Oklahoma teens and their caregivers hope to Ascend to new heights — together
A local nonprofit competed for a large grant to develop a first-of-its-kind program for the organization.
Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County didn't get that grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, but the foundation's leaders were so intrigued by the organization's proposal, they awarded the nonprofit a smaller but still hefty grant from the Rees Family to develop a unique program called Ascend.
Opportunities Industrialization Center, more commonly known as OIC, has offered classes and programs for adults since its inception in 1966. However, Ascend is partnering with a popular youth program called Project Exit by offering sessions for Project Exit youths' adult caregivers — primarily single parents or grandparents raising grandchildren.
One might call it a family affair.
Sharlen Carter is an Ascend participant whose grandchildren Zion and Zori Morrow are part of Project Exit. When Carter goes to her Ascend session from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month at Rose State College, Zion and Zori go with her so they can attend Project Exit sessions being held simultaneously.
Carter said she was encouraged after attending the first few Ascend sessions to move forward with some of her long-held goals, such as becoming a supervisor at her workplace.
"I initially brought my grandkids to see how they would adjust to the (Project Exit/Ascend) program," Carter said. "After the first meeting, I became interested because not only does it help improve them, but it helps improve me. The program is positive, very positive."
Test of time
In addition to being a prominent Oklahoma medical doctor, Dr. Charles Atkins became the first African American member of the Oklahoma City Council in 1966. OIC of Oklahoma County is among his many other accomplishments. He founded the nonprofit in 1966. The local organization was started as an Oklahoma affiliate of the first OIC, which was founded in Philadelphia by the Rev. Leon H. Sullivan and 400 ministers in the Philadelphia area who were concerned that local residents did not have the skills and education needed to successfully compete for jobs.
DesJean Jones, OIC's executive director, said the organization has stood the test of time because its leaders have been able to home in on the needs of community members, particularly those who need adult literacy and GED courses, and computer and job training. She said the Ascend program is another way to fulfill the nonprofit's goal to help individuals reach their potential by addressing some of the issues and causes of generational poverty.
Vivian Tyson, founder of Project Exit, said she started the program for youths in her Sunday school class in 2017, when she was a freshman at the University of Oklahoma.
"We would get into trouble because we were supposed to be talking about Moses and Noah, but we were talking about scholarships and college readiness," she said, smiling.
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Eventually, her pastor saw the merit of allowing Tyson to set up the organization that became known as Project Exit. The group for youths ages 8 to 18 met at the church for several years to learn how to prepare for college, in addition to how to build their resume, interview readiness, goal setting, financial literacy, social media management and entrepreneurship, among other things. She said the three major pillars of Project Exit are mentorship, exposure and futuristic thinking, and that each participant is given a mentor to help them reach their goals.
Tyson said during three years of working with Project Exit youths, she felt there was a need for a similar program for the caregivers of the young people participating in the youth program. Youths were finding that their caregivers weren't always as familiar with some of the information they were gleaning from Project Exit.
"So whenever we were talking to our students about things like FAFSA, and then the student goes home and says 'Mom, I need your taxes' — the parent was like 'What do you mean?'" Tyson said.
With Project Exit partnering with OIC to offer the Ascend "full family" sessions, youths are learning ways to succeed while their their parents and other caregivers are learning similar information so they may better help their children and themselves.
Aleshia Moore, Ascend director, said the program for adults also focuses on mentoring and coaching participants, creating generational change within the family unit.
"So this initiative is to get everybody involved in the process," she said.
Moore said the Ascend/Project Exit partnership requires participants to commit to one year of monthly sessions. Project Exit participants are required to pay $25 a month to be part of the program, but the fee is waived when their caregiver signs up for Ascend.
Moore said family bonding activities, game nights and other events to bring the adults and youths together are planned, along with the traditional sessions.
Moore said the whole family initiative has grown in recent months from 13 families to 30 families, and she sees that as progress.
Jones shared similar thoughts. She said some of the caregivers have never had time to explore their own ambitions, and they have found help doing so through Ascend.
"As parents, when you start to have children, your one mission in life becomes to give them a good start and so you may have delayed a lot of your own career or educational pursuits in order to make sure that they would have the foundation that they need to be successful," Jones said. "With the Ascend program, we want to say to them now is 'Remember all of those dreams and aspirations that you once had for yourself? It's not too late for you to do those things.'"
Jones, known for her optimistic and encouraging approach, enthusiastically describes the Ascend participants as "the A Squad."
Meanwhile, Nancy Anthony, who retired June 30 as longtime Oklahoma City Community Foundation president, said the foundation's leaders were impressed with OIC's unique approach to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. She said the foundation's leaders felt the Ascend proposal was worthy because it hoped to address ways to influence an individual's mindset or outlook on life while sharing tangible resources and tools for success.
"It was interesting to try to approach it differently than just one particular aspect of somebody's life but to think about it in terms of everything that you have, and everything that you are," Anthony said of the program.
Future aspirations
Carter said she isn't her grandchildren's primary caregiver, but she tries to help their mother, her daughter, who is a single parent. She said she likes Project Exit because it has exposed Zion and Zori to different things.
"I have been present in their lives, and I make sure I keep them in something positive," she said.
She said she successfully applied for a supervisor's position at her current job after attending some encouraging Ascend sessions. She said the program already has her working on her longtime goal to open an adult day care facility.
As for OIC's future, the organization is hosting a fundraiser called "Bourbon on the Roof" set for Thursday at Capitol Event Center, 5201 N Lincoln Blvd.
The nonprofit also is preparing to offer its fourth OIC Business Academy, a program funded by the OKC Black Justice Fund, Bank of America and Boeing. The academy is set to launch in September at Centennial Health, 1720 NE 23. The training academy will teach all components of a business startup.
OIC-Oklahoma County fundraiser: Bourbon on the Roof with OIC
What: Jazz, cash bar, raffles; all proceeds will go toward OIC programming.
When: 6 p.m. July 28.
Where: Capitol Event Center rooftop, 5201 N Lincoln Blvd.
Cost: Tickets are $30 in advance; $35 at the door.
Information: Tickets may be purchased at OIC, 3033 N Walnut Ave., Building East, or online at https://oicokc.org/.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Local teens and their caregivers hope to Ascend to new heights — together
