I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION - NY
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Mission Statement
The mission of the “I Have A Dream” Foundation® – New York (IHDF-NY) is to motivate & empower children living in low-income communities to reach their educational and career potential by providing a long-term program of academic support, mentoring, enrichment, & tuition assistance for higher education. Through our work, we remove many of the barriers that prevent students in low-income communities from having the same opportunities for success as their peers in middle- to high-income families. IHDF-NY works closely with all Dreamers from early elementary through high school, providing a program that enhances academic performance, builds confidence & character, & engages them with a wide variety of subjects, from the arts to physical fitness to community service. Additionally, IHDF-NY provides guaranteed tuition assistance for higher education to any Dreamer who graduates from high school. All of these initiatives help our Dreamers break the cycle of poverty & be fully prepared for a promising future.
About This Cause
In 1981, businessman Eugene Lang addressed a class of 6th-graders at his former elementary school in East Harlem. Learning on the way to the podium that 75% of the students were unlikely to graduate, he suddenly changed his speech, promising college tuition to every 6th grader who finished high school. He told the class about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and urged the students to dream their own dreams; he later hired a Program Coordinator and enlisted a local organization to provide support to these “Dreamers.” In 1985, with all Dreamers still in school, he connected with news media, hoping others would replicate this work. Thousands of inquiries poured in, and in 1986, Lang formed the national "I Have A Dream" Foundation to launch additional programs. Since then 209 programs have operated in 27 states, Washington, D.C., and New Zealand; the New York affiliate has served 34 successful cohort sites that changed the lives of over 2,460 children. IHDF-NY specifically targets one of New York City’s most vulnerable populations: children living in low-income neighborhoods. A total of 95% of our Dreamers currently live beneath the federal poverty line, measured through their residence in public housing and/or eligibility for free- or reduced-price lunches. Dreamers are 54% Hispanic, 35% Black, 8% Asian, 2% Other and 1% White and live across the New York metropolitan area, and the four active cohorts are located in East Harlem, Chelsea, the Upper West Side in Manhattan, and Long Island City in Queens. Cohort Program spaces are located within schools and public housing developments near where Dreamers live, enabling program activities to become part of their daily routines and where they can receive support from Dreamers’ families and broader communities. IHDF-NY is currently working with 542 “Dreamers,” including 235 students in 1st through 12th grade who are served through the Cohort Program at four sites across New York City and an additional 307 Dreamers in college and beyond served through the Dreamer Scholars Program and other supplemental programming. Through our work, IHDF-NY seeks to achieve the following objectives: • Dreamers receive rigorous academic support, better enabling them to perform at grade level and graduate high school; • Dreamers learn employment and life skills that will make them more competitive candidates for internships and careers during high school, college, and beyond; • High School-aged Dreamers are prepared for college, including SAT test prep, and college application and financial aid assistance; and • Dreamers develop into healthy and full-engaged citizens through participating in science, community service, cultural enrichment, and health literacy programming. The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative found in 2001 that providing long-term mentoring for children increases their likelihood of successfully pursuing post-secondary education. IHDF-NY responds to this need by providing Dreamers with two full-time staff at each site, one an experienced teacher and one a social worker, who handle day-to-day activities. Staff act as mentors and champions for the Dreamers, all while fostering high expectations of academic success and attending college. The majority of IHDF-NY staff stay with the cohort through Dreamers’ high school graduation, fostering trusting, strong relationships between them and the Dreamers and providing cohort stability. IHDF-NY’s programming has been very successful to date. Dreamers currently have an 88% high school graduation rate, significantly above the New York City average of 66%. It is notable that the New York City average includes students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, while IHDF-NY works exclusively with students from low-income neighborhoods, who are five times less likely to graduate than peers from middle-income families, and six times less likely than peers from higher-income families. The majority of Dreamers enrolled in IHDF-NY cohorts show academic improvement from baseline to their most current report card; Dreamers also have lower incarceration and teen pregnancy rates than their peers. Additionally, according to the 2012/2013 end-of-year survey, 96% of Dreamers reported that they value their education and 95% reported that they plan to pursue additional schooling after high school. Dreamers also reported finding adults more often at IHDF-NY program sites than at school or home who cared about them, believed in their success, and praised them. Positive quotes from recent Dreamers include the following: “I love this program. I have a second set of parents helping me to succeed.” “These are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met in my life. I love them as if they were all family.” “I feel special. I feel safe. I feel like I am learning more stuff.” Dreamer Alumni from graduated cohorts also remain close to the organization, in many cases returning as volunteers to help current Dreamers and serve as inspiration and role models. All of these measurements demonstrate that IHDF-NY makes a tremendous impact on each Dreamer’s life, helping to ensure that all Dreamers have the opportunity to pursue higher education and to fully capitalize on their talents, aspirations, and leadership to have fulfilling careers and create a better world.