The DREAM Program, Orchard Gardens, December 2017

Northeastern/​ ​Orchard​ ​Gardens​ ​DREAM​ ​Monthly Snapshot December​ ​2017 Program​ ​Happenings​ ​and​ ​Highlights ● Mentors​ ​are​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​creating​ ​cohesive​ ​and​ ​consistent​ ​programming​ ​with mentees​ ​by​ ​starting​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​a​ ​repetition​ ​of​ ​themes​ ​and​ ​activities​ ​each​ ​week. ● This​ ​month,​ ​Mentors​ ​had​ ​slightly​ ​less​ ​time​ ​with​ ​mentees​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​holidays however,​ ​mentors​ ​are​ ​making​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​effort​ ​to​ ​spend​ ​more​ ​one​ ​on​ ​one​ ​time​ ​with their​ ​mentees​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​Saturday​ ​programming.​ ​During​ ​group​ ​programming​ ​this month​ ​mentors​ ​showed​ ​a​ ​movie,​ ​facilitated​ ​creative​ ​slime​ ​making​ ​and​ ​took mentees​ ​roller​ ​skating. ● Mentors​ ​held​ ​the​ ​last​ ​programming​ ​until​ ​January​ ​at​ ​the​ ​roller​ ​rink​ ​which​ ​proved​ ​to be​ ​somewhat​ ​hectic​ ​due​ ​outside​ ​factors.​ ​Mentors​ ​are​ ​following​ ​up​ ​to​ ​close​ ​out​ ​the year​ ​with​ ​one​ ​on​ ​one​ ​time​ ​with​ ​their​ ​mentees​ ​before​ ​they​ ​leave​ ​for​ ​the​ ​holiday break. ● Two​ ​new​ ​co-chairs​ ​are​ ​stepping​ ​in​ ​at​ ​Northeastern​ ​co-chair.​ ​Megan​ ​McGuire​ ​is stepping​ ​down​ ​and​ ​Scott​ ​Kantor​ ​has​ ​finished​ ​his​ ​term​ ​as​ ​co​ ​chair​ ​and​ ​will​ ​act​ ​as an​ ​advisor.​ ​Emilie​ ​Paul​ ​and​ ​Daphne​ ​Campbell​ ​ ​will​ ​be​ ​co​ ​chairs​ ​starting​ ​in January.

Participants Mentees

Mentors

Total:​ ​28

Total:​ ​27

Weekly​ ​Programming​ ​with​ ​Participants ● During​ ​November,​ ​Orchard​ ​Garden’s​ ​mentees​ ​had​ ​two​ ​or​ ​three​ ​one-on-one sessions​ ​with​ ​their​ ​mentors,​ ​made​ ​creative​ ​slime,​ ​had​ ​a​ ​movie​ ​“night”​ ​and​ ​had their​ ​winter​ ​culminating​ ​event​ ​at​ ​the​ ​roller​ ​rink. o One-on-one​ ​sessions​ ​are​ ​going​ ​well​ ​and​ ​the​ ​mentors​ ​greatly​ ​enjoy​ ​their time​ ​with​ ​mentees.​ ​Mentors​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​offer​ ​additional​ ​support​ ​with homework​ ​and​ ​school,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​social​ ​and​ ​emotional​ ​issues​ ​that mentees​ ​face​ ​within​ ​their​ ​home​ ​and​ ​school​ ​communities.​ ​This​ ​month mentors​ ​have​ ​asked​ ​what​ ​ways​ ​they​ ​can​ ​better​ ​understand​ ​their​ ​mentee and​ ​the​ ​Orchard​ ​Gardens​ ​community.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​working​ ​with​ ​PED Chelsea​ ​Griffin​ ​to​ ​brainstorm​ ​ideas​ ​and​ ​tactics.​ ​Moving​ ​into​ ​the​ ​following semester​ ​this​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​focus​ ​for​ ​mentors​ ​as​ ​they​ ​plan​ ​programming and​ ​one​ ​on​ ​one​ ​time​ ​with​ ​their​ ​mentees o Mentors​ ​held​ ​a​ ​movie​ ​afternoon​ ​the​ ​first​ ​weekend​ ​in​ ​November​ ​and watched​ ​Sing!​ ​with​ ​mentees.​ ​This​ ​programming​ ​had​ ​mixed​ ​reactions​ ​as mentees​ ​had​ ​a​ ​hard​ ​time​ ​sitting​ ​still​ ​with​ ​so​ ​many​ ​people​ ​in​ ​one​ ​space​ ​for the​ ​entirety​ ​of​ ​the​ ​movie.​ ​Mentors​ ​noticed​ ​mild​ ​bullying​ ​in​ ​this​ ​type​ ​of setting​ ​and​ ​while​ ​they​ ​addressed​ ​it,​ ​they​ ​feel​ ​that​ ​holding​ ​a​ ​movie​ ​as programming​ ​might​ ​not​ ​be​ ​the​ ​best​ ​use​ ​of​ ​their​ ​time​ ​together.​ ​There​ ​was also​ ​mixed​ ​reactions​ ​from​ ​mentees;​ ​older​ ​mentees​ ​had​ ​no​ ​interest​ ​in watching​ ​the​ ​movie,​ ​while​ ​younger​ ​mentees​ ​seemed​ ​to​ ​enjoy​ ​the experience. o The​ ​second​ ​group​ ​programming​ ​of​ ​November​ ​was​ ​creating​ ​slime.​ ​This project​ ​went​ ​well,​ ​mentees​ ​and​ ​mentors​ ​both​ ​loved​ ​the​ ​activity​ ​and​ ​were able​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​scientific​ ​method​ ​to​ ​guide​ ​their​ ​process. o The​ ​final​ ​weekend​ ​of​ ​november​ ​into​ ​December​ ​Mentors​ ​planned​ ​the winter​ ​culminating​ ​experience​ ​for​ ​mentees​ ​and​ ​took​ ​them​ ​roller​ ​skating.

Due​ ​to​ ​an​ ​error​ ​in​ ​their​ ​system,​ ​the​ ​roller​ ​rink​ ​double​ ​scheduled​ ​and​ ​there were​ ​around​ ​250​ ​people​ ​present​ ​which​ ​made​ ​programming​ ​hectic.​ ​One mentee​ ​fell​ ​and​ ​chipped​ ​her​ ​tooth​ ​but​ ​that​ ​was​ ​the​ ​only​ ​incident.​ ​DREAM and​ ​the​ ​mentor​ ​are​ ​following​ ​up​ ​with​ ​an​ ​incident​ ​report​ ​and​ ​calls​ ​the​ ​the family.

Program​ ​Empowerment​ ​Director​ ​Perspective Areas​ ​of​ ​Growth: ● Northeastern​ ​mentors​ ​show​ ​tremendous​ ​leadership​ ​development​ ​and​ ​have created​ ​a​ ​leadership​ ​board​ ​help​ ​manage​ ​all​ ​of​ ​their​ ​activities​ ​and​ ​goals​ ​over​ ​the next​ ​semester. ● Mentors​ ​are​ ​planning​ ​an​ ​overnight​ ​culminating​ ​experience​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Berkshire Outdoor​ ​Center​ ​in​ ​the​ ​spring​ ​with​ ​mentees​ ​and​ ​have​ ​started​ ​planning​ ​the​ ​event.

They​ ​will​ ​reach​ ​out​ ​to​ ​parents​ ​in​ ​the​ ​coming​ ​months.​ ​They​ ​show​ ​strong organization​ ​and​ ​forethought​ ​which​ ​will​ ​help​ ​them​ ​prepare​ ​for​ ​the​ ​High​ ​Adventure trip​ ​in​ ​fall​ ​2018. ● Mentors​ ​are​ ​thoughtful​ ​with​ ​their​ ​mentees​ ​and​ ​show​ ​great​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​their​ ​growth.

Areas​ ​Needing​ ​Growth: ● Mentors​ ​are​ ​noticing​ ​the​ ​dissipation​ ​of​ ​teen​ ​mentee​ ​involvement​ ​and​ ​need​ ​to work​ ​with​ ​teens​ ​to​ ​re-interest​ ​and​ ​involve​ ​them​ ​in​ ​programming.​ ​Mentors​ ​have expressed​ ​that​ ​the​ ​teen​ ​mentees​ ​are​ ​more​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​attend​ ​one-on-one​ ​sessions than​ ​group​ ​sessions​ ​because​ ​they​ ​feel​ ​group​ ​programming​ ​is​ ​directed​ ​toward younger​ ​participants.​ ​The​ ​mentors​ ​need​ ​to​ ​think​ ​of​ ​solutions​ ​to​ ​address​ ​this​ ​issue. ● The​ ​mentors​ ​have​ ​strong​ ​organizational​ ​skills​ ​and​ ​good​ ​existing​ ​relationships​ ​with mentees​ ​and​ ​are​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​push​ ​themselves​ ​to​ ​think​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​box​ ​and​ ​take​ ​their programming​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​level. ● Mentors​ ​need​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​details​ ​during​ ​programming​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​everyone​ ​is on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​page.

Thank​ ​you​ ​for​ ​your​ ​ongoing​ ​support​ ​of​ ​DREAM.​ ​ If​ ​you​ ​would​ ​like​ ​additional​ ​information please​ ​reach​ ​out​ ​to​ ​me​ ​via​ ​email​ ​or​ ​phone.

DREAM​ ​big, Chelsea​ ​Griffin Program​ ​Empowerment​ ​Director cgriffin@dreamprogram.org 503-957-0769