    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [February 26, 2008]
    [Pages 277-278]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Picturing America Initiative
    February 26, 2008

        Thank you all for coming. Please be seated. Thank you. Welcome to
    the White House. Looks like we have a distinguished crowd here today.
    Most of you are renowned scholars, intellectuals, and writers. You've
    earned reputations for expressing man's noblest deeds and thoughts in
    pristine, eloquent English, just like me. [Laughter]
        Justice, thanks for coming. Appreciate
    you being here. I thank members of the Cabinet who have joined us.
    Ambassador, glad you're here.
        I want to say a word about Bruce Cole. Bruce
    is an accomplished art historian, a good man, and he's been a great
    Chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities.
        Bruce understands what all of you understand:
    At their best, the arts and humanities express the ideals that define
    our Nation. The United States is a country defined not by bloodline,
    race, or creed, but by our character and convictions. We are united by
    an unyielding principle, and that is, all men are created equal. We
    firmly believe that each man and woman has the right to make the most of
    their God-given talents. And we believe that all are endowed with the
    divine gift of freedom.
        These ideals have sustained us throughout the centuries, and as a
    new generation is called to defend the principles of our democracy, they
    must understand why these principles are worthy of effort and sacrifice.
        The National Endowment for the Humanities is at the forefront of
    this vital educational mission. One way the endowment fulfills this
    mission is through the ``We the People'' program, which we established
    in 2002 to address gaps in our children's knowledge of history and
    civics.
        In just 5 years, the program has awarded nearly 1,400 grants to
    projects that preserve historical sites, documents, and artifacts and
    train future historians. In partnership with the American Library
    Association, ``We the People'' has produced an annual bookshelf on
    enduring American themes such as courage and freedom. More than 6,000
    sets of these books have been provided to schools and public libraries
    across the country.
        ``We the People'' teacher workshops have allowed thousands of
    educators to discover American history in places where history was made:
    Ellis Island or the waters of Pearl Harbor. The initiative's National
    Digital Newspaper Program is making millions of pages of historic
    American newspapers accessible online. Countless students and teachers
    and historians will benefit from these important first drafts of
    history.
        In all these ways, ``We the People'' does an outstanding job of
    passing America's rich heritage on to future generations. Today I'm
    pleased to unveil a new project under this program, the Picturing
    America Initiative. This initiative will educate children about the
    great people and places and moments in our history using American art
    and masterpieces that depict them.
        It's much better for us to hear about educational programs from
    someone who's probably more qualified than me--[laughter]--like a former
    teacher or a librarian. [Laughter] And so it's my honor to welcome
    Laura, the First Lady.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:47 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Supreme Court Associate Justice
    Antonin Scalia; and Italy's Ambassador to the U.S. Giovanni
    Castellaneta. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary also included the remarks of the First Lady.

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