The DREAM Program, Inc. 41 Dearborn St. Boston, MA 02119 (617) 699-8408 www.dreamprogram.org
August 31st, 2012
The Somerville Housing Authority DREAM Update 4 Quarter Report 2011-2012 Program Year (June-August) th
During the fourth quarter DREAM designed and implemented a successful summer of programming for SHA youth. DREAM Summer Community Interns ran programming for the community every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from June 25th through August 15th. Youth Participation: 26 youth from SHA properties participated in DREAM summer programming. 18 participated on multiple occasions. 12 of the youth don’t participate in school-year DREAM programming. Many of them are excited to join school-year DREAM this fall. Summer Programming Activities: Programming was held in the community and around the Greater Boston Area. On-site activities: Ice cream making Paper quilt making Water games Paper airplane designing Board games Picture frame making Tie dye and shirt decorating Kickball Dodgeball Baking soda volcanoes Pizza making Sidewalk chalk art Off-site activities and trips: Harborfest at City Hall Plaza Swimming at local pools and Mystic Lake Hiking and swimming at the Blue Hills Reservation Tour of the Taza Chocolate Factory The Aquarium Tufts University The Children’s Museum Bigger events or trips: A day of activities put on for SHA youth by the Harbor Island Summer Programming Team.
A field day for DREAM put on by the Red Sox staff as part of their 100 acts of kindness to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. A community cookout to celebrate a great summer of DREAM.
Additional Summer Opportunities City to Saddle: Along with eight other DREAM youth, two SHA youth participated in a weeklong horseback riding day camp at Liberty Hill Farm in Lancaster, MA through City to Saddle. In the week leading up to camp, the youth held a bake sale fundraiser to raise the small fee for the camp. The bake sale helped fund their week of camp, introduced them to campers from the other DREAM communities, and empowered them to play an important role in the process. Over the course of the week at Liberty Hill Farm they learned how to care for and ride horses. It was a wonderful experience that the participants are still talking about. DREAM Office: New Regional Director: Rachel Lieberman, the new Regional Director of the Boston DREAM office, officially started in June. If you would like to contact her you can email her at Rachel@dreamprogram.org. Massachusetts Promise Fellow: DREAM was awarded a Massachusetts Promise Fellow again this year. Zahra Ohldin, our new Fellow, started this August. If you would like to contact her you can email her at Zahra@dreamprogram.org. Program Development: The mentors will be returning to campus in the beginning of September and school-year DREAM will start up soon after. We are looking forward to serving more SHA youth this school year! Keep DREAMing! Chad Butt, Boston Programs Director