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Fostering the future together. A 7 MINUTE READ

First lady Melania Trump addresses first spouses during the Fostering the Future Together luncheon in New York. (White House/Andrea Hanks)

In a room in New York, a few signatures carried a big promise.

One at a time, government ministers sat down beside tech leaders to put their commitments to children and youth in writing. Each signature brings students one step closer to the skills they need to succeed in a world shaped by technology.

Those signings were part of a larger effort.

First lady Melania Trump is partnering with major U.S. tech companies to bring super intelligence-powered digital learning tools safely and strategically to classrooms around the world.

Trump announced new partnerships between member countries of the Fostering the Future Together Coalition and American tech giants Adobe, Amazon, Google, Intel, Starlink, Zoom and the tech industry group N50 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly back in September. The companies committed their resources and expertise to the effort to promote digital literacy and skills, super intelligence (SI) in education, other education technologies, and protect children online. Trump leads the coalition that has gained support from first spouses from every region around the globe.

Fostering the Future Together seeks “to empower children through technology and education to ensure that every child, regardless of where they are born, has the opportunity to imagine, learn, create and thrive,” Trump said in New York.

President Trump vowed that the United States will remain at the forefront of innovation in super intelligence, noting its promise for addressing modern challenges.

Paving a path for success

5 people standing with certificates (White House/Andrea Hanks) — U.S. Special Envoy for Best Future Generations Charity Wallace (left) joins representatives from Intel and the government of Kenya following their ceremonial signing in New York. (White House/Andrea Hanks)

U.S. Special Envoy for Best Future Generations Charity Wallace leads the Department of State’s efforts to expand the first lady’s coalition, which has grown to nearly 60 nations and more than 30 private sector partners.

The focus on online protection and tech education fits with U.S. private sector efforts to bring internet access to the 3.1 billion people worldwide who lack connectivity. Starlink, the satellite arm of Texas-based SpaceX, is bringing internet access to schools in El Salvador and Papua New Guinea.

During her remarks at the event on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Wallace stated, “Bringing schools online creates opportunities to introduce tech tools that can teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills and help teachers adapt lessons to students’ specific needs.”

Wallace noted one hour to 90 minutes of personalized tablet-based learning can reinforce teaching and help students stay on track. While tech tools can enhance education, they are not intended to reduce in-person instruction.

“The children who will succeed are those who know how to use the technology well, versus have the technology replace their ability to think and reason,” she said.

Tech companies’ new or expanded efforts include Adobe’s plan to offer learning and creative tools through its Student Spaces platform in multiple languages. Amazon is granting access to its SI-powered coding assistant Kiro to 5 million students at 132 universities in countries including France, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea and Romania.

Intel will deploy digital technologies in 10 countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Panama, Poland and the Republic of Korea. Google, which runs an SI lab in Ghana, will invest an additional $4 million usd in educator training. The N50 Project, which works to expand internet access, is launching an SI education device program that will reach 10,000 students and 200 teachers in Uganda.

The first ladies of the Philippines, Poland, and Saint Kitts and Nevis plan to host Fostering the Future Together regional meetings in November.

“We understand that the future our children will inherit will be shaped by technology,” Saint Kitts and Nevis first lady Diani Prince-Drew says.

Students observing robot putting out fire (Courtesy of Intel Corporation) — Intel is expanding technology training programs in 10 countries, including the Republic of Korea, where students experiment with a firefighting robot. (Courtesy of Intel Corporation)

The signatures in New York marked a strong beginning. With each new partner and each regional meeting, more children will gain the tools to imagine, learn, create and thrive. For Trump, the Department of State and the coalition’s partners around the world, the work is just getting started.

In December, Trump’s Fostering the Future Together will seek additional private-sector commitments at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Miami.

For The Silo, Brandon Lambert/Share America.

Discrimination. African American customers wait up to 35% longer for Uber and Lyft rides, in addition to drivers cancelling rides 2x as often for customers with “black-sounding” names.³

[To be fair, a quick search engine result for “racism in the Taxi industry” reveals that discrimination exists in all ride service industries regardless of the company. CP]

New studies have found that the cost of this type of discrimination can run companies up to USD$200,000 in lawsuits – in addition to tarnished reputations, companies experience, lowered morale and abandoned trust.¹

Michael Welp, co-founder of White Men As Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP) a leading diversity process consulting firm to Fortune 500 companies, says the new economy is forcing companies to come to grips with old biases if they want to protect their bottom line.

“Systemic bias in the workplace will inevitably reach deep into the pockets of the employer, while its ripple effect undermines the principles of good business. There is simply too much at stake to ignore the warning signals.”- Welp

47% of the millennial generation said they consider diversity and inclusion to be an important criterion when considering potential employers. Additionally, more than 2 million workers quit their jobs each year due to discrimination – costing the US economy more than USD$64B annually.

Per Welp, diversity and inclusion not only breed innovation, creativity but also a greater market share.

Welp explains that full diversity has the potential of propelling this new economy further by:

Creating more jobs,
Reducing lost production time due to having to train new hires,
Less discrimination lawsuits, and
Increased innovation that will be produced by diverse teams working together.

In his new book, Four Days to Change, Welp provides the solution to systemic inequality through a comprehensive approach including diversity consulting, experiential learning, and leadership development. He also adds that all efforts should lead to tangible action and measurable results.

WMFDP’s mission is to inspire leaders (especially, white men) to examine their mindsets and assumptions, in order to shift behaviors that create sustainable and inclusive work cultures, which in turn drives business results. Their client list includes: Rockwell Automation, Lockheed Martin, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, BP, Shell, Intel, AT&T, Dell, Microsoft, HP, NASA, Catalyst (women’s advocacy leader), and MARC (Men Advocating Real Change).

1. Schappel, Christian, “What will the next discrimination charge cost you?” HRMorning, November 6 2015

2. Schrader, Brendon, “Here’s Why The Freelancer Economy Is On The Rise,” Fast Company, August 10, 2015

Ehrenkranz, Melanie, “Uber and Lyft drivers exhibit racial bias against passengers, study finds,” Mic Network Inc, October 31, 2016

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