Our Community Commitments

Lakeside Alliance, the construction manager for the Obama Presidential Center, officially opened a Resource Center on October 29, 2018, for community members to learn more about job opportunities and updates on the OPC project. The center is located at 1750 E. 71st Street, sharing space with the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.

In June 2018, the Obama Foundation announced the selection of Jacqueline Gomez as its Director of Real Estate Inclusion and Ernest R. Sawyer Enterprises, Inc. (ERS) as its Diversity Consultant.

In August 2018, the Obama Foundation hired Eric Foster as Director of Strategic Sourcing & Business Diversity, focused on developing relationships with diverse businesses in order to connect them with opportunities to work with the Obama Foundation.

From career fairs to ward meetings across Chicago, Lakeside Alliance has met with hundreds of people around Chicago since it was selected in January 2018.

Lakeside hosted its first career fair in May 2018 at Olive-Harvey College and its second fair in October 2018 at Malcolm X College.

Lakeside will host its third fair in February 2019 at Wilbur Wright College.

Lakeside has launched a 50-ward road show to meet with residents from all parts of Chicago. Already, its team has engaged with residents in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 20th, 28th, 29th, and 37th wards.

In August 2018, the Obama Foundation published its first Annual Report. In 2017, the Obama Foundation spent more than $6 million with more than 70 diverse businesses across sectors including legal, digital, insurance, and design among others. A quarter of that—$1.5 million—was with Chicago-based companies. We are looking to increase that number steadily as we grow.

As a diverse vendor, you can submit your interest in working with the Obama Foundation through our website by clicking here. And, as part of our efforts, in 2018, we also joined the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, which helps certify, develop, connect, and advocate for minority suppliers.

This summer, the Obama Foundation launched the Community Leadership Corps, a program designed to help young people aged 18-25 create the world they want to live in by working to address an issue in their community. We held in-person trainings and gatherings in Chicago in June, August, and November 2018.

One of our CLC Chicago leaders hosted the first day of the 2018 Foundation Summit in November 2018.

In November 2018, MBK Alliance announced the selection of five Chicago organizations as part of a national competition called the Community Challenge, to accelerate impact for boys and young men of color partly through working with communities on mentorship and youth violence prevention programs. The Foundation jointly awarded Youth Guidance and Thrive Chicago an MBK Community Chicago Impact grant of $500,000, with four other organizations being named Chicago Seeds, receiving at least $50,000 each for two years. Those organizations include Lawndale Christian Legal Center, New Life Centers of Chicagoland, South Shore Drill Team & Performing Arts Ensemble, and BUILD, Inc.

In December 2018, the Foundation announced a new joint award with Chicago Public Schools to celebrate and honor Chicago students, schools, educators, and community partners who have made a powerful impact in their communities through civic engagement and action. The awards will open for applications in January, and the award recipients will be named toward the end of the 2018-2019 school year.

In June 2018, the Obama Foundation invited students from a local CPS school to participate as panelists in the Community Conversation in June 2018.

The Obama Foundation announced Dominique Jordan Turner, President and CEO of Chicago Scholars, a local non-profit organization committed to college access, success, and leadership development for Chicago’s youth, as an inaugural Obama Foundation Fellow in early 2018.

In October 2017, Mrs. Obama hosted Prince Harry at Hyde Park Academy High School to meet with college bound seniors.

The Obama Foundation hosted our inaugural Training Day at the Gary Comer Youth Center in 2017. In addition, the Obama Foundation has an ongoing partnership with Gary Comer youth to deliver weekly treats from their culinary program to the Obama Foundation’s headquarters.

In May 2018, the Obama Foundation, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Public Library announced that a new public library branch will be located at the future Obama Presidential Center, bringing a new neighborhood anchor and the best of Chicago Public Library programming and resources to surrounding South Side communities.

The Obama Foundation is proud to continue partnering with Urban Alliance for our second year. OYJC begins workforce readiness training starting in the 10th grade. By the time students are in the 12th grade, they will get to participate in a 10-month, paid, professional internship through UA’s flagship High School Internship Program, which combines work experience with job skills training, one-on-one mentoring, and comprehensive support services during and after the internship.

In August 2018, we hosted 37 Obama Foundation Scholars in Chicago for a week. The Obama Scholars learned about the city’s rich history and met with local community leaders focused on the history of civic work and community development in Chicago. They also participated in a service project in Englewood. The Obama Scholars also participated in a tour of the South Side. The visit concluded with an intimate discussion on mentorship and building community with two of President Obama’s own mentors at Lilydale Baptist Church.

Twenty-five of the Obama Foundation Scholars are based at University of Chicago and will have continual opportunities for meaningful service and to learn from leaders across Chicago during their year on the South Side.

At the 2018 Obama Foundation Summit, more than 150 of the 650 participants were from Chicago including 100 young leaders from the Community Leadership Corps and some of our neighbors in Chicago. The Summit brought together young leaders from the Obama Leaders Africa program and program participants from more than 40 countries and all the Foundation’s programming.

As a new anchor institution on the South Side, the Foundation is actively supporting the efforts of community stakeholders who are taking on the challenge of affordable housing, primarily through its seat on the board of the Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, an organization that includes representation from a wide range of community leaders, organizations and institutions. Our efforts are community-driven, based on conversations we’ve had with our neighbors and local partners.

The Foundation and Lakeside Alliance continue to monitor our commitment to achieving this goal through regular reporting. Since Lakeside opened its Resource Center on the South Side, it has conducted 27 informational sessions, 216 one-on-one subcontractor vendor meetings, and welcomed over 285 visitors.

In October 2018, the Chicago City Council approved the Obama Presidential Center design on 19.3 acres of Jackson Park. The Center’s buildings will only span 2.2 acres, which is less than half a percent of Jackson Park's total area.

The design approved by the Chicago City Council in October 2018 will result in a net gain of approximately 2.5 acres of new park land within the OPC site boundaries.

In response to input from local parents and educators, the OPC playground will be more than twice as large as the current Jackson Park playground. Its design is inspired by themes reflecting the nature in Jackson Park and will inspire children of different ages and abilities to explore and connect.

Per the design approved by the Chicago City Council in October 2018, the Obama Presidential Center will retain the historic comfort station.

Per the design approved by Chicago City Council in October 2018, the Center is being designed to qualify for LEED v4 platinum certification.

With community feedback in mind, the campus will feature an auditorium, a branch of the Chicago Public Library system, a sledding hill, and many other outdoor and indoor activity spaces that will be free and accessible for community use.

From the Museum exhibits to the Playground, a broad spectrum of leaders in the accessibility community have been actively engaged in helping us to think through the design and programming of all aspects of the OPC.

We’ve held multiple focus groups with youth and parents from the South Side to gather input on how to create a campus that welcomes and fosters a sense of belonging in the community.

Even before the Center opens, we are encouraging visitors from around the country and the world to explore Chicago. During three Obama Foundation Summits, visitors have participated in service projects, community conversation dinners, and local events one the South and West sides. We plan to continue working with local partners to highlight attractions around the neighborhood once the Center is built.

You wanted to see more landscaping, a protection of green space across the campus, and a commitment to quiet, restorative space.

Parks should be green, natural peaceful places. So we:

You had a desire for more inviting and welcoming entrances to the Center to connect it to the community.

You're right, first impressions are critical! So we:

You had a preference to see parking on-site at Jackson Park rather than at the Midway.

Some things are best left tucked away. So we:

You had concerns about the design of the tower structure.

Not everyone fell in love with the design of the Center at first sight. No hard feelings! We:

You wanted to see trees across the landscape.

Go green or go home. We:

You wanted to protect bird watching in Jackson Park.

We love our feathered friends. That's why we:

You had concerns about protecting the historic landmarks on our site.

If we're going to build a Presidential Museum, we've got to respect our history. So we:

You had concerns there was too much activity on and around the Wooded Island.

If you were raised in Hawaii, you know the importance of a peaceful island getaway. That's why we:

You were concerned about closing Cornell Drive and wanted to minimize increased congestion in the area.

We all hate traffic. So we:

You wanted to ensure the Center's spaces would be engaging for young people.

We're doing it for the kids. We: