Oasis Center's Youth Engagement and Action services are dedicated to empowering young people to be catalysts for social change. We do this by helping youth develop life skills, make healthy choice, and take responsibility for creating change on the issues that matter to them and to the community.

On a personal level, our focus is on improving school attendance and academic performance, while reducing the incidence of substance use, early pregnancy, school drop out, cultural adjustment issues, and behavioral problems.  We do this through guided group discussion, intensive relationship building and by offering after-school service learning projects throughout the community on a near daily basis.  We believe there is no more powerful way to connect teens with their schools and communities (while simultaneously developing the skills) than this combination of community service and personal support.

In addition, we have several nationally recognized programs that are reaching beyond individual outcomes and directly empowering young people to target community conditions creating problems for them and their peers in the first place.  Current initiatives are focused on reducing juvenile violence in our community, decreasing predatory lending practices, increasing financial and economic literacy among young people, and creating a more compassionate and understanding foster care system for teens. 

Current initiatives include:

Teen Outreach Program
Our Teen Outreach Program (TOP) focuses on helping young people develop like skills and make healthy choices by offering after school service learning projects that promote leadership, generosity, and community connections. Oasis Center currently operates TOP in seven Nashville public middle and high schools (Hillsboro High, Glenncliff High, Bailey Middle, John Early Middle, Cameron Middle, McCann Alternative, and Ewining Park). Each year, over 430 students are served through this year-long program that combines group discussion with out of school community service.  Youth apply learned skills and develop a sense of purpose through community volunteer service.

Recognizing that International and refugee youth have special needs and challenges as they grow-up straddling two cultures, Oasis began offering the TOP Program to International Youth in 1992.  This effort became known as ITOP and has been very successful throughout the years.  Youth work in groups with Oasis staff to identify and address their personal challenges, and also identify ways in which they can contribute to improving their community and the world.  Each year ITOP youth contribute more than 1800 hours of community service.  In 2008 ITOP youth were honored to receive that Mary Catherine Strobel Award for Group Service.  Additionally ITOP was honored in the same year by the Southern Growth Policies Board with the Innovator Program Award for Tennessee, based on its capacity for economic and workforce development.

Summer programs help expose youth to career opportunities through field trips to businesses and colleges, while engaging them in enrichment and recreational activities.  As students discover their strengths and talents, they are motivated and supported in making healthy choices regarding alcohol and drugs, nonviolence, relationships and sexuality, education and career aspirations, community building, and volunteerism.

Our programs have been recognized as a national model by the Southeastern Center for the Application of Prevention Technology, the Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services, and the HCA Foundation.  All groups are funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities: Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, the United Way and Healthways Foundation.  Summer groups are also supported by MDHA, Pey Foundation and the Predators Foundation.


Oasis Community IMPACT (OCI)
OCI works with East Nashville youth to promote educational and economic equity for urban youth, schools, and neighborhoods by cultivating grassroots leadership through youth organizing. OCI youth are currently working on several important issues including work with the Nashville Neighborhood Alliance to fight predatory lending. In addition, they are working to create a Student Bill of Rights for public high school students in Nashville.

Youth United
Youth United is a group of youth from neighborhoods and schools strongly impacted by violence. Their purpose is to help Nashville reject violence and promote peace through youth organizing. As part of their work, Youth United creates opportunities for young people to learn about important community issues, connect with positive adults, and take action to improve their neighborhoods and schools.  Youth United works closely with Metro Nashville's Community Coalition for Youth Safety and is supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control in collaboration with Meharry Medical College.