Michelle Obama announced on Thursday that 10 Chicago-area organizations serving girls will be the recipients of $500,000 from the former first lady’s Girls Opportunity Alliance.
The funding will reach more than 2,200 girls between the ages of 10 and 19, supporting work that spans mental health care, arts training, athletics, refugee support and more, the Obama Foundation said in a press release.
The announcement comes as nearly 100 leaders from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Chicago Network gathered at Home Court recently on the Obama Presidential Center campus for the 2026 Chicago Network Convening. During the convening, leaders focused on strengthening collaboration, using practical tools and case studies to explore new ways to work together more effectively.
“I’ve seen firsthand what happens when girls have the support, encouragement, and opportunities they deserve,” said Mrs. Obama, founder of the Girls Opportunity Alliance, in the release. “That’s why I’m so excited that we’re supporting these extraordinary organizations in my hometown that do this work every day—meeting girls where they are, believing in their potential, and helping them reach for futures they might not even see for themselves today.”
For example, Box United, a recipient of the grant, will use its money to expand Fight Like a Girl, a 20-week program that pairs boxing fundamentals with a trauma-informed curriculum on stress, mindfulness and mentorship. The program will enter five new South Side schools, including sites in South Shore, Woodlawn and Washington Park, reaching up to 125 additional students.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance works to empower and educate adolescent girls so they can reach their full potential and drive lasting change in their families, communities, and countries. Through its work, the Alliance connects leaders, strengthens grassroots organizations, and raises awareness about the importance of investing in girls. To date, it has supported more than 265 grassroots projects across 50 countries, reaching more than 190,000 girls.
Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, said Chicago has many organizations supporting girls and the investment will help make their work stronger and more impactful.
“That means providing resources, but it also means creating opportunities for leaders to learn from one another, build relationships, and find new ways to work together. That’s what this convening—and this Network—is all about,” Jarrett said in the release.
The full list of 2026 recipients, who work across the South and West Sides of Chicago, includes: A Long Walk Home, Box United, Cent(HER)ed Collective Girls Inc., the Coalition on Urban Girls, the First Ladies Health Initiative, GirlForward, HEART Women & Girls, Praize Productions Inc., Sista Afya Community Care, and Youth Guidance’s Working on Womanhood.
The Weekly Wrap
The Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.
Business Insider
I Toured the Obama Presidential Center and Saw 12 of Michelle Obama’s Best Looks, Including a $19 Target Dress
Sept. 4, 2026 – The $850 million Obama Presidential Center opened on Chicago’s South Side in June, honoring the civic legacy of former U.S. President Barack Obama. During the center’s dedication ceremony on June 18, the former president emphasized that the center was a display of deep civic history and encouragement—and “not just a place to see Michelle’s dresses, although I understand that will be the top attraction.” Read more
In Pursuit
Grace Coolidge by Colleen Shogan
Sept. 3, 2026 – Grace Coolidge, a dedicated educator for the deaf, never envisioned becoming First Lady of the United States. She married Calvin Coolidge, a man characterized by reserved speech, deliberate action, and discreet ambition. Read more
East Wing Magazine
‘Be Like Gloria’
Sept. 3, 2026 – Among the tributes pouring in for women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, who died peacefully in her New York City home Wednesday at age 92, are those from former first ladies. Read more
Washington Examiner
Melania Trump Has No Plans to Attend RNC’s Midterm Convention
Sept. 3, 2026 – First Lady Melania Trump is not planning to attend the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, which is set to begin on Wednesday. Read more
Buzz Feed
'You Weren’t There!’: Moms Are Applauding Michelle Obama’s Brutally Honest Comments About Why She Doesn’t ‘Miss’ Her Kids, But Barack Does
Sept. 2, 2026 – If you can believe it, Michelle and Barack Obama’s two daughters are all grown up. Read more
Architectural Digest
Hillary and Bill Clinton’s Home: Here’s Where the Former First Couple Lives Now
Sept. 2, 2026 – Where is Hillary and Bill Clinton’s home these days? Since Bill completed his term as the 42nd POTUS in 2001, the political power couple has primarily resided in a Dutch Colonial dwelling in New York’s Westchester County, secluded amongst the trees—and away from prying eyes. Of course, the former president and first lady still keep a foot on the ground in Washington, DC, in the form of a pad Hillary picked up when she won her seat in the New York Senate in 2000. Read more
East Wing Magazine
Supreme Court Allows White House Ballroom Construction to Move Ahead
Sept. 1, 2026 – Construction can continue on the immense White House ballroom a divided Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The decision, however, came with sharp criticism from Chief Justice John Roberts who dissented, calling the construction “likely illegal.” Read more
American FLOTUS Podcast
Ties that Bound: First Ladies and Slavery with Marie Jenkins Schwartz
On this episode of American FLOTUS, historian and author Marie Jenkins Schwartz joins host Alan Lowe for an in-depth discussion of her book, Ties That Bound: Founding First Ladies and Slaves. From Martha Washington to Dolley Madison, Schwartz shows how these iconic first ladies and their presidential spouses were involved with and dependent upon the inhumane institution of slavery. Listen here
InStyle
Jackie Kennedy Had This Theory About JFK’s Assassination, Her Longtime Hairstylist Claims
Aug. 31, 2026 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reportedly discussed her own theories about her late husband John F. Kennedy’s death, many years after the former president was assassinated during a motorcade in November 1963. According to the former first lady’s longtime hairstylist, Jackie privately revealed that she didn’t think Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for killing Kennedy—instead believing a more sinister force was at work. Read more
Eating Well
Lady Bird Johnson’s Iced Tea Is a Classic—and Perfect for Labor Day
Aug. 30, 2026 – When you drive down a highway trimmed with flowers instead of litter, you can thank Claudia Johnson. Affectionately known as “Lady Bird,” the former first lady was deeply involved with the Highway Beautification Act of 1965—a law dedicated to making highways and other American lands more scenic. Read more
NPR
Who Gets to Be Mary Todd Lincoln Next? There’s a List
Aug. 29, 2026 – On Broadway, the name on everyone’s lips is Mary. That’s Mary Todd Lincoln, specifically. Read more
E!
Michelle Obama Makes Brutally Honest Confession About Daughters Malia and Sasha Moving Out
Aug. 29, 2026 – Michelle Obama is loving life as an empty nester. The former first lady shared her honest thoughts on how she feels about her and Barack Obama’s daughters Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, no longer living at home, recalling the moment her kids moved out to go to college. Read more