dreamprogram.org The DREAM Program @DREAMprogram
The Village Mentoring Organization
Middlebury DREAM Quarterly Report March-May 2015 Greetings from DREAM! As the school year drew to an end and the children and college students all prepared for summer, wonderful DREAM activities began, starting in March and stretching into May. Our Local Programs and communities were brimming with DREAMiness and here is a summary of happenings that occurred during these three months. Highlights from the quarter include: • Mentees also participated in an Easter egg hunt this month, and everyone had a blast! •
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On one Friday, the Middlebury Rugby team held a workshop for mentees in the gym. They practice some rugby skills and everyone enjoyed the opportunity to run around the gym. The next week, mentors brought the younger mentees to the gym for freeze tag, while the teenagers went to the student center to play pool. On one Friday, the younger mentees played games in the gym, while older mentees went to the student center to play pool and ping pong. Taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather, mentors and mentees went to the quad for group games – a little fun in the sun! On the last Friday before culminating, mentors held a barbeque at Pine Meadow. Mentees, their parents, and other friends of DREAM all turned out for a wonderful time. Middlebury mentors and mentees celebrated the end of the year with a culminating event. They spent a beautiful, sunny day at the Burlington waterfront. They started in the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, then had a picnic in Waterfront Park. After some frisbee and dipping their toes in the (still frigid) lake, the group went to Pizza Putt in Colchester for some mini-golf, arcade games, and, of course, PIZZA! The group finished their night at Camp DREAM, in Fletcher, Vermont, with a bonfire, s’mores, and scary stories! Everyone had a blast and was glad to spend the night at DREAM’s wonderful outdoor space!
Special Events for Children and Mentors: • Elm Street planned, fundraised for, and challenged themselves to a high ropes course at Northern Lights Rock and Ice this quarter for their culminating event, to celebrate another successful year together. • Capacity Building and Fundraising: • Dartmouth College DREAM Programs underwent a fierce season of fundraising for the High Adventure trip they will take in June. Look for updates from the trip in our next report!
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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DREAM continues to raise funds for our capital campaign, reaching about $200,000 of our $500,000 goal so far. We will be building up Camp DREAM to allow more youth from our programs to get to camp. Plans involve a bathhouse, a lodge and an infirmary.
Mentor Training and Workshops: • There were no mentor trainings this quarter Camp: • DREAM had some great help from volunteers at our Camp Work Days this quarter. IBM brought three volunteers on May 1st and Hickok and Boardman Insurance brought 15 volunteers on May 22nd. Volunteers helped with carpentry work on framing for our newest building, the bathhouse. They provided skilled tree services and helped stock fuel wood for our Camp oven that feeds kids all summer long. Alumni Involvement: • DREAM welcomed many new faces to our Alumni Organization this quarter. We had 11 high school graduates who have big plans for next year, we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next! We also welcomed many mentor graduates who we hope will stay involved and engaged as they transition to post-college life. Well done everyone! Office: • DREAM staff gathered at Bolton Valley Resort for a Sprinter retreat on March 1617. • The DREAM staff and board members gathered for a retreat in May to talk about DREAM’s future, engage in meaningful converstations about our programs and participate in a Safe Spaces training. 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/mentoring/vermont/localprogram-reports.
DREAM big, Adam Hurwitz Program Empowerment Director AmeriCorps*VISTA adam@dreamprogram.org 802.338.8979