Hi everyone --

Right now, more than 62 million girls worldwide are out of school.

Many of them simply can't afford the school fees, or the nearest school is miles away and they don’t have safe transportation to get there -- or maybe there's a school nearby, but it doesn't have adequate bathroom facilities for girls. And for many girls, the obstacles they face aren't just about resources, but about cultural norms and traditions that deem girls unworthy of an education.

That's why yesterday, along with Girl Rising, we announced a new education campaign called 62 Million Girls -- and we need you to join right now:

Share a photo of yourself on Twitter or Instagram, and tell the world what you learned in school using #62MillionGirls.

Those photos will be posted to Girl Rising's yearbook at 62MillionGirls.com, and you'll help us raise awareness about all the girls who aren’t in school and show the power of education to transform their lives.

This is a serious moral crisis -- and it's also an urgent economic issue: Girls who go to school earn higher salaries, and sending more girls to school can even help boost a country's entire economy. Girls' education is a health issue as well, because studies show that educated girls raise healthier families and have lower rates of HIV and maternal mortality.

That's why earlier this year, the President and I launched an initiative called Let Girls Learn. Working with the Peace Corps, businesses and organizations, and countries across the globe, we're helping adolescent girls worldwide go to school. Now, the 62 Million Girls campaign is working to raise awareness for this cause and for these girls.

As I've traveled the world, I have met so many of these girls -- and they are so bright, so determined and so eager to learn.

I see myself in these girls. I see my daughters in these girls. These girls are our girls, and I simply cannot walk away from them.

So I'm looking forward to seeing what you learned in school to help us make sure 62 million girls get that chance.

Thanks.

First Lady Michelle Obama

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