Steve Chalke - Educator

Educator

From its early days Oasis has been involved in the provision of education not only in the UK but also in Asia and Africa as well as America.

In the UK early in the 1990s, in the UK, Oasis began to develop professional training for youth workers. By 2009, this had grown into a range of academically and professionally validated short courses, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of study and the Oasis College for Higher Education was established in central London. Oasis College specialises in studies in children's work, youth work, family practice and community and now offers courses to over 250 students a year.

In 2004 Chalke set up Oasis Community Learning as part of the Oasis Group of charities in order to deliver secondary education through the UK Government’s Academies programme. Three Oasis academies, at Enfield Lock, Grimsby and Immingham, opened in September 2007. Oasis’ involvement with secondary education has since grown and, from 2009, it has also developed a focus on primary education. As of September 2012, Oasis is responsible for 10 secondary schools, two "all-through" schools (offering both primary and secondary education) and seven primary schools around the country. Other projects are planned for 2013.

Oasis Community Learning aims to serve its academy students as well as to provide a centre of lifelong learning for the entire community, including; adult learning courses, community workers, fitness suites, healthy living programmes, sports courts and out-of-hours youth activities.