Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 10-23-15 Edition

Presidential News
First Lady Michelle Obama
Teen Arrested For Clock, Meets
Announces “Better Make Room”
President Obama And Is
Campaign For Generation Z
Planning To Leave The U.S.
The First Lady launched her Reach Higher initiative to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their educa- tion past high school, whether at a pro- fessional training program, a community college, or a four-year col- lege or university.
That is why, as part of her Reach Higher initiative, the First Lady is an- nouncing a new public awareness cam- paign, Better Make Room, to target Generation Z, or young people ages 14- 19, to celebrate education, change the national conversation, and reach stu- dents directly where they are and give them a space to create content while also navigating the college-going process.
This campaign will leverage tradi- tional and new media platforms to cel- ebrate student stories in the same way that we often celebrate celebrities and athletes. With partners in the business, philanthropic, media, and education realm, this campaign will stretch across the country to inspire students and give them the tools they need to reach higher for college. #BetterMake- Room.
Better Make Room celebrates stu- dents. It acknowledges that things aren’t easy. It elevates their stories, their bravado, and hard work to new heights. It tells their stories through a
The First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative brings together over 20 social media, busi- ness, and nonprofit partners to help launch Better Make Room, a campaign squarely di- rected at Generation Z (14-19 year olds).
lens normally reserved for sports stars and celebrities. In an info-jammed world where fame means followers, likes and reposts, the campaign brings celebrities and influencers to the plat- forms that today give star power to their peers: those without the tradi- tional luck or talent of some of today’s biggest stars.
Better Make Room says that stu- dents reaching toward higher educa- tion deserve equal praise and adoration.
The Black Sheep Agency, a cause- driven brand strategy firm in Houston, Texas, developed the Better Make Room campaign for Generation Z, giv- ing students a powerful voice with which to connect with one another on a national scale and launching a vibrant movement toward higher education.
Ahmed Mo- hamed’s family has accepted an offer from the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Devel- opment to join its Young Innovators Pro- gram.
Ahmed will attend high school and college in Doha, Qatar.
"We are going to
move to a place where
my kids can study and
learn, and all of them
being accepted by that
country," Ahmed's father, Mo- hamed Elhassan Mohamed, told the Dallas Morning News.
Ahmed visited Qatar shortly after his Sept. 14 arrest made headlines. He has also visited Google and Face- book headquarters and on Monday, Ahmed and his family were guests of the Obamas at the White House where he attended an Astronomy Night event and chatted with the president. On Tuesday, the family made a brief stop at the U.S. Capitol before hopping a plane back to Texas.
Ahmed and his family did not say when they planned to make the move, but that Ahmed said that "he was impressed with the program and
President Barack Obama (second, right) talks with 14- year-old Ahmed Mohamed (center) Oct. 19, 2015, in Wash- ington, D.C., during the second Astronomy Night held on the South Lawn of the White House. Ahmed was invited to the White House for the science event.
thinks he'll 'learn a lot and have fun, too.'"
On Sept. 14, Ahmed brought a clock that he'd made to school to show a teacher. A few other teachers believed the clock to be a bomb and they reported him to the principal. The principal called the police and Ahmed was handcuffed and ques- tioned at a police station. He was re- leased to his parents later that day.
The story of the arrest prompted many to believe that Ahmed was ar- rested because he is Muslim. Shortly after news spread, many on social media began posting photos of them- selves with clocks under the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A