USAID says that Michelle Obama program has not been changed
The White House's "Let Girls Learn" program, an initiative spearheaded by former first lady Michelle Obama, will continue, according to the Trump administration, CBS News' Kylie Atwood reports.
"There have been no changes to the Let Girls Learn program," a USAID official told Atwood. "The Administration supports policies and programs to empower adolescent girls, including efforts to educate them through the completion of secondary school."
On Monday, CNN reported that the program had been discontinued by the Trump administration, citing the distribution of an internal memo.
According to the documents obtained by CNN, the former first lady's program, which provides girls in developing countries with educational opportunities, was to cease operations immediately.
"Moving forward, we will not continue to use the 'Let Girls Learn' brand or maintain a stand-alone program," read an email sent by the program's acting director, Sheila Crowley, according to CNN.
The education program for adolescent girls was started in March 2015 and addresses obstacles in international girls' education. Although primarily run by the Peace Corps and the USAID, the program partnered with four other government agencies in addition to relying on private funding to provide resources and programming for global girls' learning.
According to the its website, the program "combines the necessary political will, diplomacy, grassroots organizing, and development expertise to create lasting change."
"We want this to spur and inspire you to not take your education for granted," Mrs. Obama said in September after the initial launch of the program.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story cited a report saying that the "Let Girls Learn" program had been discontinued.
