[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 13 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Pages 510-511]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7534--Education and Sharing Day, U.S.A., 2002

 March 21, 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

[[Page 511]]

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.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., March 25, 
2002]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on March 25, and it was published in the Federal Register on 
March 26.