THE OASIS INSTITUTE

HEALTH - THE INSTITUTE'S HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE BEHAVIOR-CHANGE WORKSHOPS EMPHASIZING INCREASING AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO ADDRESS THEIR HEALTH NEEDS AND MANAGEMENT. OASIS BOTH CREATES HEALTH PROGRAM CONTENT AND HOLDS LICENSES FOR NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EVIDENCE-BASED WORKSHOPS. THESE PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED BY THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS NON-SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION CENTERS AND PROGRAM SITES. PROGRAM CONTENT INCLUDES TOPICS ON NUTRITION, EXERCISE, CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT, DIABETES MANAGEMENT, FALLS PREVENTION, REDUCING SOCIAL ISOLATION AND GENERAL HEALTH PROMOTION.THE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS PRIORITIZE EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE SELF-MANAGEMENT RESOURCE CENTER'S CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-MANAGEMENT AND DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, AGING MASTERY PROGRAM, AND A MATTER OF BALANCE THROUGH MAINEHEALTH. THE INSTITUTE COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITY LOCATIONS TO IMPROVE LONG-TERM HEALTH OUTCOMES. PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON BEHAVIOR CHANGE ARE MULTI-SESSION WORKSHOPS WHILE MANY HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE ONE-TIME SESSIONS. OASIS IS ANALYZING THE DATA FROM THE THREE-YEAR GRANT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF OASIS' PROPRIETARY PROGRAM, VIRTUAL HEALTHY HABITS. OASIS IMPLEMENTED AND COLLECTED DATA FROM PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED IN THE RESEARCH STUDY. THE ANALYSIS OF PROGRAMMATIC OUTCOMES IS VERY PROMISING. OASIS EXPECTS VIRTUAL HEALTHY HABITS WILL BECOME A PROGRAM THAT WILL BE LICENSED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND SERVE AS A SUSTAINABLE REVENUE STREAM IN THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS. IN 2019, THE INSTITUTE WAS AWARDED A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING, PART OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, TO DEVELOP A NEW NATIONAL PROGRAM, COMMUNITY CARE CORPS. AS A RESULT, THE INSTITUTE IS A NATIONAL FUNDER DISCOVERING EFFECTIVE MODELS FOR NON-MEDICAL VOLUNTEER CAREGIVING PROGRAMS TO MAINTAIN THE INDEPENDENCE OF OLDER ADULTS. SINCE 2020, OASIS HAS AWARDED 109 GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN 2020, OASIS WAS ALSO AWARDED A MULTI-YEAR GRANT THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING FOR INNOVATIONS IN NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. THROUGH THIS GRANT, OASIS IS RESEARCHING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEWLY DEVELOPED VIRTUAL HEALTHY HABITS PROGRAM AS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO NUTRITION EDUCATION, HANDS-ON MEAL PREPARATION AND SOCIALIZING FOR OLDER ADULTS. OASIS WAS AWARDED ANOTHER FIVE-YEARS OF FUNDING TO CONTINUE THIS WORK IN 2024.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE - OASIS COOPERATED WITH 78 SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND PARTNER SITES TO OFFER THE OASIS INTERGENERATIONAL TUTORING PROGRAM IN THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR. THIS RESEARCH-BASED PROGRAM MATCHES TRAINED VOLUNTEER TUTORS WITH PRIMARY GRADE CHILDREN TO BUILD READING SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, SELF-ESTEEM AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD LEARNING. , THE PROGRAM OPERATES IN 20 MAJOR CITIES AND INVOLVED MORE THAN 2,000 TRAINED TUTORS. VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION IS SHOWING A STEADY INCREASE IN RESPONSE TO THE GROWING NEED FOR ACADEMIC AND MENTORING TUTORS. WITH THE DECLINE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE RETURNED TO HOSTING OASIS TUTORS IN PERSON.SOME HAVE UTILIZED ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMMING DEVELOPED DURING THE PANDEMIC AS A SUPPLEMENT TO TRADITIONAL TUTORING AS WELL. TUTOR TRAINING IS PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO NEW SCHOOL DISTRICTS JOINING THE PROGRAM AND FOR NEW TUTORS IN EXISTING PROGRAMS. OASIS TUTORING IS CURRENTLY SERVING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA, MISSOURI COUNTIES OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, JEFFERSON, FRANKLIN, ST. CHARLES, AUDRAIN, CALLAWAY, LINN, AND LIVINGSTON. THE OASIS TUTORING NETWORK INCLUDES PROGRAMMING IN ALBUQUERQUE, LOS ANGELES, PORTLAND, PITTSBURGH, DENVER, PHOENIX, ROCHESTER, SAN DIEGO, SAN ANTONIO, SYRACUSE, TAMWORTH, WADSWORTH, AND WASHINGTON D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA TO PROVIDE TUTORING.. UTILIZING KEY MENTORING ASPECTS OF THE OASIS TUTORING PROGRAM, A NEW INTERGENERATIONAL MENTORING PROGRAM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. OASIS GRAND CHAMPIONS GIVES OLDER ADULTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR ADOLESCENTS RESIDING IN FOSTER CARE AND TO PROVIDE THEM GUIDANCE ON NECESSARY LIFE SKILLS. OASIS ALSO PROVIDES INFORMATION AND TRAINING FOR OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND ENCOURAGES ALL ASPECTS OF VOLUNTEERISM ESPECIALLY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN ENGAGE OLDER ADULTS IN CONTRIBUTING THEIR TIME, TALENT AND EXPERIENCE TO HELP OTHERS. DURING 2023, 2,259 OASIS VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT SERVICE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN ADDITION TO TUTORING, VOLUNTEERS ALSO SERVE AS PROOFREADERS, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT PERSONNEL, INSTRUCTORS, CLASS COORDINATORS, COMPUTER INSTRUCTORS, HEALTH FACILITATORS, AND PEER DISCUSSION LEADERS.