thank you, bank of america 20 years of partnership:
Founded in 1991 as a volunteer-led little league baseball program on an abandoned lot in East Harlem, DREAM (then Harlem RBI) grew to become a nationally recognized out-of-school time program, and then further deepened its roots in education to become a leading network of charter schools in New York City.
In 2007, Bank of America first invested in Harlem RBI’s after-school and summer academic enrichment and career development programs as a Neighborhood Builder with a shared commitment to community vitality and belief in the promise of education to drive economic and social mobility for the next generation. At that time, Harlem RBI was serving 682 youth in their summer and after school programs, and had an organizational budget of $3.6M.
Bank of America’s deep investment over the last 20 years has empowered us to become one of New York City’s leading youth development organizations. Today, and now known as DREAM, we serve over 2,500 young people each year through seven charter schools and our signature extended-day, extended-year enrichment programs, with an organizational budget of $88M.
Thank you for your investment, collaboration, and your belief in the potential of our families, communities and young people.
Years of support
3.5M
Total gifts to date
1000+
Volunteer hours
500+
Volunteers
Looking back to 2015,
Bank of America presented transformative support for Harlem RBI at the iconic Yankee Stadium alongside former New York Yankee and board member Mark Teixeira, Executive Director Rich Berlin, and participants from the classes of 2017–2019. Featured here in the front row are Isaac Yearwood and Alex Ruiz, who are now on staff as a part of DREAM’s Legends team.
As
an anchor partner of DREAM’s career readiness work for 20 years, your investment has propelled DREAM to create the model for college and career success.
Bank of America makes its first $200k investment in Harlem RBI’s programs 2007
2014
2015
Project Coach: Innovating Early Professional Opportunities
Bank of America invests $500k to help DREAM “hire” 8th graders and high school students as baseball and softball coaches during the summer, providing them with their first formal employment opportunity. After initial success, DREAM replicates this with teaching and mentorship roles in their schools.
Legends Program: Launching Alumni Support
Bank of America helps DREAM deepen its support for alumni after high school. With dedicated capacity, DREAM is able to provide college and career access and support to DREAM high school graduates, our Legends.
2021
Upwards Pathways Pilot: Exploring New Postsecondary Pathways
2022-2024
Scale: Expanding Legends Program to 400+ Young People
With 100 seniors graduating from DREAM each year, Bank of America makes a $1M commitment to expand the Legends program to serve over 400 young people navigating their post-secondary pathways.
Bank of America seeds the idea of a dedicated track for students who pursue employment directly after high school graduation, and with a $500k investment, stands up as DREAM’s anchor Upward Pathways partner.
Our partnership has supported the creation of our unique and innovative Legends Program for our alumni.
Established in 2011, DREAM’s Legends college and career readiness program serves DREAM Charter High School graduates for six years with a one on one, case management model and is tailored to the needs of our students and the community. Today, we operate a dualtrack model that empowers students to pursue college or directly enter the workforce; and we provide them with the wrap-around support to succeed in their chosen pathway.
The ultimate goal is for youth to pursue and complete a best-fit postsecondary path that equips them to fulfill their vision of success and achieve a career that facilitates stability and agency.
The Legends Program provides:
One-on-one counseling and mentorship
Skills and network building
Early employment opportunities
Access to post-high school graduation education, training, and apprenticeships
And our model works: DREAM students persist in their chosen professional pathways and increasingly, in college as well. But we have more to do as we serve more young people and translate this proof point into a model for success.
100% of DREAM high school seniors are accepted into college or a post-high school graduation program
3x higher DREAM students graduate from college at a rate higher than their socio-economic peers.
With your support, we’ve learned what works best.
1. Career-aligned experiences drive long-term success.
By integrating clear career goals, diverse internship opportunities, and targeted training programs, DREAM ensures students gain the real-world experience needed to transition smoothly into meaningful careers.
2. Near-peer counseling builds trust and improves outcomes.
Empowering recent graduates to mentor younger students strengthens social-emotional learning and boosts engagement, helping students navigate key transitions and overcome challenges. 40% of the staff that work for the DREAM Legends program are Legends themselves.
3. Targeted support overcomes barriers to persistence.
Focused interventions, including skills-based development and proactive counseling, equip students to manage academic, professional, and personal demands, leading to higher retention and success rates.
