[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 58 (Tuesday, March 26, 2002)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 13705-13706]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-07361]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 58 / Tuesday, March 26, 2002 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 13705]]


                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.

[[Page 13706]]

                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

[FR Doc. 02-07361
Filed 03-25-02; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P