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SCIENCEWednesday 2 March 2016
Obama encouraging young people to learn math, science
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE In this Feb. 17, 2016 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in the Oval Office of the White school students from Bal-
ASSOCIATED PRESS House in Washington. timore and the District of
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Presi- Columbia are expected
dent Barack Obama is Associated Press to participate in a science
launching a version of fair-type event.
“take your child to work ties. My Brother’s Keeper is tory Month and the start of Technology Policy at the Obama says it’s good for
day” that’s focused on a public-private initiative Women’s History Month in the country when young
America’s science labora- started by Obama to help March. White House, told The Asso- people are excited about
tories instead of its corpo- boys and young men of “It’s an exciting time to science.
rate workspaces. color stay on the right path. think about how we’re pull- ciated Press in a telephone “Whether it’s setting foot
It’s part of Obama’s effort The White House Council ing all the children of our on the moon, developing a
to encourage young peo- on Women and Girls is also country into technology interview. vaccine for polio, inventing
ple, especially girls and mi- involved. and STEM and the jobs of the Internet or building the
norities, to pursue careers “National Week at the the future,” Megan Smith, She said some 600,000 U.S. world’s strongest military,
in the fields of science, Labs” coincides with Feb- chief technology officer in we’ve relied on innovative
technology, engineering ruary’s end of Black His- the Office of Science and technology jobs, which scientists, technologists,
and math. engineers and mathema-
More than 50 national labs pay significantly higher ticians to help us tackle
in 20 states are opening the toughest challenges of
their doors this week to than the average salary, our time,” he recently told
approximately 5,000 ele- Popular Science maga-
mentary, middle and high are currently unfilled. zine. “Being pro-science is
school students to help the only way we make sure
spark interest by exposing At the White House on that America continues to
them to the scientists, engi- lead the world.”
neers and lab employees Monday, elementary Obama started the an-
who carry out important nual White House Science
work and research at facili- Fair because he said bud-
ties in their communities. ding scientists should be
The students, including celebrated as much as
from communities aligned Super Bowl football teams.
with Obama’s “My Broth- The administration is also
er’s Keeper” initiative, will more than halfway toward
participate in mentoring his goal of training 100,000
sessions, hands-on experi- new math and science
ments and other activi- teachers by 2021, he said.
