The Oasis website is currently in transition through Sunday March 29. We will be back up and running Monday March 30.

In the meantime, here’s some background on the development of the new site.

In November 2013 at a meeting of Oasis board members, volunteers and staff, the Oasis Institute started to lay out plans for a new website, one that would be easier to navigate, and friendly to use on mobile devices like tablets and smart phones. Over the next 6 months we dove into our business requirements to define the project scope. We planned a site map and visual design. So far, so good.

Through conversations with staff and volunteers around the Oasis network we heard some great ideas for improvement. And as the development process moved forward we identified some more tweaks. OK, lots more. We learned how lofty a goal a complete scope can be. It’s a little like going on vacation. You know you are going to forget something; it’s just a matter of time before you figure out what it is.

We have soldiered on to make the best decisions about enhancements that are doable with the available time and resources and are ready to put a stake in the ground.  This has only been possible with the help of some very talented and dedicated people, most notably . . .

• Golamac Inc, the web development firm helmed by EJ Brewer, who has guided us through three major website transitions (this one being the most gigantic by far) and generously contributed many hours to find ways to resolve issues and make it happen
• Jeremy Wagner, the Oasis Institute’s IT architect/System administrator/Database designer/Security chief and mastermind of The Basement Arcade
• The Oasis development team of Niki Newcomb, Ron Wisdom, Amy VanDeVelde and Ken Charvoz
• Many volunteers and staff members  who helped with planning, development, content and testing
• AT&T Foundation and Anthem Foundation, who have provided generous support for our educational and volunteer programs, including essential investments in the technology to support those programs

I am deeply grateful to all of you for getting us to this point.

And so after 17 months of design, content update, testing and redesign we are ready to move forward. Is it finished? Websites are never finished.  We continue to get good suggestions to make it even better and look forward to settling in and incorporating more of those ideas over the coming weeks and months.

Feel free to share any observations about the site on our website feedback page – attaboys and suggestions appreciated!