First Lady Launches Global Coalition for Children, ‘Fostering the Future Together’

The new campaign will offer science and technology scholarships for foster youth worldwide.

First lady Melania Trump attends an event unveiling a U.S. Postal Service Stamp honoring former First Lady Barbara Bush, on May 8, 2025, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin / AP

First Lady Melania Trump announced a new campaign to support the world’s youth during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 23.

“The moment is now,” Trump said. “We need to empower children to achieve new heights across our planet.”

Her “Fostering the Future Together” program will offer scholarships to children in foster care systems. The campaign is a hallmark of the Be Best initiative she established during her first term as first lady advocating for “improving the lives and well-being of children.”

Fewer than half of students in foster care finish high school, and between 3 percent and 4 percent earn a college degree, according to data from the National Foster Youth Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on creating opportunities for foster youth.

The group’s data reveal that approximately half of those in foster care will have meaningful employment by the time they’re 24, but about 20 percent will end up homeless.

Participants who take advantage of the new program will study science and technology and learn workforce development skills, according to a statement from the first lady’s office.

Playing and learning are important elements of childhood that promote inspiration and innovation, she told the audience in a packed room at a midtown hotel, which included Queen Rania of Jordan.

“As children, we all played marbles, flew paper airplanes, and ran with a thin string in our hand, watching our kites slip off,” Trump said. “Great minds have turned marbles into microchips, paper airplanes into drones, and kites into satellites.”

The new program will benefit partner nations by improving access to information and opportunities, while ensuring safety for all who participate, she said.

“We must safeguard healthy environments for our children, protect their personal freedom, their confidence, and motivation,” she said.

The fast pace of technological advancement presents both opportunities and challenges that deserve attention to help protect children, Trump said.

An inaugural gathering is scheduled for the first months of 2026.

Attendees were entertained by a U.S. Army string ensemble and a guitar and violin duo from the U.S. Marine Band.

Earlier in the day, the first lady accompanied her husband, President Donald Trump, to the United Nations, where he delivered a nearly hour-long address.

People interested in receiving assistance can email the campaign now, her office said. Educational institutions that want to participate and prospective corporate and personal donors are also invited to reach out and support the mission.