First Lady Laura Bush
Honorary Chair
President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Welcome to the 2005 Coming Up Taller Awards!

In Coming Up Taller award-winning programs, children are growing up stronger and smarter. Through performances and exhibitions, they are recognized for their accomplishments. They learn to believe in themselves and in their futures. This is taking place through reading and reciting poetry in Evanston, Illinois; through painting vibrant murals throughout Lawrence, Kansas; and through learning the history of frontiers people in Denver, Colorado.

The Coming Up Taller Awards direct national attention to exemplary programs that enhance the lives and learning of young people through after-school and out-of-school experiences in the arts and the humanities. And through these rich experiences, young people are exposed to a diverse world of art and culture and are motivated to explore their own creative voice. Presented to young people with limited opportunities for out of school enrichment, the programs offer safe environments that encourage enthusiasm for learning and teach skills necessary for personal, academic, and future professional success.

While traveling across our country to promote the Helping America's Youth initiative, I have seen the importance of role models in the lives of our country's youth. Today, we salute the highly qualified staff and adult mentors who are vital to the success of these award-winning programs. As experts in fields such as the visual arts, dance, and literature, these adult leaders serve as role models who are cultivating our country's next generation of leaders.

I am delighted to join the members of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities in celebrating the Coming Up Taller Award recipients for their outstanding commitment to making a difference in the lives of young Americans.