The DREAM Program, Orchard Gardens, July-August, 2012

The DREAM Program, Inc. 41 Dearborn St. Roxbury, MA 02119 (617) 699-8408 www.dreamprogram.org

August 31st, 2012

The Orchard Gardens DREAM Update Summer 2012 DREAM designed and implemented another successful summer of programming in Orchard Gardens. DREAM Summer Community Interns ran programming for the community every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from June 25th through August 15th.

Youth Participation:  35 youth from Orchard Gardens participated in DREAM summer programming.  20 participated on multiple occasions.  Youth ranged in age from 6-17 years old.  25 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  A field day  Water games  Paper airplane designing  Board games  Tie dye and shirt decorating  Basketball and kickball  Making picture frames  Sculpting with clay  Painting Off-site activities and trips:  Harborfest at City Hall Plaza  Swimming at Mason and Melina Cass pools  Visiting Revere Beach  Hiking and swimming at the Blue Hills  Bowling at Boston Bowl  Attending a Red Sox baseball clinic  Gardening at the DREAM garden plot  Exploring Boston University  The Children’s Museum Bigger events or trips:

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A backyard pool party and cookout in Duxbury at a friend of DREAM’s house.

Deep sea fishing on Capt. John’s charter fishing boat out of Plymouth.

Additional Summer Opportunities  Monday Night Basketball: In a continued effort with Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) to offer more organized safe evening programming for youth in Edna Bynoe Park, I organized pick-up basketball throughout the summer on Monday nights from 6-8PM. Between 10-20 youth participated on a weekly basis. With mostly teenagers participating in the games, it was a great way to engage youth that DREAM did not otherwise work with during the summer.  City to Saddle: Along with seven other DREAM youth, three youth from Orchard Gardens participated in a weeklong horseback riding day camp at Liberty Hill Farm in Lancaster, MA through City to Saddle. 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.  Time of Wonder Sailing: DREAM mentees 13 years and older were invited to participate in an overnight trip aboard a 60 ft sail boat with Time of Wonder Sailing. Unfortunately due to bad weather, the trip could not happen. We hope to get the youth out on a sailing trip next summer.

Community Collaboration:  Youth Intern: Working with MPDC, DREAM was able take on a high school student from Orchard Gardens to work alongside our summer interns and help run programming.  Camp Harbor View: In collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club, DREAM staff went door-to-door in the community this spring to inform families about Camp Harbor View.

Camp Harbor View is an amazing four week day camp put on by the Boys and Girls Club on Long Island in the Boston Harbor. A handful of the youth took advantage of this great opportunity and we hope that more will next summer.  National Night Out: DREAM staff assisted in planning and putting on of National Night Out, a community wide celebration for Madison Park Village, Ruggles Shawmut and Orchard Gardens, on August 10th.  Dudley/Roxbury Corridor Safety Task Force: DREAM staff attended the Dudley/Roxbury Corridor Safety Task Force meetings on June 21st and July 23rd.  Orchard Gardens Safety Meetings: DREAM staff attended the Orchard Gardens safety meetings on June 21st and July 19th.

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.

Keep DREAMing!

Chad Butt Programs Director