The Blue Wagon Alumni Newsletter – April 2013
Inside This Issue Amuse Bouche & Announcements 2 DREAM Board Welcomes Two New Members 3 First Annual Outward Bound Scholarship Trip 4 Teen Identity Retreat 5 Alumni Appeal – Putting Your Dollars to Work 6-7 Honoring Birchwood Mentors for 4 Years of Service 7 DREAM Dopplegangers 8
AMUSE BOUCHE By Adam Goldfarb, Alumni Council President Hi Fellow DREAMers, This past month saw yet another tragedy strike, and this time it was in DREAM's backyard, during an event many of us have attended or aspire to attend: the Boston Marathon. I and many others bore witness to the enduring connections forged by DREAM as mentors and mentees reached out to each other to make sure everyone in their networks was safe, and on behalf of the Alumni Organization, I'd like to send best wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected. If there's a "teachable moment" for DREAMers in all of this, it might very well be the opportunity to highlight the hard work of the first responders. I won't be the first to point out that resiliency is a foundational trait of the people of Boston and of America. Our work in DREAM, though not often formally framed as such, often has the beneficial side effect of imbuing mentors and mentees with the perseverance and grit necessary to succeed in challenging situations—but we can always learn more about grace under pressure from those tasked with handling truly difficult events in life. DREAM big, and stay safe, Adam Goldfarb, DREAM Alumni Council President
ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Did you know that 61% of low-income families in the United States do not have any children’s books in their homes? Dartmouth DREAM is partnering with a new organization focused on developing a love of reading and learning at an early age. Literacy in the Upper Valley (LUV) is an initiative to address two challenges many children face today: 1) limited access to books and 2) the absence of someone who can read to the youth. On May 3rd, DREAM mentees from the Northwoods, Hollow Drive, and Windsor/Union Square Local Programs will meet at Stell Hall at Tuck School of Business for an afternoon of reading in pairs and small groups with mentors and other volunteers. To prepare for the event, LUV is currently collecting books to distribute. If you have gently used books you would like to donate please contact Kate at kate@dreamprogram.org. 2. Every spring, Champlain College DREAM mentors work together with the Birchwood community to carry out beautification projects. In past years, DREAM mentors and kids have built benches for the community center, upgraded the bus stop, planted flowers, and installed a basketball hoop. This event is an important opportunity for mentors to interact with the community. This year, on Sunday April 27th, DREAM mentors and youth are hoping to spruce up the community center to make it more inviting for DREAM activities as well as for the rest of the Birchwood community. Plans include painting the walls, installing bookshelves, putting up pictures, and adding a few beanbag chairs. 3. DREAM has been chosen as the beneficiary for this year’s 2013 Clothes Exchange event in Burlington on May 3rd and 4th. The event will be held at the Burlington Town Center at 101 Cherry Street in Burlington. For more information, check out http://theclothesexchange.org/tce/shop-first-with-the-clothes-exchange/. 4. For the many graduating seniors out there (and older Alumni living nearby!), there’s a slew of Alumni Welcome events and Culminating events on tap for this week and next. Stay up to date on the when and where by checking out http://www.dreamprogram.org/about/events for the full schedule.
DREAM Board of Directors Welcomes Two Current Mentors as New Members By Mike Loner, Executive Director
DREAM is proud to announce the appointment of our two newest board members;Lizzy Healy, a UVM sophomore and Katie Gibson, a Dartmouth sophomore. It is exciting for the DREAM Board of Directors to have representatives from our key stakeholder groups on the board. The elect election of Katie and Lizzy to the board marks the first time that DREAM’s governing body has been able to seat two current mentors. Katie and Lizzy follow in the footsteps of former mentor and board member Kat Khert who graduated from Green Mountain College and nd ended her term in 2012. Katie Gibson joined DREAM in November of 2011 as a freshman at Dartmouth College. Majoring in Cognitive Science, she is also obtaining her teaching degree for elementary school teaching as well as minoring in education. As a mentor and co-chair chair of the Northwoods community at Dartmouth, Katie loves working with children to help them find and follow their passions and to encourage DREAMing.
For Lizzy Healy, as a mentor and secretary of the Riverside program at UVM, she looks forward to Friday DREAM events and spending time with her mentee, Skylynn. Originally from a small town on Long Island, Lizzy grew up babysitting and spending her summers as a camp counselor. Her passion for helping children has influenced her to become a teacher. She is currently majoring in Elementary and Special Education, while also completing a concentration in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Please join DREAM’s Board of Directors and staff in welcoming Katie and Lizzy to our governance team. You can find their bios and the bios of all of our board members
1st Annual Avi Kurganoff Outward Bound Scholarship givesthis DREAMer the Opportunity of a Lifetime. By Rosetta Morse, Camp Operations Manager On April 2nd, two University of Vermont (UVM) DREAM mentors, a UVM Outing Club leader, and a DREAM office staff member visited HahmdiMuya’s house at the Elm St. DREAM community in Winooski, VT. They excitedly shared the news with Hahmdi and his family that he had been chosen to attend a two-week Hurricane Island Outward Bound trip in Maine. Hahmdi’s reaction was one of pride and content. Hahmdi, who is 14, joined DREAM in the summer of 2012 after moving to Elm St. with his family, all of whom are originally from East Africa.Hahmdi is a unique DREAM mentee and you can’t help but love him.He is sweet and kind; he is goofy and playful. He is sincere in his communication and genuinely loves DREAM – even sneaking his way into DREAM events. Like the time he jumped into a mentor’s car as it was leaving Elm St. and showed up at Winter Adventure Camp (WAC) with 45 8-12 year-olds. This was the second WAC he had attended and he hadn’t told anyone he was coming (in fact he hadn’t even been invited due to the age limitations). Regardless, he immediately jumped into action, dressing in DREAM winter gear and digging out the red facemask he had worn during the previous WAC. By the end of the day, as kids and mentors piled into cars, Hahmdi was nowhere to be found. It turned out he was cleaning up the kitchen and picking up trash. Again, he is impossible not to love! The award that Hahmdi has received is dedicated to the memory of Outing Club leader and DREAM mentor AviKurganoff, who passed away unexpectedly last spring. Avi identified his Outward Bound experience as a teen as being pivotal in driving his passion for the outdoors, for discovering the leader within, and for reaffirming the importance of doing for others in becoming an agent for change. Avi was a second year student majoring in Social Work and was a member of the John Dewey House, a residential community at UVM dedicated to civic engagement. Funds for the scholarship were largely raised during the 1st Annual Catamountain Classic in the fall of 2012, funded in part by the UVM Department of Student Life. In teams, UVM students attempted to hike the 273 miles of the Long Trail in Avi's memory. The Little Rock Pond section of the Long Trail was completed by a group of six Elm St. DREAM teens (including Hahmdi), UVM mentors, Outing Club leaders, and Avi’s family. This event was initiated by three of Avi's friends and Outing Club leader peers, one of whom is also an Outward Bound graduate. Working collaboratively, dedicated DREAM mentors and Outing Club leaders developed a committee to educate DREAM teens about the program and select a participant for the scholarship, as well as communicate with Outward Bound to make it a reality. To set Hahmdi up for success this summer and to ensure he has the most fun possible, members of both UVM clubs have committed to taking him out on practice trips this spring and early summer to prepare him for the adventure. In Hahmdi’s application for the trip, which will consist of either sailing or a combination of hiking and canoeing, he wrote: "I want to give back to the other kids on Elm Street how to do the trip. I would take my siblings outside and teach them how to do the things that I learn on the adventures. I would tell the kids in the community stories to try to get them excited to do the same trip and other trips like it." As Hahmdi has alluded to, he is the first of many DREAM youth to have this opportunity in the coming years. We are excited for his experience to positively influence others at Elm St. The effort in developing this scholarship illustrates the best of community collaboration and the impact of the important intersection between wilderness leadership and community service. Special thanks go to our dedicated volunteers through DREAM and the Outing Club, and our partners at the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine, who generously provided access to a reduced fee 14-day course!Congratulations and good luck, Hahmdi!!
Identity Retreat Helps Teens see why DREAMs Matter By Ashleigh Ellsworth-Keller, Camp Director Thirteen-year-old Autumn has been involved in DREAM since she was eight years old. A quiet, mature girl, Autumn participated in DREAM’s Young Women’s Leadership Institute, a series of DREAM events funded by the Vermont Women’s Fund. This spring’s Teen Identity Retreat was the capstone event in the series, which focused on leadership and self-confidence-building activities for DREAM’s female teens. Age-wise, Autumn is new to the teen thing. Experience-wise, however, she has had the benefit of already participating in several Teen Retreats, DREAM’s inaugural Time of Wonder Sailing trips last summer, and volunteering at Winter Adventure Camp. She was also invited to work as a Counselor-In-Training at Camp DREAM, earning a small salary and gaining valuable leadership, teamwork, and child management skills along the way. Autumn’s experience with the Young Women’s Leadership Institute was simply another example of how DREAM has dramatically influenced her life for the better. Before participating, she says she “felt very weak and like I couldn’t do anything, but then I tried new things and figured out I wasn’t.” Her participation in DREAM events has “made me stronger and helped me not be shy with new people.” She says that the program “helps you get out of your comfort zone” and has given her “more options” for her future. An avid actress, we expect that Autumn will continue to do great things. The Teen Identity Retreat also introduced DREAM mentees to the Theory of Change: http://www.dreamprogram.org/about/theory-change. If our goal is to empower young people, what is more empowering than letting them in on the “secret formula” crafted specifically for their success? The result was a small group of older teens sharing intimate details about what it’s like growing up in a low-income housing community, whether they have experienced discrimination because of it, and how DREAM has benefited their lives. Autumn appreciated learning that the “fun we do” (Camp DREAM, weekly programming, Teen events) “has a purpose.” Even though DREAMers don’t need to know the reason behind DREAM in order to enjoy it, it is important to expose older, mature teens to the Theory of Change to show them that, with DREAM’s help, they can make their lives even better. The spring event drew over 40 male and female teens, mentors, staff, and volunteers to the King Street Center in downtown Burlington. Additional educational workshops were held on how to be a leader for younger kids and how exploring our values can help us make positive choices. Other events of the weekend included a DREAM-themed team scavenger hunt on Church Street, an energyfilled and laugh-filled Hula Hooping lesson taught by professional hooping instructor Nicole (Walsh) Stevenson (Champlain ’07), an evening film presentation (“Wreck-It Ralph”), and plenty of time for basketball, games, healthy food, catching up with old friends, making new friends, and more. Our next Teen Futures Retreat will be held in October. Check out the DREAM website this fall to learn more about this event and how you can help!
Alumni Appeal – Where does all the Money go?? By Frieda Arenos, Alumni Appeal Leader Dear DREAM Alumni, This year’s Alumni Appeal was a complete success. Not only did we raise over $40,000, but we also had a record 269 donors and 5 schools meet 25% donor participation. What a complete success all around, and I have all of you to thank!! I wanted to share the absolute miracle your support means to DREAM. Without you, the program would not have expanded to Boston two years ago and Philadelphia this year. We’re even working on launching a program in Washington, D.C.! Your support is giving DREAM wings. Here’s a breakdown of where your money will go this year: 1. Boston DREAM Funding – Because the Boston program is just four years new, we are reserving a nice chunk of funds to keep it grooving strong for years to come! The $25,000 we’ve allocated for 2013 will go towards programming for Boston DREAMers, grants for travel to Camp and other locations around the country, scholarships for mentees looking to one day go to college, and support for overall good ole fashion DREAM fun - you know, food, camping, arts, education, and getting muddy! 2. Local Program Grants and Mentee Scholarships – Our Local Programs are in great shape, andwe want to keep them going strong! Additionally, we recognize the unique role that alumni play in our mentees’ lives, and we want them to make the leap to college or vocational schoolsuccessfully. We have reserved about $6,000, plus an additional $3,000 from Alumni Endowment dividends, to support Alumni grants for travel and enrichment activities, and for scholarships for former mentees looking to advance their education with college or additional schooling. 3. Camp–CampDREAM is the program’s most highly-sought-after-get away, and we must keep it fresh and fabulous. Your support over the years has given Camp a water system, a chicken coop, a vegetable garden, lean-tos, a furnished kitchen, canoes, bikes, kayaks, low-ropes elements, and so, so, so much more. We’d be crazy if we didn’t reserve some funds for this amazing adventure spot. For 2013, we have reserved $5,000. Where would the Wild Mountain Gator go if it weren’t for CampDREAM ! 4. DREAM Endowment – I know you all have a honeymoon fund somewhere in your house, maybe your car, maybe buried out front in the lawn? It’s important that even DREAM
Again, I cannot thank you enough for your dedication to DREAM! As always, if you have questions about the Appeal and where your dollars go, or you have ideas/suggestions/comments, please contact Frieda Arenos, Alumni Appeal Leader, flarenos@gmail.com. Keep reaching for the stars and beyond, Frieda Arenos Alumni Appeal Leader
Birchwood Mentors Honored for Four Astounding Years of Service By Sarah Caliendo, Program Director - Vermont Champlain College seniors and DREAM mentors Kirstie Grant and Jess Lowell received awards in recognition of their service Thursday, April 11th at the Champlain College Service Appreciation Dinner. Both Kirstie and Jess have demonstrated amazing dedication to DREAM throughout their college career, each serving as co-chairs and playing a strong and positive leadership role in the Birchwood program throughout their timein college. Kirstie received the Youth Program Award, an award given to a senior who has dedicated at least 3 years during their time at Champlain College to working with youth through a mentoring or tutoring program. The recipient of this award is described as an outstanding volunteer who believes in the ability to transform the lives of young people, is in constant pursuit of engaging Champlain College with mentoring programs, and works to sustain their mentoring program. Of Kirstie, the following was read at the ceremony: “This award is given to a senior who is an outstanding volunteer who believes in the ability to transform the lives of young people and has works to sustain their mentoring program. This year’s recipient has been involved with DREAM’s mentoring program since her first weeks on campus. Over the past four years, she has been cochair, instrumental in working with Champlain to develop the program’s transportation, organizing beautification, and leading out of state, overnight trips for the kids. Not to mention creating and executing a fundraiser to make over 100 blankets for hurricane relief.” Jess received the Service Ambassador Award, in recognition of the many hours she has dedicated during her time at Champlain College to different organizations in the local and global community, and of the valuable contributions to the community that has inspired others to build connections to their community through service. Of Jess, the following was read: “This award is to recognize a student’s sustained commitment to direct service and valuable contributions to the Champlain Community, their local and global communities. This year’s recipient inspires others to be engaged and build strong connections to their community through service. She is dedicated to fundraising and sustaining the non-profit programs she works so passionately with. Through her dedication to The DREAM Program during academic and summer sessions and engaging in international service trips she has inspired others to become involved in service.” Kirstie and Jess’s contributions to the Birchwood DREAM Program over the past years have been remarkable and invaluable. They have both truly been inspirational leaders in DREAM and both so fully deserve this recognition!
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