Their eyes just
glaze over as we blather on

397
00:19:49,621 --> 00:19:50,656
and on.

398
00:19:50,656 --> 00:19:52,658
We think we're
getting into them,

399
00:19:52,658 --> 00:19:55,860
but they've shut
us off minutes ago.

400
00:19:55,861 --> 00:19:58,664
But this generation is
a fascinating bunch.

401
00:19:58,664 --> 00:20:01,833
They are more independent,
yet more connected to each

402
00:20:01,833 --> 00:20:03,569
other than ever before.

403
00:20:03,569 --> 00:20:05,870
They are constantly
texting with each other,

404
00:20:05,871 --> 00:20:09,474
sharing photos, engaging
with each other on issues

405
00:20:09,474 --> 00:20:10,542
large and small.

406
00:20:10,542 --> 00:20:13,544
And many are using
technology to organize

407
00:20:13,545 --> 00:20:15,814
around causes
they care about,

408
00:20:15,814 --> 00:20:17,816
whether that's saving the
environment or

409
00:20:17,816 --> 00:20:19,217
stopping gun violence.

410
00:20:19,217 --> 00:20:22,654
So Generation Z is really
a do-it-yourself

411
00:20:22,654 --> 00:20:24,456
kind of generation.

412
00:20:24,456 --> 00:20:27,125
These kids are working
hard, and they are

413
00:20:27,125 --> 00:20:30,762
entrepreneurial, and
they want content that's

414
00:20:30,762 --> 00:20:35,500
authentic and raw -- nothing
polished, nothing packaged.

415
00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:38,604
So for those young people,
traditional campaigns don't

416
00:20:38,604 --> 00:20:39,972
always work.

417
00:20:39,972 --> 00:20:42,741
We can't just tape a public
service announcement telling

418
00:20:42,741 --> 00:20:45,177
them that school is cool.

419
00:20:45,177 --> 00:20:48,045
If we truly want to engage
this generation in a

420
00:20:48,046 --> 00:20:50,649
conversation about
higher education,

421
00:20:50,649 --> 00:20:54,018
we need to give them a space
where they can drive that

422
00:20:54,019 --> 00:20:56,188
conversation themselves.

423
00:20:56,188 --> 00:20:58,323
And that's exactly what
we're doing through

424
00:20:58,323 --> 00:20:59,992
Better Make Room.

425
00:20:59,992 --> 00:21:02,594
Through this new campaign,
young people can go to

426
00:21:02,594 --> 00:21:05,063
BetterMakeRoom.org, or
they can go to Vine,

427
00:21:05,063 --> 00:21:08,166
Twitter or Instagram using
the hashtag #BetterMakeRoom

428
00:21:08,166 --> 00:21:09,967
-- I'm getting used
to that hashtag.

429
00:21:09,968 --> 00:21:10,969
(laughter)

430
00:21:10,969 --> 00:21:12,671
Just throw that
in there and impress my kids.

431
00:21:12,671 --> 00:21:14,573
(laughter)

432
00:21:14,573 --> 00:21:17,075
And they can
share their goals for

433
00:21:17,075 --> 00:21:19,978
college and for life
with kids all across

434
00:21:19,978 --> 00:21:20,979
this country.

435
00:21:20,979 --> 00:21:23,915
This is exactly what this
technology was meant to do,

436
00:21:23,915 --> 00:21:28,120
the good stuff -- to use
it to share and inspire.

437
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:32,123
Then we're going to lift up
their stories and give these

438
00:21:32,124 --> 00:21:35,927
young people the attention
they have long deserved.

439
00:21:35,927 --> 00:21:39,630
So they might see their
words on a billboard or on a

440
00:21:39,631 --> 00:21:40,632
subway ad.

441
00:21:40,632 --> 00:21:43,702
They might even receive an
invitation to an event here

442
00:21:43,702 --> 00:21:44,903
at the White House.

443
00:21:44,903 --> 00:21:48,707
Or they might see their
story in an Instagram or

444
00:21:48,707 --> 00:21:51,476
tweet from a
celebrity they admire.

445
00:21:51,476 --> 00:21:53,578
In fact, on Wednesday, I'm
going to be joining

446
00:21:53,578 --> 00:21:57,149
LeBron James for a Better
Make Room event with

447
00:21:57,149 --> 00:21:59,950
1,000 kids in Akron, Ohio.

448
00:21:59,951 --> 00:22:03,088
And I wouldn't be surprised
if some young people saw

449
00:22:03,088 --> 00:22:06,658
their stories in LeBron's
Twitter or Instagram feed

450
00:22:06,658 --> 00:22:07,658
sometime soon.

451
00:22:07,659 --> 00:22:13,131
And then once young people
have shared their stories

452
00:22:13,131 --> 00:22:16,334
and declared their education
and career ambitions,

453
00:22:16,334 --> 00:22:18,870
then we're going to give
them the tools they need to

454
00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:21,072
achieve those ambitions.

455
00:22:21,073 --> 00:22:23,075
Because more than
anything else,

456
00:22:23,075 --> 00:22:26,678
the goal of Better Make Room
is to get young people to,

457
00:22:26,678 --> 00:22:29,514
and through, higher
education -- whether that's

458
00:22:29,514 --> 00:22:31,649
a community college,
a four-year college,

459
00:22:31,650 --> 00:22:33,985
or a professional
training program.

460
00:22:33,985 --> 00:22:35,754
So through Better Make Room,
we're going to be sending

461
00:22:35,754 --> 00:22:38,689
young people reminders and
guidance about all kinds of

462
00:22:38,690 --> 00:22:42,027
stuff -- studying for
the SATs and ACTs,

463
00:22:42,027 --> 00:22:44,296
filling out college
applications and FAFSA

464
00:22:44,296 --> 00:22:47,199
forms, visiting
college campuses.

465
00:22:47,199 --> 00:22:50,102
We're going to be walking
them through every step in

466
00:22:50,102 --> 00:22:51,770
this process.

467
00:22:51,770 --> 00:22:55,440
So that's how this
campaign is going to work.

468
00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,777
And I'm sure it is now
obvious that

469
00:22:58,777 --> 00:23:02,214
Better Make Room will not be a
traditional kind of campaign;

470
00:23:02,214 --> 00:23:04,850
it will truly be
unlike anything the White House

471
00:23:04,850 --> 00:23:06,584
has ever done before.

472
00:23:06,585 --> 00:23:07,853
In fact, earlier
this morning,

473
00:23:07,853 --> 00:23:10,555
we let some young people
make a huge chalk drawing of

474
00:23:10,555 --> 00:23:13,458
the Better Make Room logo on
the South Grounds right in

475
00:23:13,458 --> 00:23:16,995
front of the Dip Room,
under the Truman Balcony.

476
00:23:16,995 --> 00:23:17,963
Yeah.

477
00:23:17,963 --> 00:23:20,932
(laughter)

478
00:23:20,932 --> 00:23:23,268
I wonder what our
curators are saying about that.

479
00:23:23,268 --> 00:23:25,170
(laughter)

480
00:23:25,170 --> 00:23:28,073
That would be
a first here at the White House.

481
00:23:28,073 --> 00:23:32,210
And the truth is, I probably
won't understand everything

482
00:23:32,210 --> 00:23:35,380
that we're doing with this
campaign -- and neither will

483
00:23:35,380 --> 00:23:36,414
many of you.

484
00:23:36,414 --> 00:23:38,049
But that's okay.

485
00:23:38,049 --> 00:23:39,384
We're old.

486
00:23:39,384 --> 00:23:41,353
(laughter)

487
00:23:41,353 --> 00:23:42,854
This
campaign isn't for us,

488
00:23:42,854 --> 00:23:45,857
and it is not about us.

489
00:23:45,857 --> 00:23:48,693
It is for, and about,
our next generation.

490
00:23:48,693 --> 00:23:52,764
And every single one of you
here today is critical to

491
00:23:52,764 --> 00:23:54,232
its success.

492
00:23:54,232 --> 00:23:56,835
Whether you're a
Viner, a YouTube Star,

493
00:23:56,835 --> 00:24:00,772
a business leader
or a celebrity,

494
00:24:00,772 --> 00:24:03,408
you're here today because
you know how to reach our

495
00:24:03,408 --> 00:24:04,909
young people.

496
00:24:04,910 --> 00:24:09,047
The Viners in this room
alone reach 41 million people.

497
00:24:09,047 --> 00:24:12,284
Let's just stop right
there -- 41 million people.

498
00:24:12,284 --> 00:24:16,388
(applause)

499
00:24:16,388 --> 00:24:18,689
That's crazy!

500
00:24:18,690 --> 00:24:21,693
And the rest of you
reach millions more.

501
00:24:21,693 --> 00:24:26,064
Your brands, your messages,
your voices just resonate

502
00:24:26,064 --> 00:24:28,867
with this generation, and we
need all of you to help our

503
00:24:28,867 --> 00:24:32,637
young people own their
education so that they can

504
00:24:32,637 --> 00:24:36,508
fulfill every last
one of their dreams,

505
00:24:36,508 --> 00:24:38,777
like Chris talked about.

506
00:24:38,777 --> 00:24:41,680
This is a critically
important mission.

507
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,783
And the stakes
couldn't be higher.

508
00:24:44,783 --> 00:24:47,017
Because we all know that if
we want to keep moving this

509
00:24:47,018 --> 00:24:50,488
country forward, if we want
to keep growing our economy

510
00:24:50,488 --> 00:24:54,426
and widening that
circle of opportunity,

511
00:24:54,426 --> 00:24:57,294
then we need to ensure that
our kids have every chance

512
00:24:57,295 --> 00:24:59,698
to be who and what
they are meant to be.

513
00:24:59,698 --> 00:25:04,202
And the only way to do
that is through education.

514
00:25:04,202 --> 00:25:06,137
We know that.

515
00:25:06,137 --> 00:25:10,908
That is the absolute best
path forward for our kids.

516
00:25:10,909 --> 00:25:15,280
So I want to end today by
once again thanking all of

517
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,384
you for your commitment
and your passion for

518
00:25:19,384 --> 00:25:21,286
this effort.

519
00:25:21,286 --> 00:25:24,556
I am excited to see
everything that we're going

520
00:25:24,556 --> 00:25:27,425
to create together through
Better Make Room -- even if

521
00:25:27,425 --> 00:25:29,761
I have to ask my daughters
to explain it to me.

522
00:25:32,063 --> 00:25:34,065
This is going to
be really cool.

523
00:25:34,065 --> 00:25:35,033
It's going to be fun.

524
00:25:35,033 --> 00:25:38,370
And hopefully we change the
paradigm about how our kids

525
00:25:38,370 --> 00:25:40,738
think and use
this technology,

526
00:25:40,739 --> 00:25:44,009
and how they engage with
each other and get prepared

527
00:25:44,009 --> 00:25:47,112
for the life that we
know is facing them.

528
00:25:47,112 --> 00:25:49,114
I look forward to working
with all of you in the years

529
00:25:49,114 --> 00:25:51,416
ahead to inspire our young
people to reach higher for

530
00:25:51,416 --> 00:25:53,652
themselves and
for our country.

531
00:25:53,652 --> 00:25:54,653
You guys are great.

532
00:25:54,653 --> 00:25:56,521
Thank you so much.

533
00:25:56,521 --> 00:25:58,523
Let's get started.

534
00:25:58,523 --> 00:25:59,624
(applause)