dreamprogram.org The DREAM Program @DREAMprogram
The Village Mentoring Organization
Elm Street DREAM Quarterly Report September – November 2013 Greetings from DREAM! The Elm Street DREAM program has finished up another wonderful semester of activities. Though youth are sad to see their mentors leaving for winter break, they look forward to their return in January. Here is a summary of all the Elm Street DREAM happenings from the last quarter.
Highlights from the quarter include: • • •
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Elm Street began a fall semester of fantastic mentoring with returning co-chair Corynn Benoit, and new co-chairs Gabby Fisher and Eli Friedman-Heiman. This year, mentors at Elm Street worked with Riverside mentors to recruit, interview, and train new mentors. Elm Street accepted 16 new mentors! Elm Street went on its second annual hike with UVM’s Catamountain Classic. With the support from an Outdoor Foundation Grant awarded to DREAM, mentors and teens chartered a bus to central Vermont, ate lunch, and hiked part of the Long Trail. Two Elm Street mentors attended DREAMstock in Bolton. They built relationships with mentors from other programs, had lots of fun, and participated in discussions about youth and DREAM programming. Elm Street mentors volunteered at the Ben and Jerry’s factory during Columbus Day, directing traffic and picking up trash to raise money for their program. Elm Street mentors and mentees went canoeing on Lake Champlain with support from the Outdoor Foundation Grant, awarded to UVM DREAM programs. Three Elm Street teens attended the Teen Futures Retreat in Richmond, where older DREAM teens gathered together to discuss the challenges of high school and life after they graduate.
Fridays: • • • • • • • • • •
Elm Street and Riverside joined together for a fun fall kick-off of swimming, healthy eating, and nature exploration at Oakledge Park. Elm Street youth and mentors picked apples at Shelburne Orchards. Mentors and mentees spent time on Lake Champlain’s waterfront. Some pairs went to ECHO. At the end of the month, Elm Street joined again with Riverside to throw a chili cook-off fundraiser on campus. Returning mentors brought new mentors into the community for a potluck and meet-and-greet with Elm Street families. Elm Street teens participated in a survival skills workshop, hosted by UVM students, with support from an Outdoor Foundation Grant. Elm Street youth went swimming at the YMCA. While younger Elm Street mentees went trick-or-treating, DREAM teens met at a mentor’s house for pizza and a movie. On a Saturday, Elm Street teens went to the Haunted Forest in Williston. DREAM thanks the Haunted Forest staff for the free tickets! Younger Elm Street mentees toured the Burlington Fire Station while teens participated in oneon-ones with their mentors.
Office: 30 Community Drive, South Burlington, VT | Mail: P.O. Box 361, Winooski, VT 05404 │ (802) 338-8979 | info@dreamprogram.org
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Thanks to the Outdoor Foundation Grant, Elm Street teens got to climb at PETRA Cliffs with their mentors! Elm Street mentees went ice-skating at Leddy Park.
Special Events for Children and Mentors: •
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A group of Elm Street mentors and teens hiked a portion of the Long Trail as part of UVM’s Catamountain Classic. This event raises funds for a scholarship for a DREAM teen to attend an Outward Bound Program each year. Thirteen older teens from across Vermont gathered for the second annual Teen Futures Retreat, where they wrote intros for their college essays, had a frank discussion about the pressure of drug use, and discussed their goals for life after high school. Thanks to all of the residents of The Swamp for hosting DREAM, and to Tristram Coffin, U.S. District Attorney, for facilitating conversation around The Opiate Effect. Lastly, DREAM thanks Paul Espina and Katie Purcell for all of their help!
Capacity Building and Fundraising: • •
DREAM was honored to receive a $20,000 capacity-building grant from Ben & Jerry’s. We look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership! On November 18, DREAM launched our Annual Appeal. Keep a look out for your letter and please consider donating. So far the Annual Appeal has raised $1,540 from 16 donors.
Mentor Training and Workshops: •
Mentors across Vermont attended DREAMstock, a fun 24-hour event graciously co-hosted by Bolton Valley Resort and Comcast. Vermont mentors participated in sessions about age-specific programming, building relationships with families, and meeting facilitation. DREAM thanks Paul Espina for his help, as well as National Bank of Middlebury, Five Guys, City Market, and Shelburne Orchard for their financial and in-kind support.
Camp: •
Camp Work Days and Days of Caring occurred in late September and early October. More than 50 volunteers assisted staff in painting the new Camp Store, building wooden bridges, and building cubbies for the lean-tos.
Alumni Involvement: •
DREAM launched its Alumni Appeal on October 29. Mentors participated in phone-a-thons, during which they called alumni, asking them to contribute to the appeal. So far, the Alumni Appeal has raised over $12,000 from 100 donors.
Office: •
In September, staff and AmeriCorps members participated in a two-day staff retreat in Guilford, VT. Discussion topics included giving and receiving feedback, DREAM’s budget, and goal setting for the year.
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DREAM Executive Director, Michael Loner, and Boston Regional Director, were honored to present at the New England Regional Mentoring Conference in Hartford, CT. Their presentation was titled "Working with Youth in Affordable Housing: Challenges and Opportunities." The DREAM Program is very proud to have been the 2013 recipient of the Miles Jensen Award, which is sponsored by Housing Vermont and recognizes the outstanding contributions of volunteers who work with residents of affordable housing communities in Vermont. Housing Vermont chose to recognize DREAM due to the thousands of hours DREAM mentors spend with youth from affordable housing sites all over Vermont and beyond, stretching the children's ambitions and uncovering opportunities. The DREAM Program recently completed the requirements for graduation from the BBVT Performance Institute. DREAM was selected to participate in the Performance Institute through a rigorous and competitive selection process, and we used our work with the Performance Institute to better define the outcomes we want for youth who participate in DREAM’s Teen Programming. DREAM was excited to welcome Jason Desrosier in September as the new Boston Programs Director! Jason comes to DREAM with an inspiring background as a community-based learning coordinator, an AmeriCorps member, and a youth advocate. DREAM is sad to say goodbye to Mike Ewan, former Program Director, Advanced Support and AmeriCorps member supervisor. Mike recently transitioned into a new position as a special educator, where he will continue his work supporting youth. Finally, DREAM is so excited to announce that Brian Fuller has joined the staff as the first Programs Director in Philadelphia! Currently he is recruiting mentors, raising funds, and working with Mike Foote, Director of Strategy and Growth, to build capacity for Philadelphia’s very first DREAM pairing: Temple University and the Cecil B. Moore Village Apartments.
Thank you for your ongoing support of DREAM. If you would like additional or more detailed information, please contact me by email or by phone. You can always look back at past reports or other programs’ reports by going to: http://dreamprogram.org/mentor-program/vermont/local-program-reports.
DREAM big, Mark Hengstler Program Empowerment Director VYT AmeriCorps VISTA mark@dreamprogram.org 802.338.8979