Dive Brief:

• First Lady Michelle Obama is celebrating College Signing Day with San Antonio students Friday. The growing tradition applauds the academic achievements of about 2,100 students at 38 high schools.   
• The day was created by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as part of a push to raise the number of high school graduates and encourage more citizens to get college degrees.  
• Obama will speak about pursuing higher education and why it should be an important goal for students.  

Dive Insight:

While we are used to seeing the football or basketball team celebrated, how often are we celebrating student academic achievement other than on graduation day?  San Antonio's annual College Signing Day focuses the attention on the academic pursuits of the city's students, not only celebrating their accomplishments but showing younger students that learning is valued.  It is for this reason that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has praised the city for this initiative.  

"Schools everywhere would do well to take note, and consider doing likewise," Duncan has said about the relatively cheap and easy-to-replicate day.