The Oasis Institute

TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF MATURE ADULTS THROUGH LIFELONG LEARNING AND SERVICE.

HEALTH - THE INSTITUTE'S HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE BEHAVIOR-CHANGE CLASSES EMPHASIZING INCREASING AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR OLDER ADULTS TO ADDRESS THEIR HEALTH NEEDS. 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. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O).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, AND A NEW PROGRAM ADMINISTERED IN 2021: WELLNESS RECOVERY ACTION PLAN (WRAP) FROM COPELAND CENTER. THE INSTITUTE COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, HEATH CARE PROVIDERS AND THIRD-PARTY PAYERS TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITY LOCATIONS TO IMPROVE LONG TERM HEALTH OUTCOMES. PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON BEHAVIOR CHANGE ARE MULTI-SESSIONS WORKSHOPS WHILE MANY HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE ONE-TIME PROGRAMS. OASIS IS NEAR THE END OF 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. TO DATE, 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 2-4 YEARS. OASIS SECURED A CONTRACT WITH HUMANA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IN ST. LOUIS AND GREATER MISSOURI TO OFFER AN $80 CREDIT TO ANY OASIS CLASS FOR HUMANA MEMBERS TO REDUCE SOCIAL ISOLATION THAT WENT INTO EFFECT SEPTEMBER 2022.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 79 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.

TECHNOLOGY LITERACY - THE INSTITUTE HAS DEVELOPED A BROAD LIBRARY OF TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CURRICULA THAT IS OFFERED UNDER THE OASIS CONNECTIONS PROGRAM CATEGORY. THESE COURSES TEACH ADULTS HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO STAY CONNECTED WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DECREASE SOCIAL ISOLATION, ADD DIGITAL TOOLS TO THEIR LIVES, PROVIDE THEM WITH CONFIDENCE TO LEARN NEW TECHNOLOGY SKILLS ON THEIR OWN, AND NAVIGATE THE INTERNET SAFELY. PARTICIPANTS ALSO GAIN OR IMPROVE SKILLS TO ENGAGE IN ONLINE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MANAGING BENEFITS AND HEALTHCARE/HEALTH MONITORING. THE CURRICULUM IS COMPOSED OF MORE THAN 30 COURSES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO PEOPLE IN THE OASIS DEMOGRAPHIC. THESE INCLUDE FACEBOOK 1 & 2, INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPUTER, INTRODUCTION TO EMAIL, GOOGLE PHOTOS, INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET, IPAD, IPHONE, MOBILE ACCESSIBILITY, SAFETY AND PRIVACY ONLINE AND WINDOWS 10. ALL COURSES ARE TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH. THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER LOCAL PROGRAM SITES OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF TECHNOLOGY COURSES TO PARTICIPANTS USING THE CONNECTIONS CURRICULUM. ENROLLMENT IN CONNECTIONS CLASSES HAS EXCEEDED 155,000 SINCE THE PROGRAM BEGAN IN 2001. OASIS CONNECTIONS YOUTUBE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN 213,000 VIEWS.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE - OASIS COOPERATED WITH 78 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO OFFER THE OASIS INTERGENERATIONAL TUTORING PROGRAM IN THE 2022-2023 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. PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER SPONSORED CENTERS IN THE OASIS NETWORK, THE PROGRAM OPERATED IN 20 MAJOR CITIES AND INVOLVED MORE THAN 4,500 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. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O).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 AUDRAIN, CALLAWAY, LINN, AND LIVINGSTON. THE OASIS TUTORING NETWORK INCLUDES PROGRAMMING IN ALBUQUERQUE, INDIANAPOLIS, LOS ANGELES, PORTLAND, PITTSBURGH, DENVER, PHOENIX, ROCHESTER, SAN DIEGO, SAN ANTONIO, SYRACUSE, TAMWORTH, WADSWORTH, AND WASHINGTON D.C. METROPOLITAN AREA TO PROVIDE TUTORING UTILIZING ONE OF THE THREE PROGRAM METHODS.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 2022, 2,073 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.

EDUCATION - THE NETWORK CENTERS DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT LOCAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE AREAS OF THE ARTS, HUMANITIES AND A BROAD RANGE OF OTHER INTEREST AREAS. TOPICS RANGE FROM CREATIVE WRITING AND POETRY TO ART HISTORY, PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, UNITED STATES AND WORLD HISTORY AND CURRENT EVENTS. THE INSTITUTE SUPPORTS THE NETWORK IN DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS TECHNOLOGY LITERACY THROUGH THE OASIS CONNECTIONS TECHNOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM AND INCLUDE TOPICS ON HOW TO USE IPADS, IPHONES, INTERNET, EMAIL, FACEBOOK, ACCESSIBILITY FOR HANDHELD DEVICES AND FRAUD AND SCAM PROTECTION. THE INSTITUTE WORKS WITH THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PROGRAM LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O).COVID-19 IMPACTED ALL OF 2021 AND THE EARLY MONTHS OF 2022 AND REQUIRED ALL IN-PERSON PROGRAMS TO SWITCH TO VIRTUAL. BEGINNING IN MARCH 2022 THROUGH THE END OF 2022, MOST CLASSES WERE ABLE TO BE HELD IN A HYBRID FORMAT, ALLOWING FOR OLDER ADULTS TO CHOOSE WHETHER THEY ATTENDED EDUCATION CLASSES IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY. EVEN AS THE THREAT OF COVID-19 WANED OVER THE YEAR, MANY PARTICIPANTS (ON AVERAGE, 50%), PREFERRED TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY. OASIS PLANS TO CONTINUE OFFERING EDUCATION CLASSES IN HYBRID FORMATS TO ACCOMMODATE PARTICIPANTS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY. OASISEVERYWHERE, THE VIRTUAL EDUCATION CENTER THAT SOURCES CONTENT FROM OASIS NETWORK CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAM AND GROWING AUDIENCE FOR LOCALLY DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED LIFELONG LEARNING, HEALTH/EXERCISE, AND SOCIAL CONNECTION PROGRAMS, IS STILL OPERATING AND GROWING ITS CUSTOMER BASE. OASIS STARTED OFFERING CONTENT FROM PARTNERS OUTSIDE OF THE OASIS NATIONAL NETWORK, AS WELL AS EXPANDING OUR PARTICIPANT BASE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER NON-PROFITS, MARKET RATE AND SUBSIDIZED SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES, AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CORPORATE PARTNERS. THE 2022 ENROLLMENT IN OASIS EDUCATION CLASSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY SAW ONLY MODEST INCREASES COMPARED TO 2021. OASIS EVERYWHERE, THE SOLELY VIRTUAL 'CENTER' GREW BY ABOUT 10% BETWEEN 2021 AND 2022, WITH REVENUE TOTALING $99,000 IN 2022 AND $90,000 IN 2021.