We believe that our communities thrive and young people succeed when we invest in expanded learning.

We are the Opp Project LLC, Tulsa’s only intermediary ensuring that young people have access to high-quality afterschool and summer school programs. Founded in 2017 as a component fund of the Tulsa Community Foundation, our mission is to ensure that all Tulsa youth have equitable access to afterschool and summer enrichment programs that are dynamic, safe, and engaging. The Opp works to increase youth-serving organizations' capacity to deliver programming, connect youth-serving organizations to youth and their communities, and advocate for equitable OST experiences across Tulsa.

What we believe:

We believe high-quality programs create learning environments where youth feel:

  • SAFE—physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally—so youth can understand and express their emotions, feel a sense of belonging, and have a safe space for identity exploration

  • ENGAGED—through hands-on activities that foster communication skills, teamwork, and empathy, and are scaffolded for deeper learning

  • SUPPORTED—by caring adults who share leadership and responsibility, foster a growth mindset, and support youth interests for future learning and goals

In action, we:

  • CREATE and AMPLIFY professional development opportunities rooted in the Tulsa’s OST standards.

  • LEVERAGE nationally recognized tools to assess the safety, efficacy, and impact of programming on youth development.

  • COLLECT and SHARE high-fidelity data about OST programs and distribute it proactively with our community.

  • ENHANCE expanded learning in Tulsa so youth have high-quality, equitable experiences outside of school.

  • EMPOWER a network of OST advocates to ensure that Tulsa youth have meaningful, safe, and engaging OST experiences.

Our five strategic priorities:

Timeline:

2017
In 2017, The Opp was created as part of the PSELI (Partnership for Social Emotional Learning Initiative) national research grant in partnership with Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) and the Wallace Foundation that resulted in research published that continues to guide local and national youth development communities today.

2018
AfterOpp, The Opp’s middle school initiative is launched, providing OST experiences for Tulsa youth across four middle schools.

2019
TIDEL, The Opp’s integrated data management system was launched. TIDEL is now utilized by over 100 organizations and supports OST learning for over 15,000 children in Tulsa County.

2020
The Opp forms a formal partnership with Tulsa Public Schools to launch Ready. Set. Summer!, TPS’ groundbreaking summer school program.

2020
The Opp is selected to allocate $1.35M COVID-relief dollars as pass-through funds to youth-development organizations in Tulsa.

2021
HireUp, The Opp’s youth internship and workforce program launches. The Opp worked with TPS and local organizations to provide job training and place youth in paid internships. Over 100 youth have participated in HireUp since 2021.

Tulsa City of Learning (TCOL) launches. In partnership with the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), this website is a resource that connects families to summer camps and other programs.

2022
The Team Tulsa Expanded Learning Support (TTELS) program launched, in which The Opp was able to allocate passthrough dollars to TPS teachers and staff to create and implement after school clubs. Since 2022, The Opp has supported over hundreds of unique clubs in over 40 schools.

2021-2023:
The Opp allocated nearly $7 million COVID-relief dollars as passthrough funds to youth-development organizations, providing afterschool and summer learning opportunities to youth in Tulsa Public Schools.

2023
Presented in partnership with Tulsa Public Schools, Ready. Set. Summer! received national recognition from the National Summer Learning Association and the New York Life Foundation. This is the first time in 30 years that a school district has won the Excellence in Summer Learning Award!