First Spouses Meet with Second Lady, Convene at 2026 NGA Winter Meeting

First Spouses routinely convene at the annual NGA Winter Meeting to meet with philanthropic and government leaders and to elevate the initiatives they are leading in their states and territories. At the 2026 NGA Winter Meeting, First Spouses held meetings with Second Lady Usha Vance, the Special Olympics, Hope Awareness Training and the University of Oklahoma.

Education, Cell Phone Discussion with the Second Lady

First Spouses welcomed Second Lady Usha Vance to the 2026 NGA Winter Meeting. The Second Lady delivered remarks to the First Spouses, sharing information about her work to raise awareness about the importance of childhood literacy and phone-free schools. Ms. Vance asked the nation's First Spouses to invite children in their states and territories to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge initiative she launched in 2025 to encourage American children to read during the summer months. Children can participate in the challenge and receive prizes, including possible national recognition, for completing the challenge to read 12 or more books during the summer months.

The Second Lady also encouraged First Spouses to participate in nationwide efforts to keep schools cellphone free, noting that efforts to keep cellphones out of classrooms - much like efforts to improve childhood literacy - are nonpartisan and have broad support across the country. Ms. Vance invited states and territories to join in efforts to remove cell phones from classrooms by participating in the Phones in Focus survey.

Phones in Focus is a national research study led by University of Pennsylvania Professor Angela Duckworth and others to examine how school cellphone policies are implemented and how they impact student attention, achievement, attendance and more. Last year, Dr. Duckworth joined nearly 40 Governors' education policy advisors at NGA's annual Governors' Education Policy Advisors Institute to dig into school cellphone policies and their impact on student success. The NGA event focused on ways Governors have been implementing cell phone restriction policies in schools as a strategy to improve student achievement and well-being.

Special Olympics

During the Winter Meeting, Special Olympics chairman of the board Dr. Tim Shriver welcomed First Spouses to The Special Olympics headquarters in Washington, D.C. Dr. Shriver invited First Spouses to attend the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota, stressing the upcoming games will unite athletes, coaches, volunteers and fans from across the country while showcasing the organization's mission to "create a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability."

During the meeting, two athletes shared their stories about the positive impact the Special Olympics has had on their lives and broader communities, helping foster friendships, inclusion and personal empowerment. Dr. Shriver noted First Spouses' ability to raise awareness and convene people in their states and territories stands as an ideal platform to help highlight athletes' stories and increase awareness about the Special Olympics, including the 2026 Games.

Science of Hope

Oklahoma First Lady Sarah Stitt, who currently leads NGA's program for First Spouses, held a session titled "Hope in Action - Using the Science of Hope to Strengthen Your Initiatives." Because First Spouses lead high-impact initiatives that address some of the most pressing challenges facing children, families and communities, the session was designed to introduce practical ways to apply Hope Awareness Training to the priorities First Spouses are already advancing in their states and territories.

During the session, Brett Hayes, Director of Hope Awareness Training, and Dr. Angela Pharris of the Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma presented an overview of Hope Awareness Training and the Hope Framework - a public health approach to preventing child abuse with a broader understanding of how children grow to become strong, healthy and resilient adults. The presenters focused on ways First Spouses can adopt hope-centered strategies to strengthen program design, build stakeholder engagement and increase the likelihood that the effective work of their initiatives continues over time.

The Hope Framework stems from a growing body of research from the Science of Hope that demonstrates that initiatives grounded in clear goals, actionable pathways and sustained motivation are more likely to achieve meaningful and lasting outcomes. The presenters stressed that adopting the research-informed Hope framework can help First Spouses' initiatives not only succeed in the present but continue to benefit communities in the years ahead.

The session served as an extension of First Lady Stitt's ongoing efforts to raise hope among all communities, particularly the most vulnerable. As part of her work, Mrs. Stitt co-founded Hope Rising USA as an initiative to empower people, families and communities to better their lives through the Science of Hope.

NGA's Program for First Spouses

Over the years, the role of First Spouse has evolved considerably, with the spouses and partners of Governors often using their platforms to create and implement initiatives that champion causes that closely impact the residents of their states and territories. Each First Spouse has latitude to shape the role, and First Spouses often lead efforts to manage their state's official Governor's Residence, participate in ceremonial occasions and serve as ambassadors for their home state. In support of their work NGA maintains a program for the spouses and partners of the nation's Governors, learn more here.