Initiatives

Our national office staff performs their work through three specialized divisions: Office of Field Operations & Programs, Office of National Literacy Programs, and Public/Private Sector Coordination.

If you are interested in any of our current program initiatives/demonstration efforts or would like to know how to establish an OIC in your community, please email us at info@oicofamerica.org

Career & Academic Development Institute (CADI)
Creative Learning Academy (CLA)
The Career & Academic Development Institute and The Creative Learning Academy are two of the accelerated, alternative high schools within the School District of Philadelphia, managed by OIC of America. The schools provide academic and developmental transitional services to diverse student populations with many coming from low income and underserved communities.

CADI and CLA provide educational services to over-age under-credentialed students who are returning to high school to earn their diploma. The schools offer a variety of teacher-led classes, web-based instruction and extra-curricular activities to ensure that students are engaged. Upon entrance, each student selects a post-secondary option (pre-college, trade school, or workforce) and is given the appropriate exposure and classroom activities to complement their chosen option. Funded by the School District of Philadelphia.

Healthy Marriage Education Project
The Healthy Marriage Education Project provides healthy relationship education and awareness to high school students ages 14-18 years old in public, private, charter and alternative school settings. OICA works in partnership with both community and faith-based organizations in support of their efforts to educate youth about the importance of building healthy relationships that hopefully will evolve into a healthy marriage someday.
OICA’s specially trained staff deliver healthy relationship education, community presentations and special events to youth and their families throughout Philadelphia County. Funded by the US Department of Health & Human Services- Administration for Children and Families.

Pathways Out of Poverty Green Jobs Training Program (POP)
The Pathways Out of Poverty Program is providing “green” training to over 1,350 unemployed individuals, high school dropouts, and individuals with a criminal record in high poverty areas of Broward County, FL, Asheville, NC and Phoenix, AZ. Through our OIC affiliates in these areas, OICA is assisting disadvantaged, under-resourced and chronically unemployed individuals to access services and training opportunities that provide a pathway-out-of-poverty into living-wage Energy Efficient and Renewable Energy industry jobs. Funded by the Employment and Training Administration of the US Department of Labor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Teen Pregnancy Prevention
The Teen Pregnancy Prevention initiative (TPP) provides a cost free service to youth ages 12 to 19 in collaboration with public, private, charter and alternative school settings, as well as community and faith based organizations throughout Philadelphia County. The primary goal of TPP is to reduce the percentage of youth engaging in premature or unsafe sexual activity and educate youth on the importance of leading a sexually healthy lifestyle. TPP is inclusive of all teen populations such as those of the LGBTQ community and teen parents. We also provide parental/guardian support to those who have youth in the program by facilitating and hosting parent meetings and increase public awareness through various community outreach efforts. Funded by US Department of Health & Human Services – Office of Adolescent Health.

Strengthening Communities Fund
Through our Human Capital Resource Investment Strategy, OICA is helping to build the capacity of 15 grassroots secular and faith-based organizations located in targeted zip codes of low-wealth communities of North, Northwest and West Philadelphia. Capacity building services are accomplished through training, one-on-one technical assistance, and sub-awards to support participating organizations in the areas of Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development, Evaluation of Effectiveness and Community Engagement. Funded by the US Department of Health & Human Services- Administration for Children & Families created through funding by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Strengthening Communities Fund Nonprofit Capacity Building Program.