First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future initiative will expand its national network through a $2 million donation from INDYCAR and Fox Corporation to fund scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University.

The First Lady drew attention to America’s next generation during today’s Rose Garden ceremony, two days before the start of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., the NTT INDYCAR SERIES event Aug. 22-23 that is the first motor race held on the streets of the nation’s capital.

“America's greatest competitive advantage remains in its own people,” Melania Trump said. “Tomorrow’s leaders are sitting in classrooms today, including those growing up in foster care. Their capability is no less remarkable.”

First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future, a BE BEST initiative, has expanded opportunities for young people in foster care by advancing access to higher education, financial independence, stable housing and other critical resources that support a successful transition to adulthood. Melania Trump is building a comprehensive pathway to long-term independence for America’s foster youth through scholarships, landmark legislation, an executive order, housing assistance, and the nation’s first savings and investment accounts.

“At FOX, we believe in the transformative power of sports to lift up communities and create real opportunity, especially through expanded educational access,” FOX Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks said. “We are proud to partner with the Fostering the Future initiative to fund scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University, giving extraordinary students the tools to build bright futures.”

The expansion brings the First Lady’s Fostering the Future network to 26 academic institutions nationwide, joining leading universities such as the Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, University of Georgia, University of Texas, Louisiana State University, University of Alabama and University of Florida to create new pathways to higher education for individuals from the foster care community.

Today’s accomplishment will be prominently featured during the historic Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., weekend, which will air on FOX and FOX One. An INDYCAR SERIES race car featuring BE BEST and Fostering the Future branding was displayed in the White House Rose Garden during the announcement and will carry the partnership’s message into race weekend.

This innovative marketing initiative also aims to raise awareness and support for America’s foster care community. Every race car in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will feature a specially designed BE BEST logo, ensuring that the winner crosses the finish line in support of this vital initiative. Sunday’s Race Day will feature the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing on a first-of-its-kind course wrapping around the National Mall with breathtaking views of several iconic landmarks and the Fostering the Future logo prominently displayed on the track on the overpass at 7th Street and Jefferson Drive.

“The First Lady is an incredible champion for students across the county, and this initiative is critical to unlocking a more promising future for so many bright young minds,” INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said.

Said the First Lady, “Fostering the Future elevates America's youth based on merit and talent, lifting them beyond economic circumstance and every other condition that may limit opportunity.”