Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the Military Child Education Coalition Global Summit

Washington, D.C.

Thank you, Admiral Haney. Wow, I’m so excited to be back here at the MCEC Global Summit—in person! 

As you know, I’m a professor of English and Writing, and I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling. Paintings and poetry, sculpture and dance—art and the stories it tells connect us to the world and each other. It helps us raise our voice and name the beautiful and complicated things we find inside ourselves.  

That’s why in April, for Month of the Military Child, I was proud to fill the East Wing of the White House with artwork made by military children. Thanks to MCEC and Kids Rank, distinguished guests, staff, and members of the public who visited saw a window into what it means to be a military kid.   

In the collection, students showed some of the hardest parts of this life: Leaving behind friends and starting over, finding a sport where you thrive, or getting cast in the school play, only to find your next school doesn’t have the program you love, going to bed and wondering if your mom or dad is okay, somewhere on the other side of the world.  

One girl named Kylee—the daughter of a Marine stationed in Japan—wrote a poem that began: “My military suitcase is filled with sadness. Every time I move, I have to leave more and more friends and leave my family.”  

But the artwork showed the parts of this life that bring them joy, as well—the pride of service and the promise of new opportunities. In her poem, Kylee also wrote: “My military suitcase is also filled with happiness, because I get to meet new friends. My favorite part about moving is seeing all the beautiful sights.” 

What she wrote was truly beautiful, and it reflected what I’ve seen as I’ve traveled across this country. The joy and the sadness. The gifts that you all receive from being a military child.  

The experiences of military kids—your experiences, your children’s experiences, your students’ experiences—are unique. Not everyone understands what it’s like. And now that our troops are not at war, people may not realize that the military community still faces challenges.  

Through Joining Forces, we’re committed to supporting military families, whether it’s ensuring that they have the childcare they need, working to break down the challenges that children with disabilities face when they move from school to school, or bringing together our entire Administration to better serve this community.  

But we can’t do it alone.  

MCEC is a tireless leader in the effort to help give our brave, resilient, and dynamic military kids the resources they need to thrive. And I’m deeply grateful for this partnership. 

In fact, one of my very first events at the White House was to listen and learn from high schoolers in MCEC’s Student to Student program.  

Even when wars end, military service continues. We can show the honor, dignity, and sacrifice of that truth by lifting up the stories of military children.  

That’s why I am committed to finding more ways to tell the stories of military children through the arts that we showcase at the White House.  They will be woven into the fabric of our Administration, just as your service is to our national security.  

And I want to call on all of our educators to do the same: Help us tell these stories. Remind your colleagues that military students need as much support now as they ever have.   

Because it’s up to all of us to keep the promise we make to those who stand between our nation and danger: that we will care for them and their families while they serve and when their service is finished.  

Tonight, you’ll hear from several amazing artists who are a part of MCEC’s “Call for the Arts”—a program that has run for 20 years. I know that you’ll be inspired by the honesty and courage that shines from their work.  

Now, I’m pleased to introduce one of those artists, Quinn LeCraw. 

Quinn has lived in four states and attended three schools while her family serves in the Air Force. During a tough deployment, Quinn and her mom found comfort in the art of dance. 

They decided to honor her dad by choreographing a piece to the song, “Soldier’s Light,” by Rylee Preston. It took two months to create the dance that became their surprise gift when Quinn’s dad came home. And today, she’s graciously offered to share that gift with us as well.  

Please welcome, Quinn LeCraw.

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