The Oasis Project to expand tutoring services for underserved children to all Oconomowoc Area School District elementary schools
A Lake Country group focusing on providing tutoring services for underserved children will expand to all elementary schools in the Oconomowoc Area School District, starting this month.
The Oasis Project, which started in 2016, had been in Summit Elementary in the Oconomowoc Area School District, as of January 2021.
The organization plans to start with first- and second-grade students at the district's other elementary schools, according to Jessica Schilling, program director for The Oasis Project.
"We've seen really good data in our tutoring with that. That was one grade where we could see that the students over multiple years performed better than their non-Oasis peers. That's a great place to start," Schilling said in a phone interview.
The district is "at the very beginning stages of that expansion" and doesn't have specific information to share about what the program will look like at the other schools, said Kelly Ellifson, the district's communications and marketing manager, in an email.
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The Oasis Project also serves students in the Kettle Moraine School District, where its founder, Jan Frans, was once a teacher. Kettle Moraine was the first district to use The Oasis Project's services.
In October 2020, The Oasis Project expanded its services to the North Lake School District.
"What we've proven, we think, is that the template that we've developed in the Kettle Moraine School District can be replicated anywhere," said Frans in a phone interview.
Pairing tutors with students is a collaborative effort between school officials and The Oasis Project, according to Frans. She said the organization gives school officials biographies of its tutors and then matches the school schedule with the tutor's availability. Tutors are either current or formerly licensed teachers or paraeducators.
The organization focuses on students who are economically disadvantaged or who have an extenuating circumstance, such as a single parent working two jobs or a medical need. Parents are aware of the group's criteria and sign off on enrolling their children in the program.
Frans said tutoring takes place either during the lunch period after eating and before recess, a free period during the day, or after school. Tutors mostly work one-on-one with students but will sometimes work with them in groups, Frans said.
"If there is a small group of two to three that need work on social skills, for example, they meet in a group with their tutor who might play educational games to help teach that," Frans said.
There is no charge to students; tutors are volunteers.
Funding for the project
The Oasis Project is funded from multiple sources, including grants from foundations such as the Oconomowoc Area Foundation, as well as donations from small family foundations, local civic organizations like Lions Club or Rotary, churches, individual businesses and individuals.
Recent grants include an $8,000 grant from the Oconomowoc Area Foundation, a $7,000 grant from the Second Chance Foundation, a $7,000 grant from an organization that hasn't been announced yet, a $5,000 grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation and a $2,500 grant from the Greater Delafield Community Fund.
Embracing Oasis
The Oconomowoc community has embraced The Oasis Project's mission of serving underserved children.
"That's what we need ... we need for every community that we go into, every school district, to support us so that we can support the public schools in that area," Frans said. "When you have a community that's actively engaging in supporting our work, then we can expand much faster."
North Lake School counselor Jill Lesch said the school continues to use Oasis as another level of support for students.
"Some of the tutors are continuing to work virtually with the students, which has been working just fine. Then we have one of the tutors who comes and works in person, particularly with our younger students," Lesch said. "They've become an important part of our discussions with our student support and just another great resource to help our kids who just need a boost academically."
The school is supporting five students this school year, up from three the previous year, according to North Lake Superintendent Liesl Ackley. She's glad some of the tutors have been willing to come in person.
"North Lake School has been open, in person, five days a week, with no virtual option last school year and this school year. So when we can have kids directly in front of mentors, it really works best," Ackley said.
"We've seen that the face-to-face is so much more effective, so we're happy to be pretty much back to that," said Schilling.
The Oasis Project has also hired an assistant program director, Kathy Arts, to help implement the organization's expansion. The organization is also looking to hire administrative help, Frans said.
To donate to The Oasis Project, visit www.oasisprojectwi.org/donate and click on the "Donate" link. Checks can be mailed to Oasis Project, P.O. Box 27, Wales, WI 53183.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oasis Project expands tutoring to Oconomowoc elementary schools
