After spending Tuesday pitching his jobs bill, President Obama will shift his focus to the Latino community today, addressing an American Latino Heritage Forum hosted by the White House.

The event is intended to “celebrate the past and ongoing contributions of American Latinos who have helped shape America’s rich and diverse history,” according to the White House.

While the event is timed to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s also part of an ongoing effort to court the Latino vote, a key electoral bloc in the 2012 election.

In the afternoon, the president will sit down with the executive committee of the National Association of Evangelicals in the Roosevelt Room.

Later, Obama will meet with his Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.