Oasis UK & Oasis Community Learning
- Identify youth social action as an group-wide priority through our ‘9 habits for character development’; supporting over 25,000 young people across 47 academies in 36 communities to take practical action in the service of others to create positive change at a local and global level.
- In 2017-18 we will further support all Oasis Community Hubs to ensure that young people are engaged in social action. In particular, we will also further develop our network of 12 Lead Hubs, which work with and alongside all people in a community to deliver place-based neighbourhood transformation. In these communities we will work to ensure that young people are empowered to shape and drive this transformation. We will share our learnings with broader #iwill partners to support more young people to become actively involved in their communities.
- Play a leading role in supporting schools serving high proportions of students who are eligible to receive free school meals to embed social action in their culture & practice so that all young people are able to participate.
We exist to ensure that our students, their families and all those in the communities in which we work are able to thrive and flourish. Taking action, being involved in society and seeking to serve others are central elements of our ethos and approach. We know that deep learning truly happens when we take action and reflect; only when we roll our sleeves up and involve ourselves in the world around us do we learn profound and lasting lessons that equip us for life.
That’s why we work with and alongside 36 communities around the UK and in ten other countries around the world to bring about neighbourhood transformation. Whatever we do, be it education (through our network of 47 Academies), youth and children’s work, housing, advice services, family support or community work, we seek to ensure individuals, particularly young people, feel ownership and are able to take action for themselves.
As an example, students and staff in our Academies partner with Oasis projects around the world to build relationships, learn from one another and discover how to become global citizens. Thousands of young people also take social action in their own communities through a wide variety of initiatives including Inspire, our young peace-makers campaign. In taking action, young people are not only able to serve others but are also able to develop a huge number of skills and character traits, which are essential in becoming healthy and positive citizens who proactively seek to contribute to society.
Youth social action and involvement has therefore always been at the heart of all that we do. That’s why we are pledging to continue making social action a priority across our community work and in our network of 47 Academies, which serve around 25,000 children and young people.
We’re pledging to support all of our young people in taking meaningful action in their community or with partners around the world and to reflect on this work through the lens of the Oasis 9 Habits – our character development programme. We’re also pledging to ensure that across Oasis, children and young people take a central role in shaping and delivering change themselves.
On a daily basis, our young people demonstrate incredible potential to change the world that they live in and to grow as global citizens. We’re therefore incredibly proud to be making this pledge with the #iwill campaign.
Jill Rowe, Oasis Ethos and Formation Director
“It is vital that we do everything we can to support young people as they play a key role in the transformation of communities locally, nationally and globally. #iwill gives real focus and energy to this. We are proud to be part of this campaign and excited to bring the voices and energy and participation of 25,000 Oasis students to say #iwill.”