Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 13, 2026 (SKNIS): The first-ever Fostering the Future: The Caribbean Summit opened, today (Friday, November 13, 2026) in Saint Kitts and Nevis, marking a historic moment as it brings together leaders of governments, heads of industries, educators, civil society representatives from across the region, as well as local students, to develop a collaborative approach to empower children and young people for the digital age.
The Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition is an initiative by the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump. The coalition is in nearly 60 industries and has over 30 private sector partners including Amazon, Adobe, Google, Intel, Starlink and Zoom. In March 2026, Mrs. Diani Prince-Drew, the First Lady of Saint Kitts and Nevis, participated in the Global Summit in the United States and seized the opportunity to host the Caribbean Summit.
At today’s opening ceremony at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, First Lady Trump congratulated First Lady Prince-Drew for her leadership in this critically important area.
“With Fostering the Future Together, the Caribbean can show the world how Super (Artificial) Intelligence and education can support our next generation to lead on the global stage,” Mrs. Trump said via video.
The Honourable Charity Wallace, United States Special Envoy for Best Future Generations, is in Saint Kitts to participate in the one-day Caribbean Summit.
“We are looking forward to today’s conversation, the panels, the interventions, and to keep our focus on where it belongs, on the young people that this work is meant to serve, and many of them are in the room today,” Ms. Wallace stated. “The children of the Caribbean are not just the future of the region. They are already shaping it with their curiosity, their creativity and their courage. Their participation in today's event proves that.”
First Lady Prince-Drew shared efforts in Saint Kitts and Nevis to transform the learning environment, which includes the landmark One-to-One Laptop initiative, which provides primary and secondary school students to jump start digital learning in and outside of the classroom.
“Small states can be centres of innovation, nurture globally competitive talent, and can make meaningful contributions towards shaping the digital future,” said Mrs. Prince-Drew.
She added that a major challenge faced by smaller countries, particularly in the Caribbean, is having an “opportunity” but today’s summit is a step in the right direction.
“Digital transformation gives us a chance to do that. A child in a village on a hillside on any one of our islands can now reach the world, learn from it, build for it, and compete in it. But that will happen only if we meet this moment with vision, responsibility, and with commitment,” the First Lady added.
She challenged delegates and partners at the summit to be bold in their thinking, practical in their pledges and resolve in the determination to place children at the centre of every decision made.
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