2015 in Review: The White House’s Year in GIFs

2015 is almost over, so we’re taking a look a back at our year on Tumblr.

This year, the White House Tumblr reached more than 269,000 followers. We took questions from the public on how we’re working to #ActOnClimate, and on banning conversion therapy for minors. We even launched a new Tumblr dedicated to the letters President Obama receives from across the country every day.

We use Tumblr because we’re always looking for new ways to engage with the American people, and one of the best — and most fun — ways we’ve found to engage on Tumblr is through making GIFs.

So without further ado, here are our top 10 GIF moments on the White House Tumblr this year:

1. When President Obama announced his plan to make community college free for everybody who’s willing to work for it:

Keep reading

2015 in Review: The White House’s Year in Letters

letterstopresidentobama:

Every day the Office of Presidential Correspondence receives thousands of letters, and every night the President personally reads 10 of them.
By letter and by email, Americans write in about the issues that affect them and their families. It’s one of the ways the President can hear directly from Americans about their lives, and it’s one of the ways that the stories and the voices of Americans across the country directly inform policy-making by the President and the White House.
That’s why, in August, the White House launched a new Tumblr account called “Letters to President Obama” to highlight letters that Americans have written to the President and to tell the stories of Americans across the country — and people around the world.
From the letters we’ve posted on Tumblr since August, here — in no particular order — are 10 of our favorite letters to President Obama:
1. Natoma helped launch the “Letters to President Obama” Tumblr:
Keep reading

Check out our 2015 year in photos where you’ll find powerful moments from the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery, the White House lit up to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling that gay and lesbian couples can marry, and of course, President Obama with babies.

“My approach to my Instagram feed continues to be all square photos are taken with an iPhone, and full-frame horizontals and verticals are taken with a DSLR (usually a Canon 5DMark3, but I’ve also posted some from Sony, Nikon and Leica cameras). Many followers have also asked if I post the photographs and captions myself. Yes, I do — and I try to read as many of your comments as I can and answer your questions.” —Pete Souza in his “Behind The Lens: My Year on Instagram 2015.” See more at go.wh.gov/BehindTheLens

From behind-the-scenes photos on Air Force One to Bo and Sunny close-ups, check out Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza’s 2015 Year on Instagram.

“For all the very real progress America has made over the past seven years, we still have some unfinished business. And I plan on doing everything I can with every minute of every day that I have left as President to deliver on behalf of the American people. Since taking this office, I’ve never been more optimistic about a year ahead than I am right now. And in 2016, I’m going to leave it out all on the field.” —President Obama

President Obama gets a hand from kids at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

2014 in digital firsts: Find out how a “We the People” petition on cell phone unlocking became the first petition to lead to a legislative fix.

1. When President Obama announced his plan to make community college free for everybody who’s willing to work for it:

1. Natoma helped launch the “Letters to President Obama” Tumblr:

The Official White House Tumblr

Twitter