Text 3396, 61 rader
Skriven 2006-10-11 23:32:38 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (061011c) for Wed, 2006 Oct 11
====================================================

===========================================================================
Mrs. Bush's Remarks to the Press Pool During a Visit to Communication
Through Art Program
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
October 11, 2006

Mrs. Bush's Remarks to the Press Pool During a Visit to Communication
Through Art Program
Knox County Public Defenders Community Law Office
Knoxville, Tennessee



4:06 P.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: For the last year-and-a-half, actually, I've been visiting --
since the 2005 State of the Union address -- I've been visiting programs
like this all over the country where people work to reach out to young
people, to help young people build the self-esteem and the knowledge they
need to avoid risky behaviors and steer their life toward a successful
life.

And this is a great program. I like this one especially because it uses the
arts, which are a particular interest of mine. And I think studying the
arts builds discipline and interest. It builds vocabulary. There are words
you might use here that you might not use other places. And so it's a
really good way to open up your mind to a lot of possibilities for your
life and for the world.

And in this case, this is a great program that works with people -- works
with students during this time of day, which is when many young people are
home alone because their parents are still working. So it gives them
something to do that's safe and productive and constructive after school.

And so I want to thank especially the adults who come here to volunteer,
who work with these children and be a caring mentor for them, which is
something we know all children need. Every child needs a caring adult in
their lives.

So this is a great program that answers a lot of needs for children --
giving them a safe place to be, giving them interesting things to do, and
then providing relationships with caring adults while they're here. So
thank you all, thank you so much for what you do here.

This was also started with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Arts, through the Tennessee Commission on the Arts. So I'm a particular fan
of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well.

Okay, thanks, everybody.

END 4:08 P.M. EDT

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061011-12.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)