Readout from First Lady Melania Trump's Visit to Dove School of Discovery in Tulsa, Oklahoma

First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma this morning for the first stop on a two-day, three-state swing promoting her Be Best initiative. Upon arrival, Mrs. Trump was greeted by the First Lady of Oklahoma, Sarah Stitt; Congressman Kevin Hern and his wife, Tammy Hern; and the Mayor of Tulsa, G. T. Bynum.

While in Oklahoma, Mrs. Trump visited the Dove School of Discovery Elementary School, the recipient of the 2018 National School of Character Award. The school is one of five public charter schools that aim to provide Disciplined Organized Vigorous Education to students from pre-k through 12^th grade. The curriculum incorporates character development in every class. In addition, the school also works to integrate parents into the curriculum with their "Parents Academy" workshops, which help to give parents a better understanding of what their children are learning on a day-to-day basis. One pillar of Mrs. Trump's Be Best initiative focuses on the well-being of children, a value also emphasized by this school through its emphasis on kindness, character, strong values, and positivity.

While at the Dove School of Discovery, Mrs. Trump visited three different classrooms. In one of the pre-k classrooms, the First Lady participated in an activity with the children that encouraged the young students to think about ways that they can show kindness in their own lives.

Mrs. Trump also stopped in on a sixth grade science class. The class had been broken into teams and Mrs. Trump went around to each one engaging with them and observing how each of the teams communicated and worked together – a major emphasis within the Dove curriculum.

The third and final visit was to a second grade language arts class, where students were studying powerful historical examples from African American history in order to draw lessons on how to overcome obstacles in their own life.

"I cannot emphasize further the importance of character-based education for our children," stated First Lady Melania Trump. "Dove schools embody kindness, respect, positive interactions, and strong character through the curriculum that they teach every day. They are sculpting our next generation by creating a foundation of youth with strong character. I know they will go on to do great things."