The DREAM Program, Inc. 41 Dearborn St. Roxbury, MA 02119 (617) 699-8408 www.dreamprogram.org
November 15, 2012
The Putnam Gardens DREAM Update October 2012 The Putnam Gardens program had a great month of October full of fun Friday activities. DREAM Programming: 10/5 (8 mentees, 7 mentors): The group headed back to Harvard for a scavenger hunt around campus. It was a great way for the newer mentees to get a feel for where the mentors go to school. 10/12 (6 mentees, 8 mentors): The mentees were able to choose between playing basketball in the gym and going to the Museum of Science. 10/19 (7 mentees, 9 mentors): All the mentors and mentees hung out on campus and wrote letter to youth in Spain that Kiernan, one of the mentors, had taught while she was aboard last Spring Semester. After a short lesson on time zones the mentees were on board to write letters instead of just calling or video chatting with the class. 10/26 (7 mentees, 5 mentors): The majority of the group spent the afternoon carving pumpkins and jumping in leaf piles. One mentee went with her mentor to cook dinner with her Korean class. Programming Opportunities: Celtics Game: Through Mass Mentor and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, one match was able to attend the Celtics game on the 21st. It was his first Celtics game and was a great way for him in his mentor to strengthen their mentoring relationship. Program Development: Making up missed programming: As with all college students DREAM mentors occasionally have schedule conflicts and can’t make a Friday afternoon of programming. The Harvard mentors have done an outstanding job this semester ensuring that their mentee still attends Friday programming and that they meet outside of Friday that week to still have time together. During these outside of Friday programming time matches have attended plays, cooked dinner, and grabbed a bite to eat in a dining hall. Becoming part of the college: The mentors will be applying to become a recognized student group by the Public Service Network of Harvard in the Spring Semester. They are using the time this Fall Semester to complete the application so it is ready to submit when they return from winter break. New mentee: The mentors brought on a new youth this month who has participated in summer programming on a consistent basis over the last two summers and was ecstatic to be in school-year DREAM!