Readout of First Lady Melania Trump's Visit to Excel Academy Public Charter School with Queen Rania of Jordan

After a brief visit to the oval office with their husbands, First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah enjoyed lunch in the residence and discussed their varying roles within their governments, and some of the challenges facing their nations.

Upon conclusion of lunch, the ladies visited Excel Academy Public Charter School, Washington DC's first public charter school for girls, serving grades Pre-K to 8th. At the school, the First Lady, Queen Rania, and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos participated in a listening session with teachers, parents, and students. The group discussed the schools demographics and mission, as well as teaching life skills and community engagement. After the listening session, the women took a tour of the school and visited with the students in two active classrooms - 8th grade art and 5th grade science.

"I was pleased to welcome and host Queen Rania Al-Abdullah to the White House today, and was excited to participate in the listening session and tour of Excel Academy Public Charter School with the Queen and Secretary DeVos," stated Mrs. Trump. "Education is critical to our efforts to shine a light on the topic of gender equality and empowerment of women. Excel Academy is an exceptional example of a school preparing young women both academically and personally so that they may succeed in a global community. Hearing directly from teachers and the students who attend the school was an important step in the dialogue needed to further my agenda as First Lady of the United States."

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Excel Academy Public Charter School is Washington D.C.'s first public charter school for girls, with scholars enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten to the 8th grade. Today, the school has 672 girls enrolled in their programs. The mission is to provide girls a solid academic foundation and enrichment opportunities to prepare them to success in high school and college and to develop the skills and confidence they need to make healthy, positive lifestyle choices.