Scholars Alumni

Scholars: Meet the 2018 Class of Scholars

The Obama Foundation Scholars program gives rising young leaders around the world who are already making a difference in their communities the opportunity to take their work to the next level through a newly designed curriculum that brings together academ

Get to know the previous classes of Obama Foundation Scholars—dynamic, collaborative, rising leaders from around the world who came together for a unique one-year academic and leadership experience.

President Obama Hosts Virtual Roundtable with 30 Obama Foundation Scholars

President Obama joined 30 Obama Scholars from the University of Chicago and Columbia University for a conversation about how they are uniquely positioned to drive change in the world as it recovers from COVID-19.

Stories of Hope: Obama Foundation Scholar Christian Vanizette Creates New Platform Overnight

Christian Vanizette is the co-founder of Makesense.org, an international organization based in France that focuses on how social entrepreneurs can use technology to solve social and environmental issues. When COVID-19 began to spread, he shifted the entir

Stories of Hope: Obama Foundation Scholar Gabriela Galiea Creates App to Self-Report Symptoms

Obama Foundation Scholar Gabriela Galiea is the CEO and founder of Okimo Vision, a diagnostics software that uses sensors for early detection of vision and developmental problems in children in Paraguay and around the world. She collaborated with several

Obama Foundation Scholar and African Leader Join Forces to Create Change

After meeting at the 2018 Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, Scholar Vanessa Paranjothy teamed up with African Leader Robert Katende to bring her project, Freedom Cups, to his SOM Chess Academy community in Uganda.

President Obama meets the Obama Foundation Scholars

President Obama met with the Obama Foundation Scholars — 37 young leaders at the University of Chicago Harris School of Policy and Columbia University from around the world — while in Chicago to kickoff their journey towards earning a Master's Degree to b

Obama Foundation Scholar Ana Maria Gonzalez-Forero

Ana, Obama Scholar at Columbia University, speaks on the importance of community ownership in her home country of Colombia and beyond.

Obama Foundation Scholar Fatima Zaman

Obama Foundation Scholar Fatima Zaman shares her moving personal story about encountering violent extremism and her commitment to counter it.

A Closer Look at the Obama Foundation Scholars Program

See highlights from the Obama Foundation Scholars orientation in Chicago last month, and hear what President Obama has to say about the Scholars and the journey they’re embarking on at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and Columbia

Obama Foundation Scholars Service Project

Obama Foundation Scholars — 37 young leaders at the University of Chicago Harris School of Policy and Columbia University from around the world — teamed up with Jahmal Cole’s My Block, My Hood, My City for an afternoon of service, including painting homes

The inaugural cohort of Obama Scholars graduated from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago with Master of Arts degrees focused on International Development and Policy.

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The inaugural cohort of Obama Scholars graduated from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago with Master of Arts degrees focused on International Development and Policy.

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Members of the Obama Scholars New York and Chicago cohorts celebrated the end of their year-long academic and leadership experience.

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Obama Scholar Rumbidzai Chisenga at Columbia University during the Obama scholars graduation ceremony.

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Obama Scholar Omezzine Khelifa at Columbia University during the Obama scholars graduation ceremony.

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Obama Scholar Hong Hoang at Columbia University during the Obama scholars graduation ceremony.

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Members of the Obama Scholars New York and Chicago cohorts hug during a welcome dinner at Garifuna Flava in Chicago, IL.

Members of the Obama Scholars New York and Chicago cohorts have a welcome dinner at Garifuna Flava in Chicago, IL.

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Members of the Obama Scholars New York and Chicago cohorts presented the work they accomplished over the last year at the Harris School of Public Policy in Chicago, IL.

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Members of the Obama Scholars New York and Chicago cohorts presented work they have done over the last year at the Harris School of Public Policy in Chicago, IL.

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Members of the Obama Scholars program participated in a service project as part of the graduation festivities.

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About the Scholars Program

University of Chicago

Obama Foundation Scholars at the University of Chicago earned a Master of Arts degree focused on International Development and Policy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. In addition to classroom studies, the Obama Foundation offered a robust program of leadership development and service activities throughout the academic year to help Scholars gain the real-world skills, tools, and experiences to expand the impact of their work when they return home.

These included leadership development convenings; program experiences in New York and Washington, DC; speaker series with innovators across a variety of sectors; individual and group service projects; mentorship through the Obama Foundation network; potential internship placements; and action plan development for post-program activities.

President Obama Announces the Obama Foundation Scholars Program

Meet the University of Chicago Scholars

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Columbia University

Obama Foundation Scholars at Columbia University participated in Columbia World Projects, a new initiative in which faculty and researchers from Columbia partner with governments, nonprofits, the private sector, and intergovernmental organizations to create tangible solutions to real-world issues. The inaugural cohort at Columbia University participated in a rigorous, immersive program that brings together academic, skills-based, and experiential learning, designed by Columbia University in consultation with the Obama Foundation. The program will also take advantage of the unique opportunities for engagement that come with being at one of the world’s most important centers of research and in the city of New York.

You can learn more about the Obama Foundation Scholars at Columbia University here. (Opens in a new tab)