The Obama Presidential Center will kick off its youth programming this summer with opportunities for South Side teens to play volleyball and basketball and build leadership skills.<\/p>\n
The coed programs are part of an initiative announced Thursday between the Obama Foundation and the nonprofit After School Matters, which will serve as the center\u2019s main youth programming partner when it opens on June 19<\/u><\/a>. They are the first of what will be an expanding catalog of programs for teens at the center.<\/p>\n The Obama Foundation also plans to partner with other organizations to offer youth programming, including My Brother\u2019s Keeper Alliance, Girls Opportunity Alliance and Chicago Public Schools, though the details of those collaborations are still being worked out. There\u2019s plans for youth programming around arts and media, city gardening, cooking and more.<\/p>\n The two sports programs will run from July to August and are open to Chicago high schoolers ages 14 to 18 who live in or go to school in the South Shore, Woodlawn or Washington Park communities. Like other After School Matters offerings, teens will earn a stipend for participating and completing the programs.<\/p>\n Basketball and volleyball summer programs for Chicago teens are among the initial offerings for youth to be hosted at the Obama Presidential Center\u2019s Home Court facility.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Christopher Dilts\/The Obama Foundation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Interested teens should submit an online form<\/u><\/a> by April 15 to be considered for a spot. It\u2019s expected about 100 teens will participate in the first wave of youth programs at the center.<\/p>\n Joe Kennedy, director of athletics and sports leadership at the Obama Presidential Center, said it was important to start with those neighborhoods because they\u2019ve been involved in getting the campus off the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cThese communities have been part of this journey with us,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cWe want to be intentional about some of our initial opportunities that we get a chance to bring these moments, programs, resources into the communities.\u201d<\/p>\n The youth programs will be held at the Home Court facility on former President Barack Obama\u2019s namesake museum and campus. The 60,000-square-foot facility includes<\/u><\/a> a professional-sized basketball court, community rooms and an exercise area.<\/p>\n The programs are meant to encourage teens to be active while instilling leadership, teamwork and other skills young people can use throughout their lives. Program instructors will also focus on teens\u2019 mental health.<\/p>\n The Obamas \u201cbelieve deeply in the power of sport to be a way to transform lives and build civic habits and strengthen communities,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s expected that the Obama Presidential Center will offer a variety of youth programs through partnerships, such as arts, media, cooking and gardening.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Christopher Dilts\/The Obama Foundation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Mary Ellen Caron, CEO of After School Matters, said the organization already has programs in those South Side neighborhoods and this partnership will add more opportunities for teens. The nonprofit and the foundation are providing the space and staff for these two initial programs and are planning to fundraise together in the future as the partnership expands.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re making sure that those young people know that the Obama Center is there and that it\u2019s going to be an accessible place for teenagers,\u201d Caron said.<\/p>\n Caron also hopes to offer programs that introduce teens to the trades, something young people frequently ask about. The organization has around 50 trades programs across the city.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s vitally important that we continue to look at teens and make sure to find out what they like, what they don\u2019t like, really care about them, so that they are engaged,\u201d Caron said.<\/p>\n The partnership with the Obama Presidential Center marks the latest expansion of After School Matter\u2019s offerings. Last year, the nonprofit opened a new facility<\/u><\/a> near the former Cabrini-Green public housing site on the Near North Side that includes a theater, gym, art studios and science and technology labs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/13a6bf2\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1334+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F5b%2Ff2%2F40d553be4554a7c507765380e36c%2Fimg-0886.jpeg\")
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