Media Watch: At White House Science Fair, Obama Announces New STEM Commitments

President Wilson arrives in Hoboken on board
the USS George Washington 1919.

The New York Times notes the President as awed by the accomplishments of the children who presented their inventions at the White House Science Fair, and notes that in brief remarks he announced “$240 million in new commitments from the government and private businesses to help children succeed in science, technology and math,” part of an initiative known as STEM. However, adds the Times, “it was clear that” for Obama, “the best part of the day was spending time with the young inventors.” 

In a brief report, NBC Nightly News(3/23, story 10, 0:20, Holt) said “Obama appeared to be quite impressed by a group of cape-wearing girl scouts from Tulsa, OK,” who showed him “the page-turning robot they built out of Legos designed to help the disabled. Pretty neat stuff.”

        The AP  (3/24, Kuhnhenn), meanwhile, notes that “the pledges the president announced include a $150 million philanthropic effort to encourage promising early-career scientists to stay on track and a $90 million campaign to expand STEM opportunities to underrepresented youth, such as minorities and girls.” Said Obama, “It’s not enough for our country just to be proud of you. We’ve got to support you.”

        USA Today  (3/23, Jackson, Today) reports that Obama hailed “up to $240 million in private sector pledges for” STEM education, describing his interactions with the participants.

        Other media outlets that covered this story include the Huffington Post  (3/24, Bondioli), the Christian Science Monitor (3/23), the New York Daily News  (3/23, Friedman), US News & World Report  (3/23), TIME  (3/24), and the Arizona Republic  (3/23).