The DREAM Program, The Blue Wagon, September, 2012

The Blue Wagon Alumni Newsletter – September 2012

Inside This Issue Amuse Bouche & Announcements Catamountain Classic – Honoring a Fallen Mentor Alumni Grants – Orchard Gardens Goes to CAMP Annual Alumni Appeal – Starts October 15th Save The Date – Boston DREAM Stock Oct 14th

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AMUSE BOUCHE

By Adam Goldfarb, Alumni Council President Hey there DREAMers!

Remember that fateful day years ago when you were approached by a gang of yellow t-shirts with large block letters and dragooned into what would become one of the most important and life-changing experiences of your lives? No, not that amazing art deco revival of West Side Story, but the day you joined DREAM? Well, other young people at colleges across the Northeast are going to be experiencing the same thing soon! And you have a chance to make DREAM's impact on them even more lasting by helping to support the program in whatever way you can. This year’s Annual Alumni Appeal is starting this month, and we're hoping to hit a grand total of 250 unique Alumni donors. Every contribution counts, so I hope you can help us make progress toward that goal. Expect to hear from a current member later this month, and lease consider giving back to DREAM to help it continue to thrive!

See this issue for more information, and until next time, keep on DREAMin'!

Adam Goldfarb DREAM Alumni Council President adam.k.goldfarb@gmail.com

Dartmouth Alumni Mentors celebrate Senior Day this past June. Welcome to all our recently new Alumni!

ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Attention Boston Alumni – Boston DREAM Stock is in two weeks. The Boston Office is hoping to have two Boston area Alumni come out and give a brief presentation about their mentoring experiences and how DREAM has affected them in their current careers or general post-collegiate pursuits. Check out the last page of this issue for more information, and please email Zahra Ohldin @ zahra@dreamprogram.org this week if you’re interested in attending.

2. DREAM is launching a new program in Vermont! After a great meeting with the Lamoille Housing Partnership, DREAM Staff began recruiting new mentors at Johnson State College last week. Have a friend at JSC? Let them know about DREAM and have them reach out to mewan@dreamprogram.org if they have questions.

3. Friday DREAM sessions are starting all across the North East this month. If you haven’t talked to your old mentee(s) in awhile, give them a call & wish them a good start to the school year! Or find them on Facebook (you know they’re on it…).

4. Have announcements to share in next month’s issue? Please send to bbensch@gmail.com.

UVM DREAM Mentors Hike the Long Trail in Honor of Former DREAMer.

By Brit Wedenoja, Program Empowerment Director Throughout his time as a DREAM mentor, Avi Kurganoff was passionate about giving at-risk, low-income youth the opportunity to explore nature. As an avid member of the UVM Outing Club, The Dewey House for Civic Engagement, and DREAM, Avi devoted his years at the University of Vermont to community service. In his Sophomore year, Avi began developing a partnership between Spectrum and the University of Vermont Outing Club to take youth on wilderness explorations such as hikes, kayaking trips, canoe trips, rock climbing, and camping trips.

Unfortunately, when Avi passed away last year unexpectedly, he left his vision unfinished. In honor of Avi, the UVM Outing Club, Dewey House and DREAM are developing wilderness trips each semester so that DREAM teens will have the opportunity to explore nature. This weekend on Saturday September 29th, a group of DREAM teens will hike a portion of The Long Trail in honor of Avi. This will be in conjunction with the first ever Catamountain Classic, where over 40 UVM organizations will each hike a separate portion of The Long Trail, so that in one day UVM will have hiked the entire 273-mile Long Trail.

Avi’s parents have honored DREAM by selecting to hike with our group of teens. In addition to this great honor, the small registration fee and any additional donations will be put toward a scholarship fund so that DREAM teens will have the opportunity to attend a NOLS or Outward Bound course in loving memory of Avi Kurganoff. If you are interested in following updates about the Catamountain Classic this weekend or would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, please visit: https://www.everribbon.com/catamountainclassic.

Alumni Grants: Boston DREAMers vist CAMP

By Julia Risk, Money Initiative Head Ever wonder what happens with the money from Alumni donations? Last year the Alumni Appeal brought in $42,000, a portion of which went to supporting grants for mentors and their programs. I want to share the following experience, which embodies how impactful your donations are to those we serve in DREAM. Orchard Gardens (Boston University) mentor, Gabriella San Diego, helps us understand one way Alumni gifts directly lead to new experiences for both mentors and mentees.

Last Spring, nine Orchard Gardens mentors and thirteen mentees journeyed from Boston to Camp DREAM with funds from the grant they received from the Alumni Council. During the trip, mentors and mentees toured camp, hiked, canoed, painted nails, played games, told stories and enjoyed pancakes. Gabriella explains, “It turned into an experience that none of us will ever forget and gave our mentees something different to do.” In addition to having a lot of fun, Gabriella also said that relationships between mentors and mentees were strengthened through the experience.

Both the planned activities and the unexpected obstacles such as inclement weather, helped all participants come together, learn about one another and experience a part of DREAM many of us hold so closely to our hearts: Camp.

Each program applying for an Alumni grant used a survey completed by mentors to identify two areas of growth to help move their program forward. Orchard Gardens recognized their program could most benefit from focusing on strong mentor-mentee relationships and mentee-centric programming and creative and ambitious activities, fundraisers, events, and trips. The Alumni Grant Committee was especially excited about Orchard Garden’s grant application because it would bring DREAMers who had never seen Camp for an overnight Camp adventure. The funds from the Alumni grant opened the door for Orchard Gardens DREAMers to plan one of their first trips outside of Boston. Similarly, Alumni grants give DREAM mentors and children across New England a major boost in confidence as they seek to tackle their program's next big challenge. Thank you to all the Alumni who helped sponsor this trip and many others by donating to the 2011 Alumni Appeal.

Before you get out the vote in the 2012 Presidential Election, DREAM needs your support in the 2012 Alumni Appeal, beginning October

15!

This year, make your donation count, by helping DREAM reach a goal of 250

donors!

Each DREAM university and college will compete to raise funds from at least 25%

of their total alumni body!

WILL YOU JOIN US THIS YEAR? Look for emails from your alma mater’s Team Leaders when the Appeal kicks off in October to keep up with your school’s fundraising progress!

Please contact Sandy Mervak, DREAM Development Director at alumni@dreamprogram.org

DREAMSTOCK

The 2nd annual Greater Boston Area all mentor retreat is back!!

Sunday Oct. 14th

Reasons to come: Network with other mentors Informative workshops FUN :) Food

12-5pm

Prizes

Look for the RSVP in your inbox next week!

SEE YOU THERE!!!!!