Special Events
March 1st: Bridging the Digital Divide Program (BDDP) Computer Refurbishing Workshop. Computer Science students from BCC come bi-weekly to work one-on-one with OASIS teens to refurbish old computers. The teens are learning the ins and outs of computer refurbishing including how to effectively clean and wipe computers, install operating systems, analyze its the operational state, install RAM and perform a multitude of other tests. This program will be recurring every semester. Upon the termination of this semester, the finished computers will be awarded to the participants lacking access to home computers, while the remainder will be put towards the OASIS computer lab on site and donated to other community organizations.
February 4th: OASIS Youth Taking Charge Blanket Drive. OYTC is a group of students at OASIS After School who are willing to go the extra mile to make a difference in our community. They do this by organizing and implementing civic engagement activities within Endicott. Their most recent endeavor involved promoting a Blanket Drive and dispersing bins throughout the area. There were bins placed in the Union-Endicott High School, Boys & Girls Club of Western Broome, the Municipal Building, and the Cornerstone Community Church. They collected 8 bags full and then handed them out to those in need at the Saint Ambrose Church Soup Kitchen.
February 14th: Art from the Heart. For the 3rd year in a row, OASIS teens decorated hand-made Valentine’s Day cards to distribute to the residents of Absolut Care Nursing Home. Residents have begun to look forward to our yearly cards. One of the residents was especially touched sharing that, “My friends down at OASIS think of me every year,” as he gestured to a wall of Valentine’s made by OASIS students.
December 22nd: Holiday Party. OASIS celebrated the Holiday Season with lots of food, friends and laughs! We made holiday cards and gifts including jewelry and dream catchers, had a Gingerbread House contest, baked cookies, and watched A Christmas Story.
December 4th: Endicott Holiday Parade. This was our 4th time participating in the Endicott Holiday Parade. Frame to Please’s Darlene Leonard lent us costumes for the teens to dress up in including cookie monster, the gingerbread man, and SpongeBob (a huge hit with the kids!). We handed out candy and got a chance to connect with the other community organizations located in Endicott. OASIS always takes advantage of any opportunities to support the Village of Endicott and takes pride in our involvement.
November 25th: OASIS teens serve Thanksgiving Dinner at Cornerstone Community Church. OASIS teens dedicated a large portion of their Thanksgiving to serving those who don’t have a place to spend this holiday. They got to interact with those who came and said they were changed by this opportunity, calling it a “very humbling experience”.
November 23rd: 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner at OASIS. OASIS After School welcomed around 50 people for our annual Thanksgiving Dinner. The teens cooked a delicious meal complete with all of the essential Thanksgiving dishes. The students’ families as well as community members joined us for this wonderful occasion. The students were thankful to spend this holiday amongst friends. There are some who do not have the opportunity to spend an evening with friends and family around a table filled with good food, so we gladly make sure every year that our teens do not fall into that category.
November 3rd: OASIS teens volunteer at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen. This marked the first day of a continuing partnership. OASIS Teen Leaders with OYTC (make link) now volunteer with St. Ambrose Church on the 1st Wednesday of every month.
October 29th: 3rd Annual Haunted House and Halloween Party. In partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, OASIS teens and staff put on their 3rd Annual Haunted House. Dressed up in costumes, teens got into character to spook the kids downstairs enrolled in the Boys & Girls Club programs.
October 27th: Garden Dedication. For two consecutive summers, OASIS teens dedicated their time to the construction of two community gardens in Endicott. With the aid of local donors and partners, OASIS After School teens were able to complete the OASIS CITY Park (corner of Roosevelt Ave. & Main St.) in the summer of 2009 in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s CITY Project. Then in the summer of 2010 OASIS After School Teen Leaders completed a second garden, the Municipal Garden, at the Endicott Municipal Building. An event was held to thank the teens involved as well as the businesses and organizations who made the construction of both parks possible. Featured video on newschannel134.com and article on the Press and Sun Bulletin.
The following were recognized for their help and dedication:
A New Universal Fence, Kevin Barret
Barney and Dickenson’s Inc.
The Wright Man Construction, Jay Marsh
Lowe’s Heroes, Store #1502
Cindy Russell
Teen Summer Service Challenge, Boys & Girls Club of Western Broome
JKS Home Improvements, Jeremy Sager
Robinson Hill Nursery and Mulch, Bill Shager
TNT Paving and Asphalting, dale Thomas
Cornell Cooperative Extension, CITY Project
Debbie Carey
Summer 2009 Teen Leaders: Bria Hemphill, Miguel Southee, Dylan Bridges, Julia Cox, Kenny Spencer, Darcy Spencer, James Pewterbaugh, Eli Prosper, Luis Torres
Summer 2010 Teen Leaders:
October 8th: Frisbee Scrimmage. Ben Swerdlow, a Binghamton University undergraduate student, has led OASIS’s Ultimate Frisbee Workshop for the past 3 ½ years. On October 8th, the BU Ultimate Frisbee Team scrimmaged the OASIS Ultimate Frisbee Team. Another scrimmage is scheduled for the Spring of 2011.
September 10th: Kick Off Barbeque. The first event of the year, OASIS hosted a barbeque for all students interested in joining our program. Lucky to have it fall on a sunny day, there was no shortage of food, fun, or teens.