President Barack Obama will deliver his annual back-to-school speech from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Northwest D.C. later this month.
The White House says the Sept. 28 speech at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School will give the president a chance to speak directly to students across the country.
The event hasn't been without controversy. His first year in office, some parents threatened to pull their students from class during the president's speech. Conservatives complained that Obama was trying to push his political agenda in the classroom.
Schools are not required to broadcast the speech.
Obama's past back-to-school speeches have encouraged students to study hard and take responsibility for their educations. He also urged them to set goals and believe in themselves.
According to text released from the White House, his 2009 remarks included in part:
"[A]t the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world -- and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed."
Benjamin Banneker, part of the District of Columbia Public Schools system, opened in 1981 as a magnet school for students enrolled in rigorous college-prep courses. Located at 800 Euclid St. N.W. near Howard University, it made Newsweek's list of America's Best High Schools this year.
Obama delivered his 2010 back-to-school speech from Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia. In 2009, he spoke from Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.
You can catch Obama's speech live on WhiteHouse.gov, or live on MSNBC as a special feature of NBC News' "Education Nation" programming that begins the week of Sept. 25.
