Michelle Obama & Prince Harry Surprise-Visited South Side High Schoolers Ahead Of Global Summit

By Stephen Gossett in News on Nov 1, 2017 6:59PM

Twitter / Kensington Palace

With the likes of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Common and (of course) the former First Couple themselves, the Obama Foundation's inaugural global summit isn't wanting for star power. But all that celebrity wattage is there for a more grounded mission: to activate young leaders and nurture civic engagement. So it follows that former First Lady Michelle Obama and Prince Harry of Wales carved out some time before the big event on Tuesday to give some South Side high schoolers the surprise of their young lives.

Michelle Obama and Prince Harry spoke with about twenty students at the Hyde Park Academy.

Caroline Adler Morales, communications director for Michelle Obama said of the pop-in-to-remember:

“The warm and wide-ranging conversation, lasting over an hour, covered how the Obama Presidential Center will showcase the South Side of Chicago for a global audience, the importance of young people staying inspired and hopeful, and the transformative power of students using their voices to change the world."

The former First Lady sent out a thank-you tweet to the "outstanding students" that hosted the pair.

Kensington Palace shared photos of the visit on Tuesday.

Prince Harry spoke at the summit later that day. Michelle Obama spoke with poet Elizabeth Alexander on Wednesday, discussing topics such as self-care, work-life balance and whether parents raise boys to feel entitled and self-righteous. See a clip of her sharing her thoughts below.

The Obama summit closes tonight with a community event/concert featuring Chance the Rapper, The National, Gloria Estefan and other performers.