The Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) is the proud recipient of a nearly $100,000 ($99,997.36) grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) as part of its COVID-19 Vaccination Community Outreach initiative. Grant funds will be used to promote health equity and will allow the District to expand its community outreach efforts to marginalized populations as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. 

The OASD is the only school district in the state to receive the grant, with a total of $6.2 million grant funds distributed. As a result of its established communication and engagement efforts, the OASD is uniquely qualified to conduct culturally competent outreach to marginalized populations in the Oshkosh community, including people of color, economically disadvantaged, households with disabilities, and non-English speaking households. This unique outreach initiative aligns with the District’s commitments to all means all, equity, and cultural responsiveness.

“OASD staff members have worked tirelessly to build trusted relationships between school and home with our over 9,000 students and their families,” explained Julie Conrad, OASD Director of Curriculum and Assessment. “This grant will allow us to leverage those relationships of trust to conduct critical outreach, reduce barriers, and advance health equity.”

The OASD is planning a comprehensive community education campaign to foster greater understanding and improve vaccine access. The initiative is expected to run throughout the summer months. As part of the grant application process, the District developed an initial outreach plan to identify target populations, tactics, and existing barriers. 

“The District intends to promote COVID-19 information and vaccination access information to all OASD families, specifically targeting families who face economic, literacy, and language barriers,” explained Linda Pierron, OASD Director of Special Education and the designated administrator of the community outreach grant. “This is critical work because the health of families and our entire community impacts our students’ ability to be in school. It is an honor to serve Oshkosh in this way.”

Community outreach to non-OASD families will also take place. Additionally, a variety of tactics, including one-on-one support, will be used to overcome barriers facing many marginalized populations. Misinformation, mistrust, scheduling challenges, child care, language, transportation, and digital literacy are just a few of the barriers the OASD plans to address in order to better serve those in need amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Pursuing this grant opportunity was a collective effort within the OASD, spearheaded by special education and English as a Second Language staff members. The following OASD staff members were key advocates of the initiative; and will serve as managers of the grant: Julie Ruck, OASD special education support teacher; Yessra Sankari, OASD Community Learning Center coordinator; and Dawn Shimura, OASD ESOL program coordinator. The District also plans to work in partnership with numerous organizations to expand its reach and continue to serve marginalized families in the Oshkosh area. Additional information will be shared as this community effort unfolds. 

More information about the grant program and other recipients is available from the Wisconsin DHS (www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/news/releases/040121.htm).