Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., 2002

Proclamation 7534 of March 21, 2002

Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., 2002

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's future depends in part on ensuring that every
child in America receives a quality education. And by
teaching our children the importance of serving those
in need, we will help fulfill an important part of
their education, showing them the rewards that come
from compassionate outreach.

Education has always played a vital role in the success
of our Nation. It has provided hope through the
principle that any citizen can realize the American
dream, regardless of background, ethnicity, or faith.
By challenging young people to set high goals and to
work hard to achieve them, we prepare our youth to
carry on the success of the American story and to
become leaders of this great Nation. A core foundation
of knowledge and values is essential for students to
excel and contribute to the well-being of our
communities, our country, and the world.

Parents are a child's first and most important
teachers, and they provide the cornerstone of a child's
early education. Quality teachers, however, also play
an important role in a child's personal and
intellectual development. The No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001, which I signed into law in January 2002,
requires that, by the end of the 2005-06 school year,
there must be a ``highly qualified'' teacher in every
classroom. Through this new law, States and school
districts will have multiple tools to help them meet
the new teacher quality requirements. Key elements of
this effort include providing State grants to recruit
and train teachers, and recruiting high-quality
individuals to become teachers, offering expanded
student loan forgiveness for teachers. And we must
encourage Americans to volunteer their time to serve as
mentors to our young people.

Great teachers are also found outside the classroom,
making a positive impact on children and on local
families. For example, Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, demonstrated the
power of teaching others to pursue both intellectual
and moral excellence. For this purpose, he established
education and outreach centers that offered social
services and humanitarian aid. Today, more than 1,400
of these centers operate in 35 countries, meeting the
spiritual and material needs of local communities.
These beacons of hope communicate the Rebbe's ideal of
living a meaningful life through personal
responsibility and dedication to those in need. On the
100th anniversary of the Rebbe's birth, I encourage
Americans to help teach our young people. In
classrooms, homes, and places of worship, we can all
make a lasting impact on individual children and thus
invest in our country as a whole.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim March 24, 2002, as Education
and Sharing Day, U.S.A., 2002. I call on all Americans
to help our young people better understand the
importance of character and develop a true love of
learning. By doing so, we invest in the future of our
country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two
thousand two, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth.

(Presidential Sig.)B