OSA understands that we all do better when everyone, regardless of race or income, is able to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential, which for many involves going to college. Years of defunding and counterproductive policies have made higher education inaccessible and affordable. In response, we are involved in advocacy around education debt, financial aid expansion, and the end of harmful punitive policies like transcript withholding.
OSA’s vision of community safety is a holistic one in which everyone has access to the resources and services they need to thrive. A major part of this is ending the criminalization of our communities, in particular that of Black, brown, and poor young people. With campus-level campaigns and local initiatives, OSA is working towards reimagined public safety based on transformative justice and community reinvestment.
At OSA we understand the important role of artists, musicians, poets, and other types of creatives in organizing. From sponsoring an artist-activist fellowship to holding C-spaces, we believe it is critical for our work to actively shape and create culture.
OSA is dedicated to developing a youth electorate as a primary tool for power-building and way to include young people in the democratic process. As a result, we are passionate about doing voter registration, creating materials for voter education, getting out the vote, and other related work.