By Jessica Van Tuyl | Executive Director
In the last year, the ENVISION program has served over 45 low income young women of color, providing them with key technology training, leadership development, post secondary planning, career awareness, and job readiness skills. ENVISION has been transformational in the lives of these girls, providing them with a space to start building their futures.
One such girl is Jazmin. She grew up with her parents and disabled sister. Because of high medical bills from her sister's condition, the family has often been homeless, living with friends or in local shelters. Consumed by her family’s challenges, Jazmin was often distant and disengaged at school, and with her classmates.
At the recommendation of a school counselor, Jazmin enrolled in our ENVISION program, Jazmin discovered her interest in fashion after talking to a Career Nite panelist who works in socially conscious fashion design and sourcing. Because of the support and growth opportunities provided by Oasis For Girls, after graduating high school, Jazmin moved on to an internship at Bloomingdale’s. While there, she developed an impressive portfolio and fashion blog, and as a result, was admitted to the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing.
Jazmin visited Oasis just a few months ago and spoke with pride about her accomplishments. She noted that Oasis was a place of community and inspiration for her during a time when she felt overwhelmed and hopeless. “Oasis is a special place. The programs made me realize I could build my life. It wasn’t that I was on a bad path at the time—I just wasn’t on any path. At Oasis, I was challenged to set goals and achieve them.”
With a constant eye on meeting the ever evolving needs of our girls, Oasis conducted a needs assessment with our participants this Winter. Through this process, we recognized that our girls need more intensive support in preparing for post secondary education and careers. As a result, in collaboration with our key stakeholders, we have engaged in a strategic planning process to shift the focus of the Technology & Leadership Program to more specifically address these needs. The new program, ENVISION College & Career, begins in the Summer of 2013 and advances girls’ awareness of, readiness for, and success in high-demand careers in growth industries, including STEM. ENVISION provides career awareness opportunities, job readiness training, and post secondary planning to support success in and transition from high school to college and career.
More specifically, ENVISION participants will:
We believe this enhanced version of the Technology & Leadership Program will better meet the needs of our girls, propeling them into advanced education and exciting careers that will promote their health, self sufficiency, and happiness!
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