Get Involved

Champions of Change

Across the country, ordinary Americans are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world. Every week the White House meets with a group of these Champions of Change to highlight Americans who are making an impact and share ideas on how our country can rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century. From educators to entrepreneurs, hundreds of Americans have participated in Champions of Change roundtables at the White House and you can let us know who is making a difference near you.

• Nominate someone who is doing extraordinary things in your community to be a Champion of Change.
• Check out the Champions of Change.

We the People: Your Voice in Our Government

This tool provides you with a new way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country. If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.

• Create, sign or share a petition.

Joining Forces

Joining Forces mobilizes all sections of society to support our service members and their families. 1% of Americans may be fighting our wars, but we need 100% of Americans to be supporting our troops and their families. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden are asking Americans to get involved in any way they can.

• Send a message of thanks to support a military family.
• Pledge hours in honor of military families, find service projects near you and take action in your community.
• Stay connected with the latest opportunities to support our troops and their families.

Let’s Move!

Get active, create healthy dishes, and stay fit with the First Lady's initiative to fight childhood obesity by encouraging exercise and healthy food choices. Helpful tips and step-by-step strategies give families, schools, and communities the tools they need to help kids be more active, eat better, and grow up healthy.

• Parents can get on the right track to eat well and stay fit.
• Kids can have fun being active and eating healthy.
• Schools can add healthy living to their lesson plans.
• Chefs can create healthy dishes to teach about food and nutrition.
• Health care providers can educate and support patients in living healthier.

Open for Questions

The White House is open for your questions. On a regular basis, senior administration officials take your questions in a live video chat on topics ranging from the way forward in Afghanistan to improving federal websites. You can submit your questions ahead of time or join a live conversation. Get notifications for upcoming live chats and other initiatives by signing up for the daily snapshot.

• Join the discussion at http://apps.facebook.com/whitehouselive.
• Tune in to Open for Question chats and other speeches, events, and press briefings at http://wh.gov/live.

White House Office Hours

We want to hear from you. Senior staff at the White House are holding regular "Office Hours" to answer your questions on a host of issues and topics. Use the hashtag #WHChat on Twitter to ask administration officials your questions and White House staff will respond to questions in real-time via Twitter during Office Hours.

• Check out the schedule for Office Hours
• Follow @WhiteHouse for the latest updates and more chances to engage.

Advise the Advisor

Advise the Advisor is your direct line to the White House. President Obama and his senior staff want to hear your advice, opinions, and ideas on important issues. We’ll review your feedback and then provide a summary of what you told us to help keep the conversation going.

• Learn more about Advise the Advisor

Host an Immigration Roundtable

President Obama is calling for a national conversation on immigration reform that builds a bipartisan consensus to fix our broken immigration system so it works for America’s 21st century economy and security needs, but he can’t do it alone. That is why we are asking you and other Americans, including business leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement leaders and all Americans that understand that we cannot continue to live with the broken system the way it is – to continue the conversation in your community by hosting a roundtable.

• Tell us about your Immigration Roundtable.
• Use the Immigration Roundtable Toolkit to get started.

Tax Payer Receipt

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, American taxpayers would be able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent. Just enter a few pieces of information about your taxes, and the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, Veterans benefits, or health care.

You can also calculate the tax cuts that President Obama signed into law to provide a boost to middle-class families’ pocketbooks.

SAVE Award

President Obama believes the best ideas usually come from the front lines. That’s why in 2009 he launched the SAVE Award (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency), seeking ideas from federal employees to make government more effective and efficient and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

Over the past two years, federal employees have submitted more than 56,000 cost-cutting ideas through the SAVE Award. Dozens of the most promising ideas have been included in the President’s Budget, specifically in the Terminations, Reductions, and Savings volume. Want to vote for your favorite idea to save? Sign up to receive an email notification as soon as voting opens, and learn other ways the administration is working to cut waste.

• Learn more about the Save Award

Presidential Citizens Medal

For over 40 years, the Presidential Citizens Medal has recognized Americans who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.” Past recipients have included some of America’s most respected public figures but also everyday heroes – united by an unwavering commitment to service. This Medal is among the highest honors a civilian can receive and starting in 2010, President Obama asked Americans across the country to help nominate candidates for this extraordinary honor.

• Learn more about Presidential Citizens Medal

Become a White House Fellow

Immerse yourself in the highest levels of the federal government with a full-time, paid Fellowship at the White House. Fellows — who serve as assistants to senior White House staff, Cabinet Secretaries, and other top-ranking government officials — gain a first-hand understanding of how government works.

• Stay up to date with the White House Fellows program with newsletters.
• Contact the White House Fellowship Office.
• Apply to be a White House Fellow.

Intern at the White House

Become part of the President’s team and apply for an internship at the White House. The internship program offers a unique opportunity for young people to cultivate leadership skills, gain workplace experience in the government, and serve the community.

• Apply for a White House Internship.
• Questions? Contact the White House Internship Office.

Tour the White House

Public tours of the White House are available. Stroll through history-filled halls and rooms, and explore one of the world’s most famous buildings, home to U.S. Presidents past, present, and future.

• Request for White House tours must be submitted through one’s Member of Congress
• Take an interactive tour of the White House.

Stay Connected on Social Media

From tweet ups to regular live chats on Facebook, follow, friend, or like the White House on your favorite networks. Get breaking news from Twitter, download podcasts on iTunes, and see a first glimpse at behind-the-scenes photos on Flickr.

Mobile Apps

Do you have the White House app for your phone? Download the Android or iPhone app to get alerts directly from the White House, check out behind-the-scenes photos and videos, and read the latest news from the blog or the Briefing Room. And now, with the newly upgraded White House iPhone app, you can get an alert that President Obama is about to speak, then watch it live, right in the palm of your hand.

• Download the Android App
• Download the iPhone App
• We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think of the apps.

You can also use your phone to make an impact by helping to empower young adults to prevent abuse and violence. Take the Apps Against Abuse challenge, a national competition to develop an innovative software application, or “app,” that provides young adults with tools to help prevent sexual assault and dating violence. Learn more and get started.

Find a Regional Office

There are Federal Government offices all across the country, not just in Washington, DC. Bring your questions or ideas to an office near you, and better connect with the Federal Government.

• Agency Regional Offices (pdf)