BELL Commended by the White House!

On Thursday, May 27, BELL was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama in a speech at the White House as one of three non-profit models raising the bar for achieving successful social reform! Mrs. Obama's speech came during an event to discuss the impact of the Social Innovation Fund, a new federal grant program that is focused on addressing some of the nation's most pressing social problems through setting new standards and models for reform.

Fast forward to 13:17 to see Mrs. Obama's comments about BELL.

In the First Lady's own words: "We know that some of the best solutions to our nation's problems already exist, and that's the beauty of this country.... And we know that with the right support, the right kind of investment, they can go from just changing a handful of lives to making a difference on a much larger scale. Some examples [include] the BELL Program."

Mrs. Obama went on to elaborate on BELL's model, and our impact on increasing academic achievements was met with applause from the audience. You can view her entire speech above (BELL is mentioned at approximately 14 minutes into the speech). In the Telly Award winning WETA Reading Rockets feature below, you'll see what makes the BELL experience so special for kids.

MLB footage courtesy of MLB.com

There are numerous ways to get involved. Read more about volunteer opportunities, making a donation to support BELL scholars, enrolling your child in one of BELL's award winning programs, or changing a child's life by becoming a BELL teacher or tutor.

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Summer Learning Day is June 21! Visit the National Center for Summer Learning to see how organizations across the country are celebrating summer learning this year.