First Lady Melania Trump and Her Majesty Queen Camilla hosted American students at the White House on Monday for a virtual reality tour of British landmarks.
Some of the students who participated in the event are current state champions in the Presidential AI Challenge. The Challenge, established by an executive order in 2025, invites youths from grades K-12, educators, and mentors to “come together to solve real-world problems in their communities using AI-powered solutions,” according to the Challenge guidebook.
Monday’s event highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and virtual reality in education as part of the First Lady’s Fostering the Future Together initiative, according to a White House press release.
“Today, students all over the world can visit historically important sites, learn about the past, and be inspired,” the First Lady said. “Our children don’t need to board airplanes to experience history anymore. Kids can have an educational experience that is fundamentally richer and more memorable than ever before, through VR and AI.”
Students donned Meta Quest headsets decorated with the Fostering the Future Together logo along with U.S. and U.K. flags. The group then immersed itself in 360-degree views of Snowdonia, Giant’s Causeway, Stonehenge, and the exterior of Buckingham Palace, gaining insight into British geography and culture.
The First Lady showcased historical artifacts to Her Majesty and the students using Meta’s artificial intelligence glasses. The items, drawn from the White House Collection and National Archives and Records Administration, illustrated shared connections between the U.S. and the U.K.
Highlights included a portrait of President John Adams, the first U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom; a World War II situation map used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt; a bronze bust of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; Staffordshire ceramics from early transatlantic trade; and gifts from past state visits.
The First Lady and Her Majesty engaged directly with the students throughout, fielding questions on history and technology. The program unfolded at the White House Tennis Pavilion, a 2020 design project.
The gathering advances Fostering the Future Together, a Be Best effort to equip children worldwide through technology and education.
