Get Involved at BU: DREAM
by Nobel Chan
DREAM is a Boston-based organization that works with children from low-income families, aiming to reduce the opportunity gap between them and higher-income households. Every Saturday, Boston University students bring kids to campus to participate in a variety of activities, including hip-hop dance lessons, basketball games, and arts and crafts – teaching children important life skills in a fun, interactive way.
DREAM stands for Directing Through Recreation, Education, Adventure and Mentoring. The BU DREAM chapter works with two affordable housing communities: Charlesview in Brighton, and Putnam Gardens in Cambridge. BU students have the opportunity to become a mentor to children in these communities, doing both group mentorings with other DREAM mentors and one-on-one mentorings, which consists of one mentor and one mentee.
Samaya Hasberry, DREAM’s co-chair, is a sociology major in CAS. Having been a mentor for three years, she reflects that “the best part of DREAM to me is the relationships I’ve built, with both mentees and mentors. The mentees all have a wide range of personalities, which means the relationship I have with one mentee is not the same that I have with another, and I think that is what makes it special for both the mentee and I.”
Mentees, who are children and teenagers ranging from 6 to 18 years old, come from low-income households and suffer from the opportunity gap. According to DREAM’s website, only 9% of children from low-income families complete a four-year college degree, continuing the cycle of poverty when they become adults. By having a mentor in DREAM, children gain college role models that help them stay in school. With a trusting adult relationship like the one between a mentor and a mentee, children are 52% more likely not to skip school, and 71% of parents with children in the program believe their children will go to college.
“I think DREAM impacts the mentees in many ways, but some of the important ones are that it gives them another support system outside of family and teachers,” Hasberry says. “DREAM has a way of bringing the mentees closer to their community, members in their community and each other. And most importantly, DREAM gives the mentees opportunities to expand their experiences, knowledge, and goals.”
Not only does DREAM positively affect the mentees, it also provides a host of benefits to students who become mentors. Hasberry says that “it has expanded definitely expanded my knowledge of the world in general beyond my own perspective because I have learned so much from both the mentees and mentors, whether that be that be how to handle behaviour or new Netflix shows. DREAM has contributed to my own growth as a leader.”
Besides mentoring throughout the year, there is also a Summer Enrichment Program which BU students can apply for. Partnered with AmeriCorps, the Summer Enrichment Program offers daily summer programming to underprivileged children, including a College Road Trip for older teens who are seeking to continue their education. Summer Enrichment Coordinators will plan and lead 9 weeks of activities for low-income youth, participate in fundraising, and work with children, families, and other Coordinators.
If you have any questions or want to apply to become a mentor, email budreamrecruit@gmail.com. For more information on DREAM and the Summer Enrichment Program, visit www.dreamprogram.org/.