Key Takeaways
- The Obama Presidential Center will launch basketball and volleyball programs for South Side teens ages 14 to 18 this summer through a partnership with After School Matters
- Programs run July through August and are open to high schoolers in South Shore, Woodlawn and Washington Park communities
- Approximately 100 teens will participate in the first wave, with participants earning a stipend for completing the programs
- The 60,000-square-foot Home Court facility includes a professional-sized basketball court, community rooms and an exercise area
- Additional youth programming partners include My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Girls Opportunity Alliance and Chicago Public Schools
Home Court Opens to Local Teens
The Obama Presidential Center, set to open June 19 in Chicago, will host its first youth sports programs this summer through a newly announced partnership with After School Matters. The coed basketball and volleyball programs will run from July to August at the center’s Home Court facility, a 60,000-square-foot space featuring a professional-sized basketball court, community rooms and an exercise area.
Eligibility is limited to Chicago high schoolers ages 14 to 18 who live in or attend school in the South Shore, Woodlawn and Washington Park neighborhoods. Interested teens must submit an online application by April 15, and roughly 100 participants are expected in the initial cohort.
A Community-First Approach to Programming
Joe Kennedy, director of athletics and sports leadership at the Obama Presidential Center, said the geographic focus reflects the neighborhoods’ involvement in the campus development process.
“These communities have been part of this journey with us. We want to be intentional about some of our initial opportunities that we get a chance to bring these moments, programs, resources into the communities,” Kennedy said.
Like other After School Matters programs, participants will earn a stipend upon completion. The programming will incorporate leadership development, teamwork training and mental health support alongside the sports activities.
Expanding the Youth Programming Pipeline
After School Matters CEO Mary Ellen Caron said the organization already operates in the surrounding South Side neighborhoods, and this partnership adds new capacity for local teens.
The Obama Foundation also plans to develop youth programming with My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Girls Opportunity Alliance and Chicago Public Schools, with future offerings expected in arts, media, city gardening, cooking and trades. Caron noted that trades programming is frequently requested by young people, and After School Matters currently runs roughly 50 trades programs across Chicago.
The two organizations are jointly funding the initial programs and plan to fundraise together as the partnership scales.
Source: WBEZ, Emmanuel Camarillo, April 2, 2026
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