For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
August 3, 2007

Mrs. Bush's Remarks After a Briefing on St. Paul Community Partnerships Serving American Indian Youth
University of Minnesota St. Paul Student Center
St. Paul, Minnesota

12:45 P.M. CDT

MRS. BUSH: Well, thank you all very, very much. I talked about you in my speech -- many of you were in there. But the whole idea of bringing the whole community together is what we know really works, as we face -- try to overcome challenges that our young people face all across the country.

And everything you're doing to make sure Indian children know their background and know their traditions and are connected to their community are exactly what we need to do for every child. Every child feels better if they're connected to their own family, if they have the advice of their elders, and if they know their own traditions, whatever they are. We know that. I mean, it's proven that children who are connected to their community and connected to their own families are more likely to be able to succeed.

So thank you all for doing that for your children. You're an inspiration for us. Thanks, everybody. Good to see you all.

END 12:46 P.M. CDT