In her first public speech since conceding the presidential election to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton Wednesday urged a Washington crowd to "stay engaged on every level" because "America needs you."

"I will admit coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me," Clinton said at an event sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund.

Clinton worked for the fund while a student at the Yale Law School not long after it was established by president Marian Wright Edelman in 1973.

The program, at the Newseum, honored Clinton for her child-advocacy work over the years.

"There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do is just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again," Clinton said. "But if there's anyone who knows how to pick yourself up and get back on your feet and get to work, it is Marian."

Reflecting further on the election, Clinton said that "I know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election.

"I am, too — more than I can ever express.

"But as I said last week, our campaign was never about one person, or even one election," the former secretary of state continued. "It was about the country we love and about building an America that is hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted.

"I ask you to stay engaged. Stay engaged on every level.

"America needs you," Clinton said. "Your energy, your ambition, your talent. That's how we get through this.

"That's how we help to make our contributions to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice."

Clinton then referenced the many fears expressed by Americans since Trump was elected last week, though without mentioning the president-elect.

"I know this isn't easy," she said. "I know that over the past week, a lot of people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was.

"The divisions laid bare by this election run deep.

"But please, listen to me when I say this: America is worth it. Our children are worth it.

"Believe in our country," Clinton advised. "Fight for our values — and never, ever, give up."