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We need no better example than the students who are here today from West Philadelphia High School. These students, under the direction of some terrific teachers, entered a global competition against serious corporate and college challengers to build a production-ready car that runs on very little fuel. So as part of an after-school program, they worked to get their vehicles ready. They tweaked the hybrid engine. They figured out how to make their cars run more efficiently.

At first, the adults didn’t really think their team had a chance — admit it. (Laughter.) But then something strange happened. Where older and more seasoned teams failed, they succeeded, even making it through an elimination round.

Now, they didn’t win the competition. They’re kids, come on. (Laughter.) But they did build a car that got more than 65 miles per gallon. They went toe to toe with car companies and big-name universities. (Applause.) They went against big-name universities, well-funded rivals. They held their own. They didn’t have a lot of money. They didn’t have the best equipment. They certainly didn’t have every advantage in life. What they had was a program that challenged them to solve problems and to work together, to learn and build and create. And that’s the kind of spirit and ingenuity that we have to foster. That’s the potential that we can harness all across America. That’s what will help our young people to fulfill their promise to realize their dreams and to help this nation succeed in the years to come.

And I just have to editorialize. This is the kind of thing that just isn’t going to get a lot of attention initially. This will not lead the nightly news. You won’t see this on the cover of Roll Call or Politico. It’s not — doesn’t have conflict and controversy behind it. (Laughter.)

But these are actually the kinds of things that 10 years from now, 20 years from now, we’re going to look back and say this is something that made a difference. These are the kinds of things I’m really proud of. It doesn’t get a lot of fanfare, but from the bottom up, it’s making a huge difference in our country.