Body
Melania Trump used opening remarks at a two-day summit in Washington to call for international cooperation aimed at expanding children’s access to education and technology. She delivered the message as she addressed a gathering that included counterparts from more than 40 countries.
Trump’s remarks came as she highlighted her “Fostering the Future Together” initiative, which she announced last year. She said, “As people we dream. As leaders we progress. As nations we will build,” and then urged, “Beginning today, let’s accelerate our new global alliance, this bond, to positively impact the progress of our children.”
She called on participants to host regional meetings, conduct research studies, begin new partnerships and collaborate with other member countries. Trump said the effort would focus on “cultivat[ing] the skills young people need to be successful” as technology and education evolve.
In describing how she expects the initiative’s goal of empowering children to be carried out, Trump said it would be pursued through innovative programs, advocacy for supportive education policies, sponsoring tech-focused legislation and building public-private partnerships. She also told attendees that the meeting room contained what she called “extraordinary human capital,” urging leaders to put it to work to “elevate your children, to empower your people and to accelerate your economies.”
Trump left the summit after her remarks, and a spokesperson, Nick Clemens, said she looked forward to hosting the group for a roundtable at the White House on Wednesday. Attendees included officials’ spouses from countries across multiple regions, including Olena Zelenska, the spouse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the report of the meeting, participants also included technology companies such as Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. The gathering included a lunch closed to press coverage, and a working session featured panelists presenting what their countries were doing in four areas: AI in education, education technology tools, digital literacy and online safety.
During the panel on artificial intelligence in education, Zelenska said, “education is no longer one size fits all,” and described Ukraine’s efforts to integrate AI throughout the country, including in education. On the panel focused on online protection and safety, Netanyahu said children cannot navigate the digital world on their own and that “They need protection,” according to the report.
Trump previously announced the “Fostering the Future Together” initiative during the U.N. General Assembly session last fall. The report said she declared the mission of the global coalition of nations is “to ensure that every child can flourish in the digital era,” and she has also worked on efforts to reunite children with their families after separation linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.