Community Updates
Miss Intention is a powerful music video shining a light on the injustices many students—particularly Black girls—face inside school systems that use punitive discipline measures like detention and suspension. Miss Intention poses the question to educators: “When she’s crying out for attention, your response is detention. What if we stop to listen for a minute with intention?”…
Read MoreMy name is Delvin, but you can call me Del. I’m from D.C. and attended middle and high school at CHEC. The first time I connected with One Common Unity (OCU) was during my middle school days. OCU had started an afterschool program, Fly By Light, which I grew interested in. In the program, my peers and…
Read MoreJanuary 7, 2021 At One Common Unity, we feel deeply shaken and appalled by yesterday’s reprehensible attack on our democracy. We also find strength and hope in witnessing a clear victory for democracy as record-breaking numbers of Black, Latinx and Asian voters turned out to the polls and elected the first African American Senator and…
Read MoreSTORY #9: Latinx Fly By Light (English Version)
Kamisraki to everyone reading this, my name is Jair, and to some students, I’m known as “Mr. Ja” or “Mr. Yahir.” I’m an indigenous community organizer and advocate in the multiple struggles for climate and social justice. I am also a program facilitator for the Fly By Light program across multiple schools in the District. Hola!…
Read MoreKamisraki a todos leyendo, mi nombre es Jair, pero mis estudiantes me dicen “Mr. Ja” o “Mr. Yahir.” Soy un organizador indígena que lucha contra el cambio climático y por la justicia social. También soy facilitador del programa Volar por La Luz que se lleva a cabo en varias escuelas dentro del distrito. Volar por La…
Read MoreThe Health & Wellness pillar focuses on holistic health of the mind, body, and spirit. We work to teach students how to make healthy choices for their bodies, to nurture their spirits, and to care for their minds. Mindfulness is a core tool within this pillar. We believe that a balanced lifestyle is imperative in…
Read MoreAs the Program Associate at One Common Unity (OCU), I work closely, day to day, with the Program Director and Program Facilitators to ensure FLY BY LIGHT is the best it can be and that everyone has what they need to succeed. Of the five OCU pillars in our Fly By Light curriculum, social-emotional learning (SEL) is a…
Read MoreOCU showcases are the heartbeat or pulse of our work. They’re like gifts wrapped in sandpaper, each student or group unraveling their light onto the mic as they show how they grew, from beginning to end, from being with FLY BY LIGHT. The showcases give folks an active view of what it looks like to…
Read MoreAs a FBL program facilitator, artist, photographer, activist and gardener, I am passionate about holistic wellness, nature, yoga, plants, social justice movement work, and cooking. I grew up in Washington, DC and am proud to be working here. In Fly By Light programming, I use visual art, photography, dialogue and creative writing to support students…
Read Moreby One Common Unity’s Program Director, Shaden Dowiatt Fly By Light (FBL) is a youth development program that weaves together the pillars of Artistic Expression, Social Emotional Literacy, Health and Wellness, Environmental Leadership, and Social Justice. In the FBL program, youth leaders have the space to express, grow, transform and heal. Fly By Light is unique because it…
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