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Enriching the Lives of Mature Adults |
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News
OASIS Founder Marylen Mann Receives AARP Impact Award
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 5, 2005 - Marylen Mann, OASIS Founder and Chairman of the Board, received the prestigious AARP Impact Award in a celebration at the New York Public Library. Mann is one of ten people who "did something extraordinary to make the world a better place" according to AARP The Magazine. She is being honored for her work to develop the OASIS program and expand it into a national nonprofit organization serving more than 360,000 mature adults.
Other recipients of the 2006 award Michael J. Fox, Nancy Barry, Harry Belafonte, Governor Mike Huckabee, Naomi Judd, Jane Kaczmarek, Dr. Norman McSwain, Alan Reich and Margie Richard. Profiles of all the award recipients are published in the January-February issue of AARP The Magazine and at www.aarpmagazine.org.
Mann founded OASIS in 1982 at a time when there were few opportunities for mature adults to engage in stimulating, productive roles in the community.
"Advances in medical science and longevity had already led to a growing population of healthy, independent older adults, but very little attention was paid to the question of what to do with the 20-30 years we have after retirement, or to the future impact of baby boomers approaching retirement age," Mann said.
Mann drew on her background in education and conducted research with older adults to develop a program for people who wanted to pursue new directions. Her plan integrated opportunities for people to continue their education and personal growth, maintain their health and take on meaningful new roles to support their communities.
John Rowe and Robert Kahn validated the importance of this three-pronged approach to aging in 1998 with their publication of Successful Aging, the result of a 10-year landmark study funded by the McArthur Foundation. The book identified three essential components for successful aging: staying mentally and physically active, avoiding disease, and active engagement in life.
"The history of aging in America is not only a history of bold innovation - but of remarkable innovators," said Marc Freedman, President of Civic Ventures, a think tank that supports civic engagement. "Marylen Mann is just such an innovator, and her work has changed the nature of aging in this country in ways that benefit all generations."
Today OASIS offers classes in the arts, humanities, consumer issues, health and technology through its educational centers in 26 cities. Civic engagement is an integral part of the program. OASIS involves more than 10,000 individuals each year in community service. Volunteers tutor children, plan and teach classes, serve as peer counselors and do much of the work needed to run the organization day-to-day.
Most OASIS centers are located in department stores that were part of The May Department Stores Company, now Federated Department Stores.
"For more than 20 years, OASIS has helped The May Department Stores Company connect with its communities nationwide," said Terry Lundgren, President and CEO of Federated Department Stores. "We look forward to continuing this commitment as May Company stores convert to Macy's in 2006. OASIS and Macy's have a lot in common because we both work to improve the quality of life in our communities. OASIS provides important personal growth opportunities, and their tutoring programs make a genuine difference in the lives of so many children." OASIS reports that its tutors have helped more than 200,000 children who are learning to read since the tutoring program started in 1989.
Nationally OASIS works with more than 600 community partners to reach a broad and diverse audience. Partners include businesses, health providers, nonprofit agencies, educational and cultural institutions, libraries and affordable housing communities.
"Prevention of disease and disability is a critical issue as the population ages," said Steven Lipstein, President and CEO of BJC HealthCare, one of OASIS' healthcare partners. "Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition are major preventable causes of disease. OASIS is literally changing lives by giving people the information, skills and motivation to make lasting changes in their lifestyle habits. This is essential to keep people healthy, active and engaged in our communities."
OASIS has evolved along with its audience. As baby boomers approach the traditional retirement age, more are choosing to continue to work and are seeking retraining as they change jobs or careers. According to an AARP study, 80 percent of baby boomers plan to work in retirement. Technology skills are becoming essential in the workplace, and a large portion of the older population is still catching up. Through a partnership with AT&T, OASIS has expanded computer labs and developed technology education programs to prepare people for new roles in the workplace.
"Technology skills are increasingly fundamental to employability," said Edward Whitacre, Chairman and CEO of AT&T. "This project will help more people prepare to compete for meaningful jobs and participate fully in community service activities. And we are going to need their talents in the labor force because the next generations coming up are not large enough to offset large-scale retirements of the baby boom generation."
Mann underscored the importance of addressing the needs of the whole person - intellectual, social and physical - to help people make the most of this time of life.
"Mature adults have valuable experience to offer, and they want to continue learning, to stay active and be productive. We offer people the opportunity to develop talents they might not have explored, challenge their thinking, connect with people who share their interests, adopt a healthy lifestyle and share their experience. We have established a strong foundation in OASIS that we can build on to engage many more people in using their talents to strengthen our communities," said Mann.
For more information:Janice Branham (314) 862-2933 ext 229 jbranham@oasisnet.org OASIS News Releases April 28, 2008 OASIS Video to be Broadcast on National Television April 1, 2008 OASIS Receives $2.5 Million from The Atlantic Philanthropies Supporting Business Plan for Expansion October 10, 2007 OASIS Marks 25th Anniversary at National Conference, unveils five-year business plan to increase its impact March 14, 2007 AT&T Foundation Makes $1 Million Technology Grant to The OASIS Institute March 7, 2007 OASIS Receives National Leadership Award from NCOA February 8, 2007 OASIS Plans to Expand Programs to Reach a Broader Audience Atlantic Philanthropies Grant To Support Expansion Plan February 5, 2007 OASIS Institute Names Five Centers of Excellence for 2007-08 November 6, 2006 Marylen Mann Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from Washington University October 30, 2006 OASIS Institute Receives National Award from HHS for Promoting Healthy Lifestyle August 2, 2006 New Research Shows Active Living Every Day a Success at Activating Sedentary Adults June 21, 2006 Four New Directors Elected to the Board of The OASIS Institute April 11, 2006 OASIS Wins National RespectAbility Program of Excellence Award Recognizing Promising Practices in Civic Engagement April 11, 2006 OASIS Awarded $45,000 Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for Intergenerational Healthy Lifestyles Program January 24, 2006 OASIS Receives $778,424 in Grants from the Missouri Foundation for Health to Improve Physical and Mental Health for Mature Adults January 18, 2006 OASIS President Participates in White House Conference on Aging December 5, 2005 OASIS Founder Marylen Mann Receives AARP Impact Award August 25, 2005 SBC Foundation Funds OASIS Project to Expand Workforce Development and Community Service June 27, 2005 Survey Finds Older Americans, Baby Boomers Want Jobs With a Purpose April 5, 2005 Department Store Helps City Seniors Find Haven to Continue Learning March 16, 2005 AoA's You Can! Steps to Healthier Aging Campaign Recognizes Joint Project of OASIS and San Antonio Partners March 5, 2005 More Seniors Use Technology to Stay Connected New study shows Internet use by mature adults up 6 percent (age 50-64); 9 percent (age 65+) |
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