Some programs for youth go well beyond engage, educate, and inspire – they empower. For 26 years Oasis for Girls has been empowering girls and young women of color. The San Francisco based nonprofit provides programs that foster community, leadership, and creativity. Executive Director LaVonda Baldwin explained, “We provide a safe and supportive space where girls and young women can cultivate the skills, knowledge, and confidence to discover their dreams and build strong futures.”
Serving young women and girls, ages 14 -18, from under-resourced communities, Oasis for Girls provides academic, professional, and personal support. “We provide trauma informed, culturally responsive, and paid programming that equips girls with critical life skills and leadership development, creative expression, and career readiness training”.
Providing mentorship and career training, Oasis for Girls empowers young women with skills and professional development that helps them flourish. Various cohorts run throughout the year and focus on leadership skills, social justice, artistic expression, and more. Graduates of the programs go on to achieve success in their education, careers and communities. Ms. Baldwin fondly recalled how Oasis for Girls alumna Jessica Cruz, who had just been accepted to one of her top university choices to study engineering, shared her accomplishments at last year’s Annual Shine Gala. “She shared how she experienced personal and professional growth at Oasis for Girls and how it shaped her confidence, her leadership, and her future path.”
Strong women help shape strong women and Oasis has no shortage of them, inclusive of Executive Director LaVonda Baldwin who holds a master’s degree in international media advocacy and Communications from Columbia University, as well as graduate study in Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell University. In addition, her experience at the U.S. Department of State likely influences the atmosphere of comity and sisterhood that prevails among the young women at Oasis for Girls.
Felton Institute is proud to partner with Oasis for Girls, leasing space to the growing nonprofit at Felton’s newly acquired building at 1170 Market St. in San Francisco. Ms. Baldwin is excited about the opportunities the new location will provide. “We have the capacity to serve a broader community beyond our cohorts,” she said. Of the partnership with Felton, Ms. Baldwin said, “We’re drawn to the idea of being in a community-focused environment with an organization that so deeply shares our mission of advancing equity, wellness and opportunity.”
Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services to transform lives. Our organization offers 50+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults. Our award-winning programs, which have been recognized as national models, combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve.
Founded in 1889, Felton is the oldest secular non-profit social services provider in the City and County of San Francisco. We have expanded our services across most Bay Area counties and continue to be at the forefront of pioneering new approaches to meet the emerging needs of underserved populations.
We know what it looks like to successfully build community.
We foster impactful change by strengthening the community as a premiere service provider. We also strengthen other service providers by supporting them in their fiscal, human resources, communications, IT and overall agency operations. With Felton’s support, they are able to focus on providing the best services to their clients, doing the work they were meant to do.
Felton empowers the community and ensures successful outcomes to all we engage with.
Felton Institute is a tax-exempt organization registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-1156530.