The DREAM Program, Madison Park, December 2017

Madison​ ​Park​ ​DREAM​ ​Monthly​ ​Snapshot December​ ​2017

Program​ ​Happenings​ ​and​ ​Highlights ● Northeastern​ ​mentors​ ​are​ ​working​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​a​ ​new​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​activities​ ​to​ ​the children​ ​,including​ ​potentially​ ​one​ ​larger​ ​event​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year​ ​that​ ​will expose​ ​kids​ ​to​ ​sailing. ● The​ ​program​ ​is​ ​preparing​ ​to​ ​recruit​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​numbers​ ​of​ ​mentors​ ​this​ ​coming semester​ ​to​ ​replace​ ​those​ ​mentors​ ​graduating ● The​ ​Boston​ ​DREAM​ ​office​ ​is​ ​hosting​ ​a​ ​programming​ ​retreat​ ​with​ ​programing​ ​staff from​ ​three​ ​regions.​ ​ ​The​ ​Boston​ ​Team​ ​is​ ​looking​ ​forward​ ​to​ ​showing​ ​them​ ​our communities​ ​including​ ​Madison​ ​Park​ ​Village.​ ​ ​We​ ​would​ ​also​ ​like​ ​to​ ​say​ ​thank​ ​you for​ ​the​ ​the​ ​space​ ​MPV​ ​is​ ​providing​ ​ ​us​ ​for​ ​one​ ​of​ ​those​ ​days. ● The​ ​DREAM​ ​office​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​tighten​ ​and​ ​improve​ ​safety​ ​procedures​ ​for​ ​the upcoming​ ​semester.

Participants Mentees

Mentors

Total:​ ​27

Total:​ ​36

Weekly​ ​Programming​ ​with​ ​Children ● 11/3-​ ​The​ ​mentors​ ​brought​ ​all​ ​the​ ​kids​ ​to​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Village​ ​at Northeastern.​ ​There​ ​were​ ​many​ ​things​ ​happening​ ​this​ ​day,​ ​including​ ​a Northeastern​ ​team​ ​surveying​ ​for​ ​DREAM.​ ​There​ ​was​ ​also​ ​some​ ​confusion​ ​that

caused​ ​a​ ​group​ ​of​ ​siblings​ ​to​ ​get​ ​displaced​ ​from​ ​the​ ​group ● 11/10​ ​-The​ ​Boston​ ​Public​ ​Schools​ ​were​ ​off​ ​for​ ​veterans​ ​day.​ ​ ​Madison​ ​Park DREAM​ ​ ​goes​ ​by​ ​the​ ​BPS​ ​schedule,​ ​but​ ​many​ ​mentors​ ​saw​ ​their​ ​mentees​ ​on​ ​a different​ ​day​ ​of​ ​the​ ​week. ● 11/17-The​ ​group​ ​brought​ ​kids​ ​to​ ​Blaze​ ​(a​ ​pizza​ ​place)​ ​not​ ​too​ ​far​ ​from Northeastern.​ ​ ​The​ ​kids​ ​had​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​energy,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​could​ ​see​ ​their responsiveness​ ​to​ ​their​ ​mentors. ● 11/24-​ ​ ​This​ ​was​ ​the​ ​Friday​ ​after​ ​thanksgiving​ ​and​ ​there​ ​was​ ​no​ ​programming.

PED​ ​Perspective​: Northeastern’s​ ​Madison​ ​Park​ ​DREAM​ ​has​ ​had​ ​some​ ​unexpected​ ​occurrences this​ ​past​ ​month.​ ​ ​Mentors​ ​with​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of​ ​our​ ​office​ ​ ​team​ ​are​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​what​ ​can​ ​be improved​ ​and​ ​are​ ​making​ ​active​ ​steps​ ​towards​ ​change.​ ​This​ ​includes​ ​adjusting​ ​pick-up and​ ​drop-off​ ​procedures. ​ ​I​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​be​ ​impressed​ ​with​ ​the​ ​one-one​ ​relationships​ ​our​ ​matches​ ​have.

The​ ​kids​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​be​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​DREAM​ ​every​ ​week.​ ​Mentors​ ​are​ ​also​ ​taking more​ ​ownership​ ​of​ ​what​ ​happens​ ​at​ ​the​ ​program.​ ​This​ ​creates​ ​a​ ​more​ ​cohesive​ ​group and​ ​better​ ​programming​ ​for​ ​the​ ​kids.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​well​ ​organized​ ​in​ ​planning​ ​and​ ​I​ ​am always​ ​impressed​ ​by​ ​their​ ​dedication​ ​to​ ​the​ ​kids.​ ​ ​They​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​a​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the year​ ​culminating​ ​activity​ ​here​ ​in​ ​Boston.

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.

DREAM​ ​big, Antonia​ ​Nichols

Program​ ​Empowerment​ ​Director The​ ​DREAM​ ​Program,​ ​Inc.

Office:​ ​ ​617.699.8408

Mobile:​ ​ ​617.276.2735

anichols@dreamprogram.org Dreamprogram.org