Shakira Appointed to Presidential Education Advisory Council

International superstar Shakira has done a great deal of work over the years in support of childhood education, and now the Colombian singer has been named to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

Shakira was one of four individuals named to the council. President Obama said in a statement, "I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to dedicate their talents to serving the American people at this important time for our country. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”

Shakira was at Obama's inauguration in 2009 and met with him at the White House in 2010 to discuss early childhood development. The White House statement praised Shakira's work with the World Bank, the Barefoot Foundation and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

Shakira released her own statement, in which she wrote, "As the Latino population grows, the U.S. economy becomes more and more dependent on its success. There is no doubt that the future of the United States is inextricably tied to the future of the Latino community here and the education of its youth. The more we invest in strategies that nurture the bodies and minds of young Latino children the more we'll guarantee economic prosperity for this great country in the years to come."

Shakira's philanthropic efforts were rewarded in a different way last month when she was named the 2011 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.