Melania Trump on Tuesday opened an inaugural two-day summit in Washington focused on children, education and technology, calling on nations to work together to expand young people’s access to both learning and digital tools. Speaking in a State Department auditorium, the first lady used the event to pitch her “Fostering the Future Together” initiative and a “new global alliance,” framed as a way to help children and build skills for a rapidly evolving world.
Trump told the group, “As people we dream. As leaders we progress. As nations we will build,” as she began her remarks. She then said, “Beginning today, let’s accelerate our new global alliance, this bond, to positively impact the progress of our children,” describing the effort as a coalition of participating countries.
The first lady said she wanted nations to set the work in motion through regional meetings, research studies, new partnerships and additional collaboration among member countries. She said the goal of empowering children would be reached by creating innovative programs, advocating for supportive education policies, sponsoring technology-focused legislation, and building public-private partnerships.
Trump also addressed the leaders seated around a large U-shaped table in the auditorium, describing them as “extraordinary human capital.” She urged them to “harness it to elevate your children, to empower your people and to accelerate your economies,” framing the summit as a practical step toward translating commitments into action.
After opening the summit, Trump left, and a spokesperson, Nick Clemens, said she looked forward to hosting the group for a roundtable at the White House on Wednesday. The summit drew participants from countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Technology companies including Microsoft, Google and OpenAI also took part, with the companies meeting with attendees during a lunch that was closed to press coverage. The working session featured panelists making presentations about what their countries are doing in four areas: AI in education, education technology tools, digital literacy and online safety.
Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spoke during the artificial intelligence session and said, “education is no longer one size fits all.” She said Ukraine is working to integrate AI throughout the country, including in education.
Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke during the panel on online protection and safety and said children cannot navigate the digital world on their own, adding, “They need protection.” The remarks were delivered as part of the summit’s focus on online safety and digital literacy for young people.
Trump’s Fostering the Future Together initiative was announced last fall during the U.N. General Assembly, with the coalition’s mission described as “to ensure that every child can flourish in the digital era.” The first lady also said she has been working to help reunite children with their families after they were separated because of Russia’s war against Ukraine.