First lady Michelle Obama honors Florida students and teachers, urges public service

September 11th, 2009 Mrs. Obama challenges GWU to community serviceWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama has a deal for George Washington University students: Perform 100,000 hours of community service during the this school year and she'll speak at their graduation ceremony next May. Mrs. Obama's challenge coincides with the end of President Barack Obama's summer service initiative, United We Serve.

July 31st, 2009 Michelle Obama meets with families at Va Navy baseNORFOLK, Va. — First lady Michelle Obama is calling military families "quiet heroes" and urging the public to support them.

July 31st, 2009 First lady receives high marks from Laura BushGROTON, Conn. — Michelle Obama's performance as first lady is getting high marks from her predecessor, Laura Bush.

July 20th, 2009 Michelle Obama sponsors future Coast Guard cutterWASHINGTON — In a first for a first lady, Michelle Obama is sponsoring a future Coast Guard cutter. Construction of the cutter Stratton began Monday in Pascagoula, Miss., when the U.S.

June 25th, 2009 Obama promotes United We Serve programWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will be spending part of his day as a volunteer, helping fill backpacks with assorted goodies for kids whose parents are serving in the military. He and first lady Michelle Obama will be joining hundreds of congressional family members at Fort McNair under his United We Serve program.

June 22nd, 2009 In SF, Michelle Obama calls on Americans to serveSAN FRANCISCO — First lady Michelle Obama wants Americans to make this a summer of community service. Obama is scheduled to put the idea into action Monday, joining California first lady Maria Shriver and local volunteers in refurbishing the playground at Bret Harte Elementary School in San Francisco.

June 16th, 2009 Michelle Obama: Government alone can't rebuildWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama said Tuesday that struggling communities shouldn't look to government alone for help. Obama told a luncheon of Washington-area service and philanthropy groups that their members' work is key to making a difference in neighborhoods and schools.

June 3rd, 2009 First lady tells graduates not to worryWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama is offering this advice to students doubting if they're ready for the future: "Don't worry." Mrs. Obama told 98 graduates of a Washington, D.C., math and science charter school that before going off to Princeton University she worried about whether she was ready and would fit in.

May 29th, 2009 Mrs. Obama: White House garden is 'blooming'WASHINGTON — The White House garden is blooming and bursting. That's what first lady Michelle Obama told some of the Washington, D.C., fifth-graders who helped her plant it.

May 13th, 2009 First lady tells students everyone has bad daysWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama told third-graders Wednesday that they can help the president by working hard and never quitting. Mrs. Obama visited Ferebee-Hope Elementary School in southeast Washington and read the story "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" to about 18 children.

May 12th, 2009 Mrs. Obama says community service changed her lifeWASHINGTON — For Michelle Obama, corporate law turned out not to be the career she wanted to look back on at the end of her life. "I had to ask myself whether, if I died tomorrow, would I want this to be my legacy, working in a corporate firm, working for big companies," the first lady told employees of the federal agency tasked with managing public service programs.

May 5th, 2009 Obama asks for $50M for non-profitsWASHINGTON — The White House says the president's budget proposal for next year will include $50 million to help promote national service and advise nonprofit groups. First lady Michelle Obama planned to tell an audience at a New York City magazine party Tuesday night that the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation would coordinate the efforts to help non-profits identify best practices.

May 4th, 2009 First lady visits charter school for Cinco de MayoWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama on Monday urged students to remember in their thoughts and prayers those suffering from the swine flu in Mexico. Mrs. Obama used the early Cinco de Mayo celebration with students from two bilingual charter schools to remind the crowd about the outbreak in Mexico that has left 26 confirmed dead.

May 4th, 2009 Michelle Obama says she enjoys being first ladyWASHINGTON — Michelle Obama says the most surprising thing about her move to the White House is how much fun it is to be first lady. Mrs. Obama spoke to students at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Charter School on Monday.

April 21st, 2009 Obama honors Navy football teamWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is praising members of the Naval Academy football team, saying he is proud of their performance on the field and for their commitment to serve the country in coming years. Obama on Tuesday welcomed Navy's football team to the White House and presented the Midshipmen the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, awarded yearly to the winner of the competition among the three major service academies.