The Obama Foundation Introduces 2026-2027 University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars
The Foundation welcomes its first Scholars from Guyana and Togo as part of its eighth cohort
September 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM CDT
CHICAGO – The Obama Foundation today welcomed its eighth class of Obama Foundation Scholars, leaders with deep roots in Chicago and in the communities they serve across the globe. Throughout the 2026-2027 academic year, these University of Chicago Obama Scholars will take part in an immersive curriculum at the University of Chicago, alongside robust programming led by The Obama Foundation which includes three convenings at the Obama Presidential Center.
The 18 Scholars come from seven countries and divide evenly among the Booth School of Business, the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, and the Harris School of Public Policy. Ten Scholars’ work is focused on serving communities in and around Chicago supporting health equity, public health, housing stability and homeownership, gun violence prevention, reentry, food access, and workforce development, transit and land use; while other cohort members efforts focus on rural education, anti-trafficking policy, and access to high-quality surgical care globally.
“We are proud to welcome the newest class of University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars, who are coming into the program with strong community ties, bold visions, and a commitment to addressing complex social challenges here and abroad,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation. “Over the next year, they will sharpen their skills, expand their networks, and gain valuable insights and experiences to help expand opportunities for the organizations and communities they serve.”
The Obama Scholars program plays a key role in advancing the Foundation’s mission to build the next generation of leaders. Founded in 2018, the program empowers graduate student leaders who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level. Throughout the academic year, Scholars will engage in leadership development training and workshops, site visits, academic and networking opportunities, and personalized support led by The Obama Foundation and the University of Chicago. The Foundation will also bring the cohort together through in-person convenings at the Obama Presidential Center to foster deeper collaboration and further increase the impact of their social change work.
The UChicago Obama Scholars arrive with a project already underway and spend the year building the strategy to carry it further. This year's include a financial literacy pilot for secondary schools in Guyana, a youth peacekeeper initiative training middle and high school students in conflict mediation, a learning hub for rural students in northern India, and an action plan to expand community land trusts across greater Chicago. The curriculum they draw on — systems mapping, cross-sector partnership building, storytelling, and executive coaching — is applied to that work throughout the year.
“The University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars arrive with great talent and deep understanding of the issues that are most important to their communities, along with a commitment to bringing the best ideas and evidence to bear to address them,” said University of Chicago Provost Katherine Baicker. “Working alongside our faculty and with organizations across Chicago, this year’s scholars will strengthen the ambitious work they have already begun. The University of Chicago is proud to partner with the Obama Foundation to support these rising leaders and their vital work.”
The Chicago-based Scholars include a physician assistant delivering HIV care to patients at Cook County Health, the director of the Chicago Mayor’s Office of Reentry, an organizer who has grown a volunteer-run network of 24-hour community fridges across Evanston and Skokie, and a shared-mobility leader whose fare-equity policy halves the cost of rides beginning on the South and West Sides.
Others arrive with work already underway abroad, strengthening surgical referral pathways between traditional bone setters and hospitals in Ghana, opening data science training to young professionals across the African continent, and placing survivors of trafficking at the center of national policymaking in India. Their work spans government, business, and civil society sectors, with a shared commitment to building trust in institutions that serve the people closest to the problem for generations to come.
To learn more about the program and see a list of the 2026-2027 cohort of University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars, please visit obama.org/programs/scholars .
About the Obama Scholars Program
The Obama Scholars program is The Obama Foundation's only residential leadership program, uniquely designed to connect dynamic leaders across the University of Chicago’s graduate student population. Launched in 2018, this one-year academic and leadership experience is offered in partnership with the University of Chicago. The program empowers individuals with a proven commitment to service by equipping them with the tools, networks, and values-based leadership skills needed to tackle complex global challenges. Through a blend of academic coursework, experiential learning, and the Foundation's comprehensive leadership development curriculum, Scholars gain practical knowledge and mentorship that prepare them to drive change in their communities and beyond. To date, 219 Obama Scholars from around the world have participated in the program.
About The Obama Foundation
The Obama Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. That mission begins on the South Side of Chicago, the home of the Obama Presidential Center. But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity. From every corner of the globe, our program participants are working together to address some of the biggest challenges of our time—from renewing our democratic institutions, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, fighting climate change, and so much more.
###
Contact: Emily Bittner, press@obama.org