The DREAM Program, Orchard Gardens, November 2017

Northeastern/​ ​Orchard​ ​Gardens​ ​DREAM​ ​Monthly Snapshot November​ ​2017 Program​ ​Happenings​ ​and​ ​Highlights ● Northeastern​ ​mentors​ ​and​ ​Orchard​ ​Garden’s​ ​mentees​ ​are​ ​planning​ ​their​ ​first​ ​High Adventure​ ​trip​ ​for​ ​fall​ ​2018.​ ​General​ ​goals​ ​of​ ​this​ ​trip​ ​include​ ​providing programming​ ​that​ ​encourages​ ​the​ ​expansion​ ​of​ ​both​ ​mentor​ ​and​ ​mentee​ ​comfort zones,​ ​community​ ​service​ ​projects,​ ​access​ ​to​ ​new​ ​experiences​ ​and​ ​resources, and​ ​time​ ​for​ ​social​ ​and​ ​emotional​ ​bonding​ ​within​ ​the​ ​group.​ ​The​ ​mentors​ ​are discussing​ ​an​ ​outdoor​ ​education​ ​and​ ​adventure​ ​experience​ ​in​ ​New​ ​England​ ​as the​ ​framework​ ​of​ ​High​ ​Adventure.​ ​They​ ​are​ ​in​ ​the​ ​early​ ​planning​ ​processes focusing​ ​on​ ​fundraising,​ ​grant​ ​applications​ ​and​ ​choosing​ ​their​ ​destination​ ​and subsequent​ ​appropriate​ ​programming. ● Mentors​ ​are​ ​focusing​ ​on​ ​including​ ​fun​ ​and​ ​educational​ ​activities​ ​in​ ​their programming,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​on​ ​how​ ​to​ ​spark​ ​teen​ ​mentee’s​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​DREAM. ● This​ ​month,​ ​Mentors​ ​started​ ​thinking​ ​about​ ​including​ ​educational​ ​activities​ ​into their​ ​programming​ ​by​ ​taking​ ​mentees​ ​to​ ​a​ ​museum​ ​one​ ​week​ ​and​ ​helping​ ​them dream​ ​up​ ​spooky​ ​contraptions​ ​at​ ​their​ ​Halloween​ ​festivities​ ​another. ● Mahogonoy​ ​Grimes​ ​passes​ ​over​ ​the​ ​Orchard​ ​Gardens/​ ​Northeaster​ ​DREAM program​ ​to​ ​new​ ​Program​ ​Empowerment​ ​Director​ ​Chelsea​ ​Griffin.

Participants Mentees

Mentors

Total:​ ​23

Total:​ ​24

Weekly​ ​Programming​ ​with​ ​Participants ● During​ ​October,​ ​Orchard​ ​Garden’s​ ​mentees​ ​had​ ​two​ ​one-on-one​ ​sessions​ ​with their​ ​mentors,​ ​held​ ​Halloween​ ​themed​ ​festivities,​ ​and​ ​visited​ ​the​ ​Harvard Museum. 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.​ ​Mentors​ ​are unsure​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best​ ​practices​ ​to​ ​use​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​this​ ​but​ ​are​ ​starting​ ​to brainstorm​ ​as​ ​a​ ​group​ ​and​ ​with​ ​their​ ​PED. o The​ ​Harvard​ ​Museum​ ​visit​ ​held​ ​varying​ ​rates​ ​of​ ​satisfaction​ ​with​ ​the mentees.​ ​Some​ ​mentees​ ​found​ ​the​ ​museum​ ​interesting,​ ​fun,​ ​and inspirational​ ​while​ ​others​ ​found​ ​it​ ​boring​ ​and​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​do​ ​alternative activities​ ​such​ ​as​ ​getting​ ​food​ ​or​ ​going​ ​to​ ​a​ ​park. o Halloween​ ​festivities​ ​were​ ​a​ ​big​ ​hit​ ​with​ ​the​ ​mentees​ ​and​ ​mentors.

Mentors​ ​offered​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​games,​ ​crafts​ ​and​ ​snacks​ ​for​ ​mentees including​ ​facilitating​ ​them​ ​in​ ​building​ ​their​ ​own​ ​small​ ​catapult​ ​out​ ​of popsicle​ ​sticks​ ​and​ ​rubber​ ​bands.​ ​The​ ​majority​ ​of​ ​mentees​ ​and​ ​mentors came​ ​dressed​ ​in​ ​some​ ​sort​ ​of​ ​costume.​ ​Mentors​ ​offered​ ​costume-making supplies​ ​for​ ​those​ ​who​ ​did​ ​not​ ​have​ ​costumes.

Program​ ​Empowerment​ ​Director​ ​Perspective

Areas​ ​of​ ​Growth: ● Northeastern​ ​mentors​ ​are​ ​working​ ​well​ ​together​ ​and​ ​offer​ ​the​ ​mentees​ ​good support​ ​through​ ​their​ ​one-on-one​ ​interactions​ ​and​ ​group​ ​programming. ● The​ ​mentors​ ​are​ ​well​ ​organized,​ ​which​ ​translates​ ​to​ ​well​ ​thought​ ​out​ ​and​ ​well executed​ ​programming. ● Younger​ ​mentees​ ​are​ ​involved​ ​and​ ​show​ ​that​ ​they​ ​trust​ ​and​ ​admire​ ​their​ ​mentors.

This​ ​is​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​space​ ​for​ ​social​ ​and​ ​emotional​ ​growth. ● Northeastern​ ​mentors​ ​are​ ​making​ ​progress​ ​with​ ​their​ ​High​ ​Adventure​ ​plans​ ​and are​ ​starting​ ​to​ ​think​ ​of​ ​goals​ ​for​ ​programming.​ ​This​ ​could​ ​translate​ ​to​ ​setting​ ​their mentees​ ​up​ ​to​ ​accomplish​ ​those​ ​goals​ ​through​ ​progressive​ ​programming​ ​in​ ​the coming​ ​months.

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.

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