The Presidential Planner - The White House Science Fair

President Obama will host today the second White House Science Fair to celebrate student winners from competitions across the country and promote his administration's investments in science, technology, engineering and math education.

"When students excel in math and science, they help America compete for the jobs and industries of the future," the president said in a written statement. "That's why I'm proud to celebrate outstanding students at the White House Science Fair, and to announce new steps my administration and its partners are taking to help more young people succeed in these critical subjects."

In his remarks at today's fair, the president will announce steps that his administration is taking to prepare 100,000 teachers with skills in math and science in the next decade, including a request for $80 million in his upcoming 2013 budget for a competition to support effective STEM-TP programs, or Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics-Teacher Preparation.

The president will meet privately in the Oval Office later this afternoon with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.