Throughout the month of June, we've been sharing stories from our LGBTQ+ young adults to celebrate Pride Month! Each story focuses on an OFS participant and a different topic so you can learn more:

Maurisa's story — the word "queer" and accessibility to nature

Andrew's story — gender nonconformity and inclusive spaces

Kiley's story — transgender allyship and discovering your self

Thanks to the City of Madison’s Youth Violence Prevention Grant, OFS has been able to hire three former participants for the summer as Outreach Associates to help engage new participants! From left to right:

T’Zari, who is a Legacy graduate and longstanding alum, will be using this opportunity to further her community engagement and apply what she’s learned in Social Media Marketing classes.

Breeah, who completed the Drive program and is also currently in CareerScape, wants to use this opportunity to further her networking and public speaking skills.

Mea, who is a former Legacy and Conservation Academy graduate, will be utilizing this role to sharpen her professional etiquette skills.

In January of 2022, OFS partnered with the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change plus a couple dozen local organizations, businesses, and experts to compose a long-term plan for a Civilian Climate Corps (CCC). Monday was its launch!

The goal is to help emerging adults access careers in green industries, such as solar power and conservation, and focus local environmental and conservation priorities toward environmental equity. The best part of the CCC is bringing together our community to fight the effects of climate change, with youth at the forefront! You can learn more here.

Back in May, our very own Jasmine Banks, OFS Program Manager, was selected as an honoree of YWCA Madison's 48th Women of Distinction Leadership Award! She was celebrated at the award ceremony last week, along with five other incredible women in our community.

"The list goes on and on of the phenomenal women laying the groundwork and doing what it takes to make Madison and the world a better place for all," said Jasmine in her award speech, "These are the shoulders on which I stand."

"To my community, thank you for showing up each and every time that I call and being a contributing factor to my story."

June Celebrations

Mesha

Following OFS graduation, Mesha is attending Madison Area Technical College for cosmetology! Hair has been a passion of hers for a long time, doing her own and her friends’ hair outside of school and work.

Carlos

Following OFS graduation, Carlos is attending Madison Area Technical College for automotive maintenance! As an AmeriCorps member, he received a $2,400 scholarship to put toward his education.

Olivia

Following OFS graduation, Olivia is going to be a camp counselor for youth this summer! After that, she plans to continue her education in child care or a similar field.

Ethan

A participant of both CareerScape and Drive, Ethan applied for and was awarded the Charles Jackson Tool Scholarship to start off his career in the trades! READ MORE

Support OFS at Festival

Now through Sunday, July 2, you can conveniently support OFS while grocery shopping at Festival Foods! At the Verona and East Washington stores, donate $1 or $5 at checkout (even self-checkout) to support our emerging adults in Dane County. Spread the word!

We are grateful to the Widen Family Foundation for awarding us a $20,000 grant for our kitchen's budget! Our Food Production Coordinator, Colleen, and Assistant Cook, Karen, dish out delicious, healthy breakfast and lunch each day for participants and staff. Securing funds for those costs is rare, so we appreciate the Widen Family Foundation seeing the value of nutritious, hot meals for growing young adults!

Crews enrolled in the Tier 1 Build Academy program have been working on a new construction home build in Deerfield for the past nine months, and we are seeing some great progress! Thank you to the following companies for their support of time, equipment, and resources to help us keep building costs down and provide training for our participants working with industry professionals.

• County Materials for the donation of pavers and blocks for the retaining wall and patio
• Findorff for in-kind donation of concrete vibrascreen and blade for concrete work
• Stevens Construction for assisting participants in learning how to stamp concrete on the driveway of the home

If you know someone aged 18-24 interested in construction and the trades, Build Academy at OFS may be the perfect fit!