On September 24, 2025, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US First Lady Melania Trump announced a new initiative aimed at supporting global youth – providing scholarships in the field of science and technology for foster children around the world.
Melania stated, “The time is now. We need to empower our children to climb new heights on our planet.”
Her initiative “Fostering the Future Together” is a global children’s alliance designed to provide scholarships to children in foster care systems worldwide. This initiative is a significant extension of her “Be Best” initiative launched during her first term as First Lady, which focuses on “improving the lives and well-being of children”.
According to data from the National Foster Youth Institute, a non-profit organization in Washington dedicated to creating opportunities for foster youth, less than half of students in the foster care system complete high school, and only 3% to 4% obtain a college degree. Approximately half of foster youth find meaningful employment by the age of 24, but around 20% end up homeless.
The mission of the alliance is to “ensure every child thrives in the digital age”. Participants in this new program will learn scientific and technological knowledge including artificial intelligence, robotics, and blockchain, while developing workplace skills.
Speaking at a crowded venue in Midtown Manhattan, Melania expressed that play and learning are essential elements of childhood that spark inspiration and innovation. Guests at the event included Queen Rania of Jordan, among others.
Melania said, “As children, we’ve all played with marbles, folded paper airplanes, and ran holding strings watching kites fly away.”
“Great minds have turned marbles into microchips, paper airplanes into drones, and kites into satellites.”
She emphasized that this new initiative will improve access to information and opportunities for participating countries while ensuring the safety of all involved.
“We must safeguard a healthy environment for our children’s growth, protecting their personal freedoms, confidence, and drive.”
Melania stated that as technology advances rapidly, it presents opportunities as well as challenges, deserving our attention to safeguard the well-being of children.
She stressed the positive benefits technology brings, saying “Innovation is wonderful. Our nations benefit from technological advancements – saving lives, expanding knowledge accessibility, fostering interpersonal connections, and of course, enhancing security.”
At the same time, she highlighted the necessity to find “simple solutions” to protect children’s creativity and safety as technology advances faster than related legislation.
According to a White House statement, members of the “Fostering the Future Together” alliance will consist of spouses of heads of state or equivalent representatives from various countries. The initiative will be implemented at the local level by members in their respective countries.
The inaugural meeting is scheduled to be held at the White House in the first quarter of 2026, hosted by Melania.
“Please remember, our next generation will use technology to fundamentally change our way of life, travel, design concepts, and ways of connecting with others,” Melania said.