Thrive

Thursday nights, 7:00 – 8:00 PM (Community Dinner at 6:00 PM)
​
Check-in is Oasis’ oldest and longest running program. Come join us every Thursday at 7 pm for a peer to peer discussion about your week and what’s going on in the world. We have done check-in every Thursday for 39 years – help us keep the tradition!

If you or a group you are involved with would like to help sponsor community dinner once a month, please contact us.

1st Friday of the Month, 7:00 -8:00 PM

Come join us for a peer led conversation! Bring your questions and curiosity. Friday Forum is an open space to have discussions surrounding relevant topics in the world and everyday life!

2nd Friday of the Month, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

In collaboration with Write253, dive into the vast world of queer poetry. Explore the power of words in a safe and inclusive space where queer youth can freely share, create, and connect.

Oasis Peer Education Network! (O.P.E.N!) 
3rd Friday of the Month, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
​
O.P.E.N. is a group of Oasis members who are educating themselves and their peers about sexual assault prevention and sexual violence in the LGBTQ community. O.P.E.N. combines media literacy, critical thinking, and peer advocacy to challenge the role of power, control, and oppression within the LGBTQ community.  Our goal is to create a community whose members enjoy healthy relationships, high self esteem, and improved communication skills.

Past O.P.E.N. Program Topics include Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery, Indigenous Youth Movements, Healthy Relationships, Explorations of Gender and Identity, Intersectional Feminism, and more. Come check us out at the next O.P.E.N.!

4th Friday of the Month, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
​
In collaboration with the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, this program brings all skill levels to the program from youth to explore and experiment with making music on different but similar instruments, and was a creative outlet of expression for our queer youth.

1st Saturday of the Month, 7:00 – 8:00PM
​
Have you been looking for a way to relieve stress in your life? If so, come try out Rainbow Yoga at Oasis! Oasis partners with local providers to provide free and accessible classes led by qualified, trauma-informed instructors that will be sure to leave you more relaxed than you arrived. Whether you are looking for a challenge or just a way to maintain your bliss, Rainbow Yoga is a great option for meeting new people and deepening your individual practice in a non-judgmental setting. All levels of experience welcome.

2nd Saturday of the Month, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
​
It is often said that one of the greatest strengths amongst queer youth is their creativity. Art Night is an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into developing your art skills, learn about queer artists, and most importantly, practice self-expression.

​Come join us at our next Art Night and connect with other youth just like you!

3rd Saturday of the Month, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Sometimes it’s game night, and sometimes it’s trivia night. Youth can come together to play games, answer trivia questions, and win prizes.

Queer, Trans, Intersex People of Color (QTIPOC) Night
Every Tuesday, 5:00 – 8:00 PM

Are you tired of feeling like an outsider within your own community? QTIPOC Night at Oasis is a special time to connect with other youth without feeling like you need to choose amongst multiple communities you belong to. QTIPOC Night at Oasis is led by volunteers and staff who reflect the diversity of the youth.

Mondays, 5:00 – 8:30PM

Do you love having a place like Oasis in your community? We do too! But Oasis could not be what it is today without queer youth leading the way for building a supportive, healthy, and thriving community. So… are YOU ready to give back? If that’s a YES, then join the Oasis Youth Council where you can get community service hours for school or strengthen your leadership skills for future employment opportunities. In 4 months, you’ll learn what it’s like to plan large-scale events such as Queer Prom (ours is t he biggest in the state!), facilitate a wide variety of youth programs, and find out what it’s like to be a part of something bigger. Youth Council members will receive a monetary stipend for their participation and exclusive once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!

Contact Oasis today to find out how you can join Youth Council! (If 4-months is too big of a commitment for you right now, check out our Queer Leaders program!)

Come into Oasis to see when the next training is happening!
​
Do you love having a place like Oasis in your community? We do too! But Oasis could not be what it is today without queer youth leading the way for building a supportive, healthy, and thriving community. So… are YOU ready to give back? As a Queer Leader, you can get community service hours for school or strengthen your leadership skills for future employment opportunities. You can also be eligible for exclusive opportunities, events, and programs! Contact Oasis today to see when the next training is happening!

Wednesdays, 5:00 -8:00 PM

Project 13 is an Oasis program specifically for queer and questioning middle school youth ages 11-14 in the South Puget Sound. Our program offers youth a safe space to gather, learn, and connect with peers for eight consecutive weeks during after-school hours.

During Project 13, youth can look forward to weekly activities and discussions facilitated by staff and volunteers where they can build positive self-identity, community support, and critical thinking skills around consent, healthy relationships, and healthy decision-making.

Because these program topics build on one another, youth involved in Project 13 must attend all 8 weeks to get the most out of this program.  We ask that families commit to this first 8-week time-frame. After this 8-week cycle, we will continue to offer activity-based programming on Wednesdays prior to the start of our next cycle with new youth.

While in the target ages of 11-14, youth are encouraged to stay involved with Project 13 through as many program cycles as they like. Our curriculum will discuss topics in different ways, with new activities and angles to frame our discussions through. Youth will get something new out of each 8-week cycle they participate in!

To join, volunteer, or get involved with Project 13, you can email us at project13@oasisyouthcenter.org.

Annually in May

Queer Prom is our annual prom event that is open to LGBTQ+ youth and allies ages 14-24. Historically hosted at Pacific Lutheran University, queer and allied youth are able to access a fun, safe, and gender-affirming space to connect with friends, access resources like free HIV testing, raffle prizes, and more!

RSVP!

Annually in July

Tacoma Pride

The Tacoma Pride Festival is Tacoma’s premier Pride Celebration! Oasis Youth Center is one of many community resources present at this event. At this outreach event, we engage with many new youth and reconnect with previous youth. The Tacoma Pride Festival has historically been a fun way to spread the word about what Oasis is and how this organization helps to elevate the voices of queer & questioning youth. Our booth typically features pronoun pins & varying pride flags free of charge to encourage conversation about the importance of pronouns and representation. Keep an eye out for our booth at Tacoma Pride!

Oasis’ Pride BBQ

Occurring right after Tacoma Pride, our Pride BBQ continues the celebration in a safe, drug and alcohol free space. Our Pride BBQ is open to Oasis youth members, their families, and Oasis alumni!

Annually in October

Oasis’ Trunk or Treat is a festive Halloween event in the Oasis parking lot with a spooky playlist to set the mood, car trunks extravagantly decorated, and candy galore! This event brings together our youth members, their families, staff, volunteers, and community members.

Occuring every other year in the Fall

Oasis’ Leadership Summit is a multi-day experience centered on strengthening the queer community and individual youth leaders by interacting with inspiring community leaders, learning and practicing new leadership skills, and bolstering our youth-adult partnership. Our Leadership Summit may look a little different each time but it is still an experience you won’t want to miss!!

Occuring every other year in the Fall

Oasis’ Queer, Trans, and Intersex Persons of Color (QTIPOC) Retreat is a 3-day, 2-night wellness retreat for queer youth ages 14-24 and adult volunteers. Our retreat is focused on building individual and community leadership skills and serves our mission of transforming the lives of queer youth by creating a safe space for them to learn, connect, and thrive.

Annually in December

Each year, Oasis collaborates with the Rainbow Center to host Home for the Holidays, an affirming and supportive event for queer people to celebrate the holidays together. While many people may be spending holidays with relatives, found family and community are especially important for the queer community during the Holiday season. This is a community event bringing together Oasis Youth Center, the Rainbow Center, the folks we serve, family members, donors, and community members for a shared meal.

A group of Oasis Youth worked for three months on a project with local fine artist Hugo Moro as a part of the “Our Lives, Our Stories” project, sharing their lived experience through photography and original Stories. They presented this final project at Tacoma Art Museum as a part of the art museum’s pride fest.