Community Updates
Washington, DC, August 2023 – One Common Unity (OCU) proudly announces Jake Frelick, LICSW as the new Senior Director of Programs. Jake is a licensed independent clinical social worker and youth development professional. Jake worked as the Arts, Leadership, and Health Manager at a community-based organization in Chicago called Alternatives. Jake received his Masters degree…
Read More
Thank you to everybody who attended this year’s Fly By Light Summer Showcase! It was an amazing evening filled with lively, heartfelt performances from the Fly By Light youth and staff. Special shout out to Roosevelt High School for allowing us to use their auditorium! The lineup of performers included: You can check out a…
Read More
Washington, DC, May 2023 – One Common Unity (OCU) is thrilled to announce our annual Fly By Light Summer Showcase, to be held on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at 6:00 pm ET in the atrium of Roosevelt High School. Audience members will experience the arts in action as youth from various wards of DC give…
Read More
Please help us reach our ambitious end-of-year giving goal of $15,000. When you give to OCU, you give DC’s youth a chance at healing. OCU’s Fly By Light program teaches youth the healing power of the arts, nature, and community connection. Fly By Light nature retreats offer youth a chance to get out of the city and…
Read More
As an opportunity to help staff and our community better get to know our new Executive Director, our Development Director, Brittany Nixon, took all the crowd-sourced questions from staff and sat down with her to get her take on things like life, work and family. It was a lot of fun, and a bit surprising, to hear some of her answers.
Read More
One Common Unity is thrilled to welcome Kim Y. Jones as its next Executive Director following a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors.
Read More
The word “Harambee” is a Swahili word that means “to pull together, to come together, and to push together.” It reminds us that we’re stronger together than we are alone. In 2021, One Common Unity organized a Harambee Summit at Roosevelt Senior High School to serve as the climax of a professional development series hosted at the school.
Read More
In early 2015, a colleague invited me to see “Fly By Light,” a new film premiering at a local community spot in Washington, DC. Once I saw the movie trailer, I jumped at the opportunity to see it.
Read More
Our students are returning to school after an extremely challenging year, one in which many have grappled with extreme stress and trauma. More than ever, we need to support youth, not punish them, when they are faced with difficulty.
Read More
“It is so thrilling to start with a small idea or concept, then to come together and combine our strengths and resources to create something bigger and more beautiful than we could have imagined.” ~ Michele, OCU School-Based Mental Health Clinician One Common Unity (OCU) and DCPS’ Perry Street Preparatory (PSP) Public Charter School began…
Read More