Last month, the White House honored nine educators who received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as “Champions of Change.
These inspiring young men and women have tackled the challenging – yet crucial – task of becoming educators in their communities to empower the next generation of leaders. On June 15, 2012, President Obama announced the Department of Homeland Security’s DACA policy, which allows certain undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children and meet strict guidelines to seek temporary relief from removal, and gives them the opportunity to apply for work authorization. Since the 2012 announcement, more than 660,000 people have benefitted from DACA, and many DACA recipients have chosen to take on work in critical fields of service to the nation. This event honored nine young leaders in the field of education that are also DACA recipients, who have been strong role models for students and families, as well as change agents within their communities.
Strengthening the relationships between law enforcement and the community continues to be a priority for this Administration. In 2014, the Department of Justice launched the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice to support training, evidence-based strategies, policy development and research to combat distrust and hostility between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services Office provides law enforcement agencies with the tools that they need to fully engage in community policing. The President’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative is also focused on reducing violence by promoting community-oriented policing practices and improving trust between law enforcement and communities, while enhancing the overall life and educational outcomes for justice-involved youth.
Please help us identify a young person (up to and including age 25) and law enforcement officer who are going above and beyond to work together to make their communities safer. Each nomination must include a pair of individuals – one young person and one law enforcement officer. Nominations for single individuals will not be considered. A select group of these leaders will be invited to the White House to be honored and to share their accomplishments. Please nominate a pair of Champions by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, August 14.
On Monday, I was pleased to be able to welcome twelve people of faith as they were honored as White House “Champions of Change” for their efforts in protecting our environment and communities from the effects of climate change. These Champions have demonstrated clear leadership across the United States and around the world through their grassroots efforts to green their communities and educate others on the moral and social justice implications of climate change.
Major trends are shaping the future of our transportation systems. Our population is growing and aging. Our legacy transit systems need more attention every day. Our roads and runways face increasing congestion.
