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Trump Administration Ends Michelle Obama's Girls' Education Program

AP
May 1, 2017

The Trump administration is ending an education program for girls spearheaded by former First Lady Michelle Obama.

The "Let Girls Learn" program, started in 2015 by the Obama administration and meant to facilitate educational opportunities for young girls in developing countries, will immediately cease its operations, according to a document CNN obtained on Monday.

While aspects of the initiative's programming will continue, employees have been told to stop using the "Let Girls Learn" name and were told that, as a program unto itself, "Let Girls Learn" was ending.

"Moving forward, we will not continue to use the 'Let Girls Learn' brand or maintain a stand-alone program," read an email sent to Peace Corps employees this week by the agency's acting director Sheila Crowley.

'Let Girls Learn' provided a platform to showcase Peace Corps' strength in community development, shining a bright light on the work of our Volunteers all over the world," Crowley wrote. "We are so proud of what 'Let Girls Learn' accomplished and we have all of you to thank for this success."

According to the report, "Let Girls Learn" was primarily run by the Peace Corps and U.S. Agency for International Development.

Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama's chief of staff while she was first lady, said it was "unfortunate" to see the end of the branded campaign. The White House referred questioning to First Lady Melania Trump's representatives, who declined to comment.