OAI began as a small project launched in 1976 to integrate Indochinese refugees into the social and economic mainstream. Soon, we were applying the comprehensive service delivery model we had piloted with refugees to the workforce development problems of disadvantaged communities throughout greater Chicago.

Early affiliations with Northern Illinois and DePaul Universities strengthened our research-based approach and helped refine our operational model. By the mid 1990s, we were successfully working with community-based partners in Baltimore, Kansas City, and beyond.

In 1995, a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, one of the National Institutes of Health, enabled us to develop and implement our first training programs leading to credentials in environmental remediation and hazardous materials safety. The award led to further productive partnerships from California to Maine and confirmed our training focus.

By 2001, our success at making technical training accessible to a wide variety of learners opened the door to a new opportunity. OAI was named one of just a handful of workforce development agencies in the U.S. to pilot brownfield cleanup training for the EPA.

In 2006, a group of mayors invited OAI to extend its efforts into the south Cook County region, and the next year the OAI Chicago Southland department was launched to serve job seekers and employers through comprehensive workforce, education, training, and placement services.

High Bridge, established in 2015 as OAI’s first social enterprise venture, links our green jobs training programs with our commitment to environmental stewardship and our commitment to economic development in Chicago Southland. The company installs and maintains high-quality green infrastructure and low-impact landscaping while providing graduates and local residents with employment.

Today, OAI is an independent 501c(3) with headquarters in downtown Chicago and a regional office in the city’s south suburbs.

1. Respect
   We strive to honor the diverse individuals and communities we serve.

2. Innovation
   We are committed to pursuing and implementing new ideas that will benefit everyone.

3. Impact
   We dedicate our resources to achieve positive, measurable outcomes for each individual, community and partner we work with.

4. Integrity
   We continually evaluate and improve our performance through accountability and transparency.

5. Collaboration
   We believe in the power of collaborations to strengthen and expand the effectiveness of our work.

6. Equity
   We strongly believes anti-racism, diversity, racial equity, and inclusion are essential to everything we do.