On May 2nd, the President and First Lady hosted the first-ever White House Conference on Teenagers. The conference included parents, teens, policy makers and other experts who discussed the importance of the teenage years in the social and intellectual development of children. Like the White House Conference on Early Learning and Childhood Development in 1997, this gathering underscored some of the common misconceptions that parents have about a specific phase of a child's development -- the teen years -- while offering strategies for raising responsible and resourceful youth. Conference participants highlighted ways in which parents, schools, businesses, the media and others in the larger community can support children during this critical stage of life.

To build on existing resources, the President and First Lady announced several new steps the Administration is taking to better understand the teenage years and provide the support that America's teens need.