“Know what your story is. That will give you the power to guide your life.” That was the advice Barack Obama had for students last week at his Futures Series talk at Hyde Park Academy—the high school right across the street from the site of the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. It’s all part of our ongoing mission to expose young people to the pathways to realizing their potential. Get a glimpse. | Obama Foundation

Had fun surprising a group of students at Parkside Community Academy—a future neighbor of the Obama Presidential Center being built on Chicago’s South Side—to spread some holiday cheer. Take a look: | Barack Obama

In a fun White House ceremony, President Obama pardons two turkeys from the dinner table on Thanksgiving. A pardon is a declaration that someone will not be punished. By pardoning the birds, Obama and others promise not to cook and eat them. This tradition began in 1947. This year's turkeys, Tater and Tot, will go to Virginia Tech University's Animal and Poultry Sciences Department. | VOA Learning English

“If you're walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.” - Barack Obama, born on this day in 1961. | Biography