Northeast OKC - Whatever It Takes

Our Partners

It’s My Community Initiative (IMCI) has developed Whatever It Takes NEOKC (WIT) as a place-based, education-focused catalyst to create systemic and sustainable change from the unacceptable status quo for educational outcomes in northeast Oklahoma City (NEOKC). Through the development of a coordinated and united front in this community, we are instilling in the hearts and minds of children that failure is not an option, while creating a safety net of support services to ensure educational success.

This work takes place in a neighborhood of drastic contrast. The four target zip codes that comprise NEOKC (73104, 73105, 73111, and 73117) consistently have some of the worst socioeconomic indicators in Oklahoma; however, this traditionally African American community also has a rich history and cultural identity. The current educational outcomes represent a crisis that requires decisive and drastic action. Currently, the hard work and heroic efforts of many principals, teachers, parents and caregivers is marginalized by the lack of consistency and support from early childhood to college graduation, and throughout the educational system.

During the past two years, IMCI has worked with every level of stakeholder to develop partnerships that create a pathway from birth to college to ensure the success of our children. Our MOU partners include Public Strategies, the University of Oklahoma African and African American Studies Program, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Smart Start Central Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma Urban Teacher Preparation Academy, and Metro Technology Centers. These organizations are committed to a shared theory of change for NEOKC and bring expertise to every part of our pathway to success.

Our community is large enough to demonstrate a viable model for replication but small enough to create and sustain meaningful change. Our neighborhood includes Douglass Middle and High School and the four elementary schools that graduate students to Douglass (Edwards, F.D. Moon, Martin Luther King, and Thelma Parks). The WIT team has many years of experience implementing the types of programs identified in our pathway and working in this community. IMCI is currently administering a Department of Labor grant in the target zip codes, while Public Strategies, a key partner, has implemented a behavioral health program in each school. Collectively, these programs are the foundation of our plan to address complex issues by providing multiple coordinated solutions in NEOKC.

We are well-positioned and eager to continue formulating action plans and applying strategic thinking about our intended impacts in order to make a sustainable difference. WIT is not a one-time, short-term infusion of services. Rather, it is a long-term commitment by many which is designed to transform one of our most disadvantaged communities.