The DREAM Program, Annual Reports, Annual Report, 2005-2006

The DREAM Program 2005 Annual Report The DREAM Program, Inc. PO Box 361, Winooski, VT 05401 802.655.9015 www.dreamprogram.org

Board Members

Mike Loner, Executive Director & Jon Harris, Board Chair

Jon Harris; Chair Member Services, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility 53 Archibald St. Burlington, VT 05401 Mike Foote Former DREAM Program Director PO Box 361 Winooski, VT 05404 Bree Dusseault Harvard Graduate School of Education Boston, MA Judy Huang 11 Everett St. SG-5 Cambridge, MA 02138 Jan Backus Former Vermont State Senator PO Box 35 Winooski, VT 05404 Bill Finnegan Co-Founder of Tamarack Media 12 North St #3 Burlington, VT 05401 Pete Land Co-Founder of Tamarack Media 53 Archibald St. Burlington, VT 05401 Kristen Herzog Retail Training Manager at Ben and Jerry's 11 Champlain Pl. Winooski, VT 05404 Karen Hendy Administrative Coordinator Information Systems at Champlain College PO Box 64673 Burlington, VT 05406

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elcome to the 2005 Annual Report. THANK YOU for supporting us over the last year and since our beginning in 1999. DREAM has become one of the most respected mentoring organizations in Vermont and this was not possible without you.

Of course, our backbone, making us who we are, is mentors. These rock stars take time out of their busy college schedules to not only spend three or more hours a week with the kids, but also plan events, trips, and everything else necessary to run their program. You may believe that the office does much of the work planning events and conducting fundraisers. In truth, the mentors take on the heavy work. We support them, provide resources, and then get out of the way so they can do their thing. For me, this is the most amazing part of DREAM and I feel fortunate to be a part of the process. The time that the mentors give also has an incredible impact upon the value of the program itself. At over 12,500 adult-tochild contact hours each school-year, they deliver a high dosage program at a fraction of the cost it would take to pay staff and mentors. Look on page 32 for more information.

On a more personal note, I want to thank everyone, from the mentors, kids, and families, to the Board and supporters, for welcoming me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this wild ride. This holds especially true for Jon Potter and Mike Foote for believing in me and supporting me in my role as Executive Director. I am humbled to think about everything that they and the original mentors, staff, and board members did to create DREAM and make it a statewide organization.

I hope that you take some time to read the following pages and see just what an awesome year it has been. Thanks again for your support.

Keep dreaming,

Mike Loner DREAM Executive Director

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efore I reflect on the Board’s work, I want to congratulate the movers and shakers of DREAM – its staff, mentors, children, families, the greater community, and Executive Director Mike Loner – on another successful year!

The Board of Directors sets long-term goals, and we have had a productive year in this work. We have also seen a great deal of change. Several founding Board members stepped down, making way for a new group of dedicated members, including myself. Each member hit the ground running and the veteran members helped orient us to our new roles.

The Board works as an organized governing body. Our dedication stems from our close connection to the organization and its DREAMers. The energy is contagious, and the Board takes advantage of every opportunity to interact with the program. This connection fuels our productive meetings.

In a phone conversation with parent Carrie Bourne, I was told “DREAM is the best thing in Michael’s week. We hear about it long before his Friday time with Josh (his mentor), and he doesn’t stop talking about it until long afterwards…

His time with Josh sets his mood of accomplishment or disappointment for days after the program…DREAM is the most exciting part of his life.” Parents are thankful for the program, and the kids love it. The Board is honored to be part of such an exciting group, and we look forward to sharing successes with DREAM in 2006!

Best,

Jon Harris Chair, DREAM Board of Directors

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Report Contents

Local Programs The Core Of DREAM

Local Programs Franklin Street in Winooski & The University Of Vermont Elm Street in Winooski & The University Of Vermont Franklin Square in Burlington & Saint Michael’s College Birchwood Manor in Milton & Champlain College Green Acres / Highgate in Barre & Norwich University Forest Park in Rutland & Castleton State College Armory Square in Windsor & Dartmouth College Northwoods / Hollow Drive in White River Junction & Dartmouth College

3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10 - 11 12 - 13 14 - 15 16 - 17

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n just four years since incorporation, DREAM has developed from a single student led program at Dartmouth College to eight programs across Vermont. Local program strength relates to autonomy. When mentors and kids own their program together, they dream bigger.

Summer D-Unit: Summer Community Interns High Adventure - Alaska Camp DREAM

The Vehicle Fleet Impacts of the Program - Evaluations Report

18 19 20 - 24 25 26 - 27

Franklin Street DREAM

28 28 29 30 - 31

Children from the Franklin Street community in Winooski and students from the University of Vermont.

The newest local program

Support The Alumni Organization Kids Going To College Partners & Supporters 2005 Annual Appeal, Foundations, & Organization

2005 Financial Summary

32 - 35

Central Office Notes

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New Items

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t’s hard to allow my children just to go places without me. But the mentors are really great with the kids and it makes it easy to let them go. I know they are safe.

Tiffany Parent Tiffany Parent - Mother of two mentees in the Franklin Street Program.

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he kids are obviously the best part.

To see them excited and happy is contagious and just rubs off onto you. You teach them new things, but they teach you right back in return. To be able to act like a little kid, but a role model at the same time is such a privilege.

Jess Bean - 1st Year UVM Mentor

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Connor White - 1st Year Franklin Street Mentee

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Elm Street DREAM

Elm Street DREAM is four years old with 48 mentors and 36 children.

Community Development - Local Advisory Boards

Children from the Elm Street Community in Winooski and students from the University of Vermont.

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hen I first heard about DREAM, I expected it to be like any other one of those clubs you join. The kind you participate in here and there; once in awhile, you'll be asked to head-on a project or program. When I joined in the fall, I realized there was lots more to it than just showing up once in awhile. It was to become a radical part of my life.

Part of the reason the program has come to mean so much to me is my one on one relationship with my mentee, Kristen. We've really only known each other for a few short months, but the time we've spent together feels like a lifetime. Kristen and I do lots of different things each week.

We've traveled to the ECHO center downtown. We've gone for long walks around campus. We've eaten dinner on Church Street and sipped on scrumptious Lake Champlain hot chocolates in my car. Just last week, we spent an hour at Blue Plate Pottery making bowls for our moms. It was a blast!

To me, being involved in DREAM is becoming part of a family. And it's not the kind of family that you try to get away from, but the kind that you always feel comfortable coming back to again and again. The relationship Kristen and I have is not only like a big sister to a little sister, but like a friend to a friend. In my short time with her, I've come to learn so much about working with kids and taking on the role of someone who can be looked up to all the time. It's been fabulous getting to know Kristen and her family. This program works wonders in changing the lives of those in need of love, support, and friendship!

Frieda Arenos - 1st Year UVM Mentor

Annual Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser.

The program donated over $1000 from this event to Hurricane Katrina relief in the Gulf Coast.

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Eric Fries - 3rd Year Mentor, Connor Lapan - 4th Year Mentee, Phil Ortego - 1st Year Mentor

Chris Brown - 3rd Year Mentor & Hope Seymour - 4th Year Mentee.

DREAM is a source of pride. It means the world to me. Through planning with the kids and getting to know them better, I hope to grow myself and show the person that tends to hide inside me.

Alex Torres - 1st Year UVM Mentor

DREAM is different from school or any other activity because it allows [my son] to be himself. He's not reprimanded for every little thing. They accept him as he is.

Parent of a mentee at Elm Street Hanging out with your mentor is so cool. Me and my mentor Floyd have such a blast playing pool and just KICK’in IT! I would go crazy without this program!

Corey Premo - 4th Year Mentee

REAM is founded around the concept of community and a shared responsibility in the well-being of children, families and mentors. In order to support this sense of community, we rely on communication between mentors and families in hopes of hearing as many voices and as much input about our program as possible. One source of formal communication between mentors and parents in the UVM/Elm St. Program is our Local Advisory Board (LAB) meetings. These meetings are generally held once a month at the Elm St. community center. Parents and mentors are encouraged to come voice opinions, concerns, or suggestions and to get to know one another, socialize, and enjoy the company of others who care so much about this group of children.

The UVM program has tried a number of different formats for our LAB meetings and we’ve watched the turnout of parents ebb and flow over the years. In 2005, our biggest hope for these meetings was simply to bring a substantial group of parents and mentors together. With this in mind, our efforts have been centered on hosting socials that are inviting and comfortable and include snacks, coffee, tea and open-ended conversation.

We have had some lovely gatherings! As parents and college students occupy the tiny, preschool-sized chairs of the community center, a gentle murmur of stories and updates can be heard throughout the room. Our last meeting had at least five different families represented.

The conversation at this particular meeting was incredibly positive and productive and weaved its way through a variety of topics. Parents and mentors worked off each other to come up with suggestions for our end of the year trip to Montreal. We also had a couple of parents come up with the idea to plan a work day at Camp as a way for them to see and explore the place that their children so adore, and to bring together families and mentors in the spirit of fun and productivity. The mentors have now taken these ideas back to our larger group and are beginning to find ways to put them into action.

Kate Hubbell - 3rd Year UVM Mentor

Elm Street High Adventure in Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. See Page 19.

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Franklin Square DREAM

Franklin Square DREAM is two years old with 29 mentors and 29 children.

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Children from the Franklin Square Community in Burlington and students from Saint Michael’s College.

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nce again the Franklin Square Program had a wonderful year. 2005 brought various activities, causing our kids to smile and enjoy themselves. Before summer hit we made a trip to Lake George for a weekend of camping, BBQ'ing, hiking, and more. We did our second annual pumpkin carving day with the help of Purple Knight Pizza and we put on another very filling Thanksgiving Dinner. There was a day of fun pool-side in the midst of a snow storm and we put on our thinking caps to compete in an egg drop that incorporated every child, ski helmets, pillows, bubble wrap and so much more. Everyone had a great year and we are all looking forward to more to come!

I have loved co-chairing and I am looking forward to my second semester. Being a co-chair brought me closer to the office which is wonderful. Over the past semester I learned to be flexible. While the co-chair has a lot of work to do, it is worth it when I see the program come together, work toward amazing things, and bring so many smiles to the children's faces. Also, being a co-chair has brought me closer to the parents of Franklin Square and children beyond my own partner.

Cailie Burns - 2nd Year St. Mike’s Mentor

Franklin Square Halloween

hen I was first approached by mentors to join, I never would have guessed that one of my best summer weeks would be spent fishing, camping, and playing games with kids up at Camp. Or that while my roommates were taking their Friday afternoon naps, my mentee would suggest using my ski helmet to prevent our egg from breaking in a three story drop (the helmet, with lots of toilet paper, worked well). Meho, my mentee, has a lot of good ideas. Every day I see him, I learn something new.

Often, I find myself surrendering my role as a mentor. Driving in my car once, I remember asking Meho how his week was going. The response I got was, "I'm fine, the question is, how are you? You look like you got run over by a truck." My first response was to laugh, but in retrospect that one moment encapsulates what I have learned from Meho. His mother works after school and his father works nights. He is responsible for his two brothers and his sister after school and selflessly watches over his three siblings while his friends are running around Franklin Square, having fun. Any time I want to run around with my friends instead of being responsible, I think of Meho. His sacrifices and focus on caring for his siblings inspire me to look out for the interests of the people in my life.

Together, Meho and I had a great year. I was nervous coming into the fall knowing that the seniors, the bedrock of our program, were about to move on. However, following Meho's example, everyone from our program has given a little more and we're coasting right through. I can't thank the seniors enough for harassing me to join. I never imagined what a role it would play in my college experience and my life.

Marc Angelico - 2nd Year St. Mike’s Mentor

Kylie Edwards - 1st Year St. Mike’s Mentor & Brianna Croteau - 1st Year Franklin Square Mentee

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s a first year mentor I organized a parent and mentor social. We needed to interact with the parents more and this was a perfect opportunity. We did some icebreakers that allowed us to get to know the parents and for them to get to know us. We also witnessed a rarely seen side of our kids as they interacted with us and their parents. I think the social was very productive and very fun for the parents. I hope to organize many more socials next year!

Kylie Edwards—1st Year St. Mike’s Mentor

Franklin Square kids at Summer BBQ

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Playing at the Oakledge Park Tree House in Burlington.

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Birchwood DREAM

Birchwood DREAM is two years old with 17 mentors and 17 children.

NEW WEBSITE!

Children from the Birchwood Community in Milton and students from Champlain College.

Culminating Experience - Lake Placid, NY

Birchwood became the first Local Program to design its own website section! Check it out for more information on their work. www.birchwood.dreamprogram.org

Mentoring at College

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ver since my R.A., Nicole, told me I should join, life hasn't been the same. Instead of living the stereotypical party to party life of a movie or television college student, I have been living the life and activities of a mentor, working for the common good, and finding time to sleep in between.

DREAM has given me so much, and mentors aren't even the primary focus of the program; our kids are. My mentee Kevin thinks of me as his own personal superhero - able to leap over chain link fences to recover lost bouncy balls in a single bound, more power than a locomotive to give him a twenty block

DREAM Bus on the Lake Champlain Ferry

piggy back ride - you get the point. But the most beautiful thing about our mentoring pair is the respect and admiration we have for each other. This has made my first year at Champlain overwhelming success.

College

Card given to mentor Al Martini by his mentee Kevin Anair.

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Al Martini - First Year Mentor

US Women’s Hockey Team, Lake Placid, NY

Birchwood kids listed a few things they did for the first time with DREAM: Camping

Went To A College Fishing

Meet New People

Hiking

Travel to:

Swimming

Boston Montreal

his December, fifteen Champlain College mentors boarded a bright blue vegetable oil fueled school bus at five forty-five a.m. and headed north. At six-thirty a.m. they arrived at Birchwood Manor in Milton, VT to pick up thirteen sleepy mentees. From here they embarked on an adventure that would mark another chapter in the young program's rapidly growing history.

The destination was Lake Placid. With the smell of donated baked goods permeating their bright blue chariot and the rising sun at their backs, they boarded a ferry, which would take them across Lake Champlain and into the snowy state of New York. Once across the lake, Olympic Stadium in Lake Placid seemed only a snowball’s throw away.

In no time at all the pairs of mentees and mentors were in their seats watching hockey games. For some of the children it was the first time they had seen a game, and for others the first time they had heard of hockey. With the option of three ice rinks the mentees had the choice of watching hockey shoot-outs, CAN/AM youth hockey tournaments, and the USA Olympic Women's Hockey team practice. A small group of mentees was even lucky enough to meet the USA Olympic Women's Hockey team and presented the team with a DREAM t-shirt that they said they would hang up in their locker room.

Following the hockey games, the group headed to the Olympic Museum to learn more about the history of the winter Olympic Games. The children scattered in the museum and were captivated by the bobsleds, especially the one that they could sit in. Others were awe struck by the wall of memorabilia from the Disney movie, "Miracle."

The final destination of the trip was High Falls Gorge. Covered from head to toe in their warmest clothing both mentors and mentees hiked around a raging waterfall that cut through the landscape of New York State.

At five-thirty p.m., a full twelve hours after the adventure began, fifteen mentors were dropped off outside of Jensen Hall.

Some tired from a long day of hanging out with their best friends both young and old, some excited and ready for the next chapter of an on going novel that continues to write itself and some simply in awe of the amazing things that a group of empowered college students can do when they set their minds to something.

Josh Warren - 2nd Year Champlain Mentor

Winter Adventure Camping

Melissa Audette - 2nd Year Mentor & Megan Murray - 2nd Year Mentee

Mentor Statements “The best part is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces, it makes it all worth it.”

“DREAM, simply put, is the best part of my college life.” - Erin Caswell, 2nd Year Mentor 8

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Michael Bourne & Tanner Villemaire - 2nd Year Mentees

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Green Acres & Highgate DREAM

Green Acres and Highgate DREAM is two years old with 8 mentors and 8 children.

Children from the Green Acres & Highgate Communities in Barre and students from Norwich University.

Why Amber does DREAM:

Traveling Places

Hanging out with cool grown-ups who act like kids.

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’m more confident. People can make you feel like a loser but everyone’s crazy at DREAM. No one’s going to make fun of me.

The adults act crazy, so I feel like I can too. It’s a place to feel free and fun.

I’m pretty shy. I really don’t like ice in my drinks but I was always too shy to ask for no ice.

Now, I ask adults questions because of DREAM. - Amber Monti

Our Favorite DREAM

Amber Monti - 3rd Year Mentee

Favorite Friday Activities Pumpkin Carving Hawkins Beach Games

BBQ’s Cookie Sales Making Papier Mâché Turkeys

Being Outside Playing Sardines

Sledding Family Dinners Finger painting

Becky Martin & Suzie Silva - 2nd Year Mentees , Tara Doherty 2nd Year Mentor, & Amber Monti - 2nd Year Mentee

It was a usual Friday afternoon on the Norwich campus.

Student cadets marched through the commons while other students scattered from their last classes of the week. A yellow shirted group had set upon a mission, toting objects made of boxes, cups, folded paper, and tape, all scavenged from the dining hall.

Determined to prove the resilience of their newly constructed “egg drop” contraptions, the kids and mentors headed for the drop site.

From three stories up, even the most carefully packaged egg is at risk. Creative designs were dangled and dropped out the window, and every attempt was cheered, even when the delicate cargo didn’t survive. With eggs left to gamble, the mentoring pairs quickly lined up for an egg toss, taking great strides back at each interval. Egg carnage was significant and the smiles and laughter spectacular. The group then broke into “Everybody’s It Tag,” a seemingly endless game that everyone rapidly exits and enters.

Passing cadets stopped to watch and two asked if they could play, a request the kids eagerly accepted.

As this beautiful afternoon played on, a mentor called to us, “Hey guys! Remember when you asked me what my most favorite part of DREAM was? It’s THIS!” This mentor’s ideal DREAM was clearly more than just a good programming idea, successfully passing the time. On this Friday, kids and mentors drove each other’s energy, directing their afternoon and owning their space together. They did so in a joyous way, enough to bring cadets out to play.

Experiencing these times with our kids and mentors is our favorite part of DREAM too.

Alysia Duhaime - 2nd Year Mentee

Tara Doherty - 2nd Year Mentor & Suzie Silva - 2nd Year Mentee

-Chad Butt, Programs Director & Daniel Shearer, Development Director Becky Martin & Suzie Silva - 2nd Year Mentees

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Forest Park DREAM Children from the Forest Park Community in Rutland and students from Castleton State College.

Introductions “The most radical thing you can do is introduce people to one another.”

A Parent’s Dream

Forest Park DREAM is two years old with 10 mentors and 10 children.

DREAM means a continued success with peers of same age and adults coming together to make a positive dent in a sometimes harsh world. Also, knowing that the mentors care for what a child does and how much of a difference we are all able to make together.

Parent of a Forest Park Mentee

One parent statement that really impressed me was In my mind I have a firm imprint of this year’s first DREAM that the Program gave her child the chance to be Friday at Forest Park. It’s a bright image -- the colors are vivid with other kids. She especially liked the diversity of yellow, green, blue. It was early September. I can hear specific the kids he was with, which in his case were from voices laughing and calling out “Can I play too?” “What’s your Bosnia. Nice thing to hear in Vermont. name?” “Ok. Change the rules. Now we’re going to play upside Karen Hendy - Board Member down!”

Coming off of a summer of amazing trips and adventures with our summer interns, the children of Forest Park were raring to go, ready for a year of DREAM. The new group of mentors that came to the community that afternoon was nervous at first.

Standing beside their cars, they spent a couple minutes wondering “How are we going to meet the kids? How should we introduce ourselves?”

“JONNA!” called a voice from behind the group. A young boy ran over to the group to hug the past Summer’s intern, yelling out “HEY. EVERYONE. DREAM’s HERE!” It wasn’t long before a huge group of children, parents, and new mentors were stretched across the grass playing a new and improved version of upsidedown-name-partner-tag.

One of my favorite parts of working with DREAM is welcoming new people into the organization – new mentors, parents, children, staff, and community partners. In general, I’ve always loved the act of introduction, of bringing people together and beginning something new.

With DREAM this experience takes on a wide variety of forms – community meetings, talent shows, “random acts of kindness” days, classroom presentations... It could happen anywhere, and it’s often unexpected – confronted with a bright yellow t-shirt when you turn a corner, a game of upsidedown-name-partner-tag, and the invitation, “COME BE ON MY TEAM!” Possibly the most amazing part is never knowing who may surprise you. I was introduced to DREAM by a group of 10 year old boys on mountain bikes. On that first afternoon in September the new Casteleton State mentors were introduced to DREAM by the Forest Park community – ages 3 to 50.

Adventuring at Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center T

he mentors explained DREAM to me and I was overwhelmed. I wanted to reward and support them however I could. I provided the Rock Climbing Gym as a meeting place and rock climbing as an activity for free. The mentors were very respectful and were always with their mentees. The mentees were appreciative and respectful as well. Our dream is to be an adventure based company for the community, giving children a safe place to hang out and be active. We want to show kids rock climbing and allow them to experience things that build self confidence and teach goal setting, problem solving, and trust.

Steve Lulek - Owner of Green Mtn. Rock Climbing Center

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t was an awesome experience for all of us – the kids got to trust us fully as we helped them learn to climb and then the kids got to see how we trust them when they held the ropes and belayed us. We all worked together.

Jonna Green - 2nd Year Castleton Mentor Johnny Lowell - 2nd Year Mentee, Casey Robert - 1st Year Mentor

Jen Lazar - Central Office Program Liaison for Forest Park

Giving Back I am in DREAM because I live on Elm Street (Elm St. / UVM Local Program) and I see what they do for my sister and I love it. Bridgette enjoys it more and more every day and I want to impact someone like that."

Kara LaFond - 1st Year Castleton Mentor

Forest Park program apple picking at Mendon Mountain Orchards in Mendon, Vermont

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Armory Square DREAM

Armory Square DREAM is two years old with 20 mentors and 20 children.

Community Mentoring The interactions with the community

Children from the Armory Square Community in Windsor and students from Dartmouth College.

and our individual mentees make DREAM stand out. My mentee Devin is six years old, and I’ve had a lot of great experiences with him. We’ve spent great times visiting museums and other areas, exploring the wilderness around Dartmouth Campus, or just relaxing and playing video games.

Our community involvement allows me to build similar interactions with many other children in Armory Square. Mentors are not limited to family interactions with the DREAM model. Group activities and visits to the community allowed me to build relationships with many parents at Armory Square and to connect with other kids in the Program.

It’s not always easy, but the little things that let you know you’re getting through make the entire experience worth it: When one of the kids remembers your name after calling you “mentor person” and “you” for weeks; the unexpected hugs; the way your relationship with a child allows you to help calm them down or cheer them up if something goes wrong…

I’ve been a mentor for just one year and it has absolutely impacted my life.

Facing Challenges M

y goal is to impact my mentee in a positive way, though I also change and grow along with the relationship. Mentoring has moments that make me question my abilities, but I love the experience. The Thanksgiving culminating event probably best illustrates this. Our idea was to have a huge Thanksgiving dinner with all mentors cooking a meal and bringing their kids for the last goodbye of the term.

Our group was so ready and excited. In our minds, a big sit down dinner involved laughter, reflection, genuine camaraderie, and happiness. That didn’t happen this time.

Instead there was chaos, yelling, and the kids seemed more rambunctious than usual. All the mentors in our program seemed at their wits end and I know I felt overwhelmed. It was one of those times when you begin to doubt yourself.

This feeling became more pronounced when two mentees locked themselves in the girls’ bathroom stalls. One girl was crying about how much she hated us, how much she thought we hated her, and how she wanted to quit. The other girl also seemed angry with us and blamed us for everything that was going wrong. My yam baking earlier in the day had not prepared me for this. I figured the best approach was to talk to them about how they felt, what went wrong, why they were mad, and that everyone at DREAM never stopped caring for them.

I sat down on the bathroom floor and talked to them for nearly half an hour. One girl came out of the stall with red eyes and told me she felt better. Hearing those words was one of the most rewarding things I think you can experience as a mentor.

She and I talked a lot more later on, long after the Thanksgiving dinner, even though she wasn’t my mentee.

While I can’t say our relationship has been smooth sailing every time we interact, nothing can take away from the lunches we had, the times she and I laughed at random dog pictures, and learning that we had similar music tastes. All of those memories can be traced back to the Thanksgiving dinner where I got to know her and she got to know me.

I learned that you can’t prepare for everything as a mentor.

Sometimes, events don’t go according to plan. It doesn’t matter. Just be calm and patient; you will have a positive impact even if you may not realize it.

Armory Square Program Mentors & Mentees

Paul Espina - 1st Year Dartmouth Mentor

Freddie Clough - 3rd Year Mentee

My son feels special at DREAM. It’s really boosted his self-esteem. I commend mentors for taking on all these kids and never backing down. I hope it can grow to take on all kids in the community.

Heather Richey - Parent Of 3 Mentees

Anne Kasitaxa - 1st Year Dartmouth Mentor

Armo

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u a re ry S q

a Progr

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te t Win ing a sledd

e entur r Ad v

Camp

The Armory Square Program is teaming up with the Northwoods and Hollow Drive Program for a High Adventure Trip. Read more about this on page 16.

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Northwoods & Hollow Drive DREAM is two years old with 25 mentors and 25 children.

Northwoods & Hollow Drive DREAM

Reflections from Graduating Mentors

Children from the Northwoods and Hollow Drive Communities in White River Junction and students from Dartmouth College.

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What is DREAM? A piece for mentor recruitment at Dartmouth.

Ever wonder what all those t-shirts and sweatshirts emblazoned with the word "DREAM" actually mean? DREAM -

started doing Dream my sophomore Summer and it’s been a part of me ever since. The energy and enthusiasm that children bring with them to DREAM is unlike anything I have seen or felt before. I started hanging out with Travis Near and his siblings Joey, Ryan and Cecilia the following Fall. My time with Travis and his family has been a part of my life that I will never forget. I still remember the first DREAM session with the family. Travis soundly beat me in a game of pool despite not being able to strike the cue ball from certain angles due to his height. As our relationship with the kids developed, I found myself, with other mentors, visiting the family at their home. We took some opportunities this past year to make dinner with the kids with great success. Next year, Travis is embarking on a journey which he felt that he would not be able to commence. He's joining a youth soccer team, his first athletic team experience. Travis does not seem daunted by the prospect at all, something I could not say about myself at his age when taking on a new challenge. As a graduating senior, I will not only miss Travis and his family, but I feel proud and privileged that I play a role in their lives.

Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure, and Mentoring - is a life-changing, amazingly awesome, community based mentoring program. It targets kids living in housing projects here in the Upper Valley, and pairs these children and teenagers up with super sweet Dartmouth mentors. Students individually mentor but we also meet together as a big group every Friday afternoon. We have a number of goals: breaking the cycle of poverty, emphasizing the importance of education, providing a positive role model, and promoting social justice. We strive to achieve these through the power of mentoring and the positive community consisting of all those involved in the Program.

Edythe Wilson - 4th Year Dartmouth Mentor

Jamil Batcha - Mentor for 3 Years

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Zoe Fleming - 2nd Year Mentee

From The Dartmouth Newspaper, 10.25.05

Allie Williams - 1st Year Mentor & Colin Gillespie - 1st Year Mentee Zoe Fleming - 2nd Year Mentee, Dylan Gee – 3rd Year Mentor, & Mina Fleming - 2nd Year Mentee Sarah Tobin - 7th Year Mentee & Dan August - 2nd Year Mentor

REAM is the most influential organization I have had the pleasure to be involved with while at Dartmouth. My involvement with the program showed me just how much I enjoy working with kids and has led to my decision to teach this fall. It is my goal after graduation to continue working with kids and making a difference where it is needed most.

Alex Dominguez - Mentor For 3 Years

Inspired by the trip to Alaska that the University of Vermont DREAM chapter organized last summer, several Dartmouth DREAM members decided to organize another High Adventure program after a few years of not holding a trip.

"All the children in DREAM are from affordable housing communities in Vermont, and many of them never consider the world beyond Vermont," said Brittany Beth '06, one of the program's organizers. "Through this program, they participate in the fundraising and planning of their trip over the course of the year, so it's a hugely empowering experience for them."

Although mentors will help lead the discussion of trip locations, the trip destination is ultimately up to the children. "We basically put a map in front of them," Beth said.

DREAM members kicked off fundraising efforts for the High Adventure program by selling grilled cheese sandwiches Saturday night on the lawn of Zeta Psi fraternity. Saturday's fundraiser was organized in order to capitalize on the Homecoming traffic on frat row, Beth said. The event raised about $600 dollars. All future fundraising, however, will be organized by the children involved in the program. Ideas for fundraisers include raffles at hockey games, dinner events held at fraternities or sororities and bake sales. "It's a lot of teamwork and self empowering," John Cyr '06 said. "It's having a vision and attaining it for them."

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

D

REAM has been my Dartmouth experience. It has given me the chance to play, to teach, to create, to challenge, to laugh and to struggle. It has kept me grounded in reality. Most importantly, DREAM gave me the most feisty six year-old, and the opportunity to watch her mature into a spirited and hopeful individual. The past four years have been a learning experience, sometimes a frustration and a disillusionment, but always a great ride.

Lindsay Horton - Mentor For 4 Years

D

Cecilia Near - 2nd Year Mentee

REAM was the heart of my time at Dartmouth. It gave me a chance to work for something that I really believed in. When I think about Dartmouth in the future, I think that some of the first things that will come to my mind every time are the fabulous kids and mentors.

Christina Wolf - Mentor For 3 Years

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

17

DREAM Summer

D-Unit: Summer Community Interns

I

f you spend nine hours a day, six days a week, for two and a half months with over one hundred children, there is no telling what might happen. Our experience led us to chaos and smiles, new faces, crying and cuddling, and memorable adventures as kids of all ages, from across Vermont, celebrated the summer amidst new and old friendships. The hard work of establishing, nurturing, and directing DREAM proved successful as mentees, mentors, and families made the most of the good weather, summer programs, and Camp.

The summer was not without tears and sweat, but was rich in song, smiles, jokes, and friendship. Our culminating trip to Maine is an outstanding memory. After seven hours of driving, we somehow ended up at the Maine coast. The kids went crazy, diving into waves and punching them as they approached! Watching children encounter the ocean for the first time was remarkable; their eyes were open wide and we could not help but smile. As the D-Unit crew sat back and watched Brianna Knox - 2nd Year Elm St. Mentee the kids bond and celebrate their friendships, we felt that this summer accomplished something like never before - bringing young DREAMers together.

6

Mentors 11 Kids 2 Weeks on the Alaskan Kenai Peninsula E lm Street mentees and UVM mentors ventured

High Adventure

to Alaska this Summer, spending two weeks climbing glaciers, fishing for Pacific Salmon, and traveling around the biggest state in the US. All agreed that the best part of the trip was the time spent visiting the native fishing community of Nanwalek. There they spent time with the village teens fishing, camping together, dancing, sharing stories, and comparing music tastes and perspectives on life. Now that they've flown clear across the country, what's next for this group of bonded travelers? Bringing the Nanwalek kids to Vermont.

D-Unit Maine Trip

This kind of unity is significant because, for many of our children, it may mark their first interaction with peers from different communities in Vermont. It filled us with happiness to see them sharing together, and learning from each other’s unique perspectives and life experiences.

Moments like these remind us of why we dream.

For me, Amira, the most incredible aspect of the summer was getting to know and love so many beautiful children. Over one hundred and fifty incredible, funny, loving, and sincere kids are the heart of our program. DREAM is for them, and it is through this program that mentors, parents, and friends have been brought together to love and support these children in achieving their dreams. It is the kids’ initiatives, sense of adventure, and hope for the future that fuels DREAM, and this summer was evidence of just that. I have to say, I did not know it was humanly possible to love so much, until this summer.

Amira Bakr - 3rd Year UVM Mentor & Katie Wiseman - 2nd Year Champlain Mentor

Green Acres Mentee

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

Jeffery Finnegan - 3rd Year Franklin Sq. Mentee

Ali Paradee - 3rd Year Mentor Katrina Premo - 3rd Year Mentee

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

19

Camp DREAM

Conserving Camp

Welcome to

Camp

On any given day in the 2005 Summer, you might experience:

W

hile kids, mentors, and staff have explored Camp for two years now, DREAM became the full owner of the magical 50 acres in Fletcher this November. In partnership with the Vermont Land Trust, DREAM established a small development area, leaving the rest of the property for minimal development of trails and campsites. This land is publicly accessible and permanently conserved.

Come join us.

7:30 a.m. – Wake up!!

Deed signing with Vermont Land Trust

Camp DREAM on Metcalf Pond in Fletcher, Vermont The future layout of Camp.

8:00 a.m. – Scrumptious breakfast (served by our resident Camp Iron Chef) 8:45 a.m. – Face-painting and prep for Commando!

(Capture the Flag…DREAM-style!)

9:30 a.m. – COMMANDO! - navigating the woods to capture flags and secret scrolls.

11:30 a.m. – Commando closing ceremonies Tallying of points 11:45 a.m. – Delicious grilled cheese sandwiches at main campsite.

12:00 p.m. – Pile into the van for a tubing trip on the Mighty Lamoille River!

1:00 p.m.- Float lazily down river on tubes, splash heartily, shout with laughter.

4:30 p.m. – Return to Camp whilst eating ice cream sandwiches.

5:00 p.m. – Fire-building and environmental education tutorial!

6:00 p.m. – Grill and BBQ! (hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon) 7:00 p.m. – Pillow Wrestling Evening Program!

8:30 p.m. – Keylog Bonfire Closing Ceremony 9:30 p.m. – Retire to tents at campsites to sleep!

Alli Shapiro - 2nd Year UVM Mentor & Melissa Paquin - 4th Year Hollow Drive Mentee

71 children attended 3 or 5 night summer sessions at Camp DREAM, completely free.

Numbers • 6 Camp Sessions • 71 Campers • 35 Volunteer Counselors • 3,600 Work Crew Hours New Developments • Low Ropes & Frisbee Golf Course • Newly Developed Waterfront Areas • Playground Palace Camp Site

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

Chris Woods and Joey Russo - 4th Year Armory Square Mentees

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

21

Camp Programs

Camp DREAM will be growing a lot

C

amp DREAM exceeded our wildest expectations in 2005. We hosted six Camp sessions, hired 6 mentors for full time summer staff, and provided wonderful experiences for 71 DREAM children. We expected to host about 4 volunteer counselors each week (amounting to 24 over the summer), but we actually recruited 35! With this kind of support, we gave children from all over Vermont the chance to spend their days swimming, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, traipsing around on our hiking trails, chasing and catching frogs in puddles, playing capture the flag and countless other woodsy games. Our campers bonded together through campfires, ropes course teamwork activities, and tent camping. They also participated in imaginative evening programs such as sumo wrestling tournaments and stargazing nature hikes. Camp sessions even included pirate and cowboy themed Olympic days!

Our Camp sessions fostered self-reliance and environmental awareness among the campers while amplifying their connectedness to DREAM. This summer, we saw the beginnings of a new “Camp culture,” reflected in the strengthening of interpersonal relationships between the children in all of the housing communities with which DREAM works.

A

fter a campfire, I led a boisterous troop of eleven year old boys to campsite Sueño to get ready for bed. I held the lantern up in front of one of the tents as the boys scrambled to find their flashlights and toothbrushes. The light illuminated a magnificent spider web wet with dew. As the boys gathered around to admire it, a large white moth got caught in the web. All eyes were fixated on the web and jaws dropped as we watched the spider scurry out to deal with his catch. We witnessed the spider paralyze the moth, wrap it up and spin the bundle around in his web - all just a few inches from our eyes. I’ll never forget that moment of pure amazement as we stood in the darkness together, witnessing one of nature’s tiny miracles at Camp.

Anne Fletcher - Waterfront Director, 3rd Year St. Mikes Mentor

Camp was such an amazing experience for me. As one of my first major interactions with DREAM, Camp created a wonderful atmosphere of fun times as well as a sense of bonding between everyone involved.

Jon Hopper - 1st Year Dartmouth Mentor

Planning for the future of Camp

over the next ten years. Chris Howell joined DREAM to develop and implement a long term site development plan. Several imaginative structures and spaces will expand year-round programming and make our fifty acres on Metcalf Pond a well used, exciting spot.

Through the development process, we will build capacity to strengthen, connect, and broaden the DREAM community.

In 2005, an extensive trail system, low ropes course, boating area, swimming area, program shed, Playground Palace, and DREAM Garden tool shed were completed.

Future improvements, as outlined in the Camp Development Plan, will build upon these spaces while incorporating each in the long-term design.

The development plan centers on a program complex and three thematic campsites. Camp DREAM’s hub, the program complex, includes a lodge, bathhouse, garden, and orchard. Each campsite will inhabit a unique woodsy area a ten-minute walk from the program complex. Skycamp will feature a series of connected treehouses. Wintergreen Basecamp will include three lean-tos along the trail up Wintergreen Mountain. The Hobbit Hole will consist of an underground earthworks dwelling. Additional facilities will include a nature hut, playing field, improved swimming and boating areas, and a high ropes course.

Camp is designed and built by DREAMers, for DREAMers. Facilities from the garden to the treehouse will inspire creativity, encourage teamwork, and strengthen relationships among mentors, partners, and staff. Not to mention, sliding down a fire pole or zipline from your home in the trees is just wicked fun. New buildings and activities areas will maintain Camp’s rustic atmosphere while facilitating creative exploration.

In short, once you come to Camp, you’ll never want to leave.

Have fun out there, it’s yours to explore.

Learn more and find current schedules at Camp’s new website: www.dreamprogram.org/camp

Stan Hamlin - 3rd Year Franklin Sq. Mentee, Chris Woods, Joey Russo - 4th Year Armory Sq. Mentees.

Josh Warren - Camp Iron Chef and 2nd Year Champlain Mentor, Dave Anderson - Camp Programs Director

Design for the Tree House Camp Site

Design for the Main Camp Lodge

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

23

Winter Adventure Camp

2005

Six Weekends Forty-five Children Thirty-six Mentors Fifty Acres Four A-frame Shelters

One crazy dream…

Ethan Rothstein 4th Year Mentor

Main Camp Canvas Tent

I

n the winter of 2005, DREAM children and mentors cross-country skied, snowshoed, played broomball, flew through the forest playing Capture the Snow Flag, made friends, and explored the snow-covered woods of Camp DREAM. Favorite activities included night sledding, stargazing, hiking to the amphitheater, roasting marshmallows, and lots of silliness.

DREAM Bus: New paint, New fuel, all from Champlain Oil. Thank you to the staff of Champlain Oil for housing our bus, painting it blue, and providing mechanical help and bio-diesel. pla Cham

staff in Oil

on the

M Bus DREA

The Bus now runs on waste vegetable oil and bio-diesel, providing safer air for our kids and turning waste oil into free C

onverting the DREAM bus to run on veggie oil has been an exciting, long process for the staff. We added an extra fuel tank to hold our oil and ran a fuel line wrapped with the coolant hoses to heat the oil to an adequate firing temperature.

We’re still working on boosting this temperature, but the bus made its inaugural veggie journey to Rutland to help the Castleton State College mentors recruit an awesome team of new mentors to kick off their Fall semester. We source our oil from Adriana’s Restaurant in Burlington. We are happy to tour people around the bus and explain the process. Just give us a call!

Megan Murray - 2nd Year Birchwood Mentee & Josh Warren - 2nd Year Champlain Mentor

U

“ ndoubtedly my favorite memory from Camp DREAM and, in fact, one of my favorite memories from three years of DREAM, was playing broomball out on the lake. I can still see the whole scene: mentors and kids were sliding all over the place, running up and down the ice, shouting, bantering, sweating profusely, and laughing hysterically.

I've played a lot of sports for most of my life, but that one broomball experience was the craziest, most high-spirited, and most enjoyable game I've ever been a part of.”

-A.J. LeGaye, 3rd Year Dartmouth Mentor

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

Thanks to Adriana’s Restaurant, our new Vegetable Oil supplier.

Jesse & Mike Foote - Dartmouth DREAM Alumni

Other Vehicles T

he central office purchased a used van to shuttle staff to events, transport mentors and kids on trips, and carry materials up to Camp. This addition to the fleet reduces the need for driving multiple vehicles and keeps people together on long trips.

A-Frame Tent Site

T

he need for an on-site transport vehicle at Camp was met by a donation from the Winooski Housing Authority of a flat bed truck with a plow. This allows us to haul our materials and take care of our own plowing, reducing costs. Thank you WHA!

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

25

The Impacts of DREAM

Increased Constructive Risk Taking % of Total DREAMers Surveyed

80

Since 1999, DREAM has positively affected the lives of our children, mentors, and parents. While we were always confident that we provide children with a broadened world view, increased social capital and horizon and a whole lot of self-reliance, we wanted to back our beliefs with solid data. With the assistance of a professional evaluator, Cynthia Char of Char Associates, we analyzed and reported data collected in 2005. We want to share some of the highlights….

Broadened World View

40

“DREAM is a program that shows the children that it is a big world out there and all kinds of things are possible if you want them enough.”

30

Parent of a 2nd Year Mentee

80 70 60 50

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

When I work hard at I have succeeded in something, I usually doing something no succeed. one thought I could do.

Increased Constructive Risk Taking, Parent Perspective

20 10 0

% of Total DREAMers Surveyed

% of Total DREAMers Surveyed

90

70

I have done new In DREAM I do new Camp DREAM is an things in my area things that make me important place for because of DREAM. happy. me.

“This program has definitely changed my life for the better.”

Christian Seymour - 3rd Year Elm St. Mentee

Michael Kirby - 3rd Year Franklin Sq. Mentee & Christian Seymore - 4th Year Elm St. Mentee.

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

DREAM teaches my child valuable life skills

Does things important to him/her

Believes in his/her own abilities

% of Total DREAMers Surveyed

Birchwood / Champlain Local Program

Corey Premo - 4th Year Elm St. Mentee on the Alaskan High Adventure Trip

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Aspirations and Future Expectations

% of DREAM Mentors Surveyed

DREAM also has an amazing impact on the college lives of the mentors, improving their college experience and their connection to the community.

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

DREAM & The College Experience

Disagree Neutral Agree

DREAM adds DREAM adds DREAM adds I have had new experiences to my significantly to to my sense of because of happiness at place at my college DREAM. college. college. experience.

Franklin Square / St. Mike’s Local Program

I want to do well in school.

It is important to me to take good care of myself.

I expect to be happy when I am an adult.

When I am older, I want to travel and see new places.

It is important for me to go to college

The full report of DREAM’s impacts on children and families can be found at our website; www.dreamprogram.org Or call 802.655.9015 or email mloner@dreamprogram.org for a copy. www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

27

Support

DREAM’s Partners and Supporters N

onprofit organizations require a lot of help to get started and to grow into a powerful force for change. Over the past five years DREAM has built partnerships with a number of local, regional, and national organizations and businesses. We offer our thanks to all of the organizations who supported and partnered with us in 2005. Without your help, we could not do what we do.

The DREAM Alumni Organization Engaging Alumni as lifelong members of the DREAM community.

Chris Ellingwood - Champlain Alum

Vermont Housing & Conservation

A

Zach Berke - Dartmouth Alum & partner Troy Hicks - Northwoods Mentee.

Chris Hicks - Northwoods Alum & partner Laura Burt - Dartmouth Alum.

Alumni Officers

lumni are essential to DREAM’s continued growth and success. They finance and direct the Alumni Fund, a fund supporting trips and special projects of DREAM Local Programs. This grant process sparks creative ideas such as community beautification projects and kid study centers. The exponential growth of the Alumni Organization means increasing support for all DREAMers.

The network this Organization holds together is invaluable. Alumni catch up with each other all over the world and maintain relationships with their mentees.

They can track the evolution of Camp DREAM and Local Program expansion. When High Adventure trips come their way, as they did in Alaska this Summer, Alumni help the group with lodging and activities. And of course, whenever they visit Vermont, Alumni are always welcomed at DREAM events.

Leah Threatte (President, Dartmout ‘01), Carly O’Connell (Vice President, Dartmouth ’04) Ed Bialas (Treasurer, Dartmouth ‘01), Elizabeth Rosen (Secretary, UVM ’03)

The First DREAMers Going To College This is the first year that some of the original DREAM kids reached the age of high school graduation and college application. There was much excitement in the DREAM community when Melissa Paquin became the first DREAMer to attend college, enrolling at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. Other DREAMers have worked closely with Alumni and the Central Office to visit and apply to colleges for 2006.

We are excited and proud to help our kids navigate the complicated world of college selection. As DREAM continues to expand, the Central Office is able to facilitate visits to many quality colleges, each with welcoming mentors to show off their school. We have also established partnerships with organizations like the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, which offers quality education guidance and a plethora of scholarships.

Melissa’s accomplishment is significant, considering that before DREAM came to the Templeton Community (now the Northwoods Community) no child had attended a four-year school and only one had attended a two-year college program in the last 25 years. This points to a bright future for Northwoods and the other DREAM communities.

Congratulations to Melissa and the DREAMers looking to follow her!

28

Winooski Housing Authority

Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

BURLINGTON

M

elissa Paquin was selected ACTion Student of the Month in October and recognized in their newsletter:

Melissa Paquin, a first-year student from White River Junction, Vermont, was selected by the ACTion staff as the October Student of the Month. First in her family to attend college, Melissa is having a strong first semester. She is pleased with her teachers and appreciates the extra help she has received through the ACTion Program. Members of the ACTion staff report that Melissa is a conscientious and persistent student. When she gets a bad grade, she works hard to master the material in order to do better on subsequent assignments. She loves to write and to read. A liberal arts major, she dreams of becoming a writer.

-ACTion is a TRIO program, providing educational support to first generation students.

Champlain Oil Company

Adriana’s www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

29

The DREAM Annual Appeal A

cross the globe, hurricanes, drought, earthquakes, and war demanded charitable giving in 2005. This, along with the DREAM founders moving on left us uncertain as to how the appeal would go this year. While you likely gave to many important initiatives, you continued to recognize DREAM as an innovative, successful program, worthy of your support. Thank you for making this the best appeal yet, encouraging our growth, development, and big dreams. * DREAM Alumni Above $2500

! Gift Matched By Employer $100 - $249

198 individuals and families donated over

$35,000

Ed Bialas * Sam Fitz * in the Annual Appeal Judith Krueger Margaret & John Biggs $1000 - $2499 and Alumni Appeal.

Debbie Violette Helen & Andrew Biggs Henry Dusseault Ronda Stryker Ira Mintzer & Marian Menkel Ian & Karla Kennedy Nancy & Peter Lazar Anonymous Mary Ippolito Adolph Piperno Michael Rosen Vivian & James Buzzard Janet Foote Jean Burdge Michael & Cathy Christie Jon Potter * Gregg Young & Carol Cutler Mike Foote * Steven & Marge Lewis Ross Shearer $500 - $999 $50 - $99 Michael & Sara Schnitzer Kathy & Rees Shearer Motoko & Gordon Deane (The Taniguchi Carly O’Connell * Vahan Moosekian & Karen Fairbank Deane Family Foundation) Paul Biggs * Jeffery & Holly Wirth Alice Foote Brian Hannigan * Brian & Mary Casey Laura Burt * Anonymous Ico San Martini Jesse Foote * Jeannette Twomey Jeffery & Janice Hanson Neil Groberg & Ellen Wolfson Prince Neelankavil * Jen Lazar & Daniel Shearer Linda & Walter Anderson Richard & Suzanne Rothstein William & Laurie Joseph Julia Guttman Susan & John Arnold $250 - $499 Kathy & George Butterworth Jan Backus Michael & Barbara Fletcher Judy & Mark Siegel Community Lutheran Church, S. Burlington Priscilla & John Hall (In honor of Andrew Chriss Jeff Kinkaid * Sarah Hall, UVM ‘06) Evelyn Olchowski Sam Glickman ! * Carl & Jessica Ellis Donna & Buzz Land (In Honor of Peter Helseth ! * Charles & Anita Warren Pete Land) Barbara Guttman Jean & Ed Latour Anne & Douglas Bate Ed Doherty Debra & Frank Degrazia Noel Espina Connie Lierman William & Ann Frizell Barbara Callahan Barry & Susan Rosen Kathleen & Denis Curtin Bob & Teresa Brennan David & Helen Dickey Fitz Jeisook & John Thayer Jay Vigon & Margo Nahas Kent & Liz Dauten Steven Howe & Shelley Rooney Mo & Lynda Bakr Jack & Kathleen McKay Stuart & Carol Koehler Kim & Bill Wardlaw James & Linda Martin Matt Dunne & Sarah Taylor Susan & Michael Murphy Gail Risse & John Tobin Gisela & Stephen Kronenberg Elizabeth Foote & Eric Thorgerson Sandra Lawrence $100 - $249 Finley & Doris Klaas Susan & Dick Toth Kristin Burdge * John Gergely Mike & Vicki Loner $50 $99 David Foote Scott Mishara Marian Kummer Emily Rummo * Lu Neuse * Patricia Eckels Jay & Karen Stott Laurie & Keith Gee (In Memory of David & Susan Amory Jerry & Nancy Godbehere !

David T. Eckels) Denise Frisbee Anne Leddy & Alexander Wilson Chad Butt * Mary & Ken Caswell W. Brinkley & Patricia Dickerson Sheryl & Theodore Shaker Bill & Jane Clarke Eileen & John Huston Larry Litten Bob & Mary Williams Tim Wright * Alexis Sheehan * Lynda McDaniel Leah Threatte * Jeff Cooney * Ana Espina Barbara & Michael Taxier Kallie Willets * Margaret Burdge Drew Sheriff * Katie Stevenson * Ed & Carol Sinnott Susan & Earl Burt Erica Mintzer * Janet & Robert Kmetz Stephen Knepp Macon Phillips * Sean Alpert * Mike Newton * Rebecca Taxier * Giulia Stefani * Ed Potter & Regina Olchowski Gail Lees

THANK YOU.

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

$25 - $49 Christine (Bema) Lazar Katherine Huyett * Jane & Kevin McGrath Cara Gleason Molly Redmond * Josh Slattery * Erik Hoekstra Dean Krishna * Kristi Cannon * Erinna Bowman * Anjali Gupta Jill York Beth Heaton * Pat Leslie * Kate Knight * Rachel Richardson * Mara Zaslove Robert & Cynthia Basdekis Charles & Dorothy Basdekis George & Barbara Bartlett Lindsay Earls * Carol Gaines Lee Ann Slattery Richard & Lee-Ellen Magna Jerry Geier Karen Degrazia Col & Nancy Sherburne Thomas & Eve Chandler (In Honor of Claire Chandler) Mary Jane & Steve Higgins David & Sabine Sheppe Jerry Shelton David & Jeanne Goodman Martha Hubbell Bob & Leanne Linck Janet Pringle Beverly & Mark Banta Carol & Joe Bartges Dianne & Andrew Hess Suzanne Sherer-Arenos Louis & Linda Cerbone Karen & Charles Brown Chance Hill * Elizabeth Rosen * Djahane Salehabadi *

These Foundations And Organizations Supported DREAM in 2005: The Donley Foundation The Salmon Foundation The Byrne Foundation The Turrell Fund The Vermont Community Foundation The Vermont Children’s Trust Fund The James T. Bowse Community Health Trust The IDX Foundation

The Vermont Department of Children and Families Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation J.A. Morrissey, Inc. Green Mountain Power Merchant’s Bank Chittenden Bank Vermont Housing Conservation Board

$1 - $24 Paul Klenk Roshan Shah * Jeff Garrett * Annie Lambert * D Brad Bate * Molly Stutzman & Jorge Miranda * Claire Chandler * Josh Lozman * Chirag Shah * Sue Adkins Ashley Carleton * Brooke Lierman * Craig Davis * Liana Heldman * Carol Loner Joel & Susan Rosenthal

As our Annual Appeal takes place at the end of the year, many donations for the 2005 appeal are received and accounted for in 2006.

Jonna Green - 2nd Year Castleton Mentor, Freddie & Selena Clough - Armory Sq. Mentees

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

31

The DREAM Program’s Financial Summary

THE DREAM PROGRAM, INC. STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION (UNAUDITED)

We are proud to share with our supporters and donors the 2005 financial information. On the next three pages you will find our Financial Statement, Activity Statement and Statement of Functional Expenses. You can find the full Financial Report for 2005 on our website at www.dreamprogram.org/about/finances.htm.

DREAM’s 2005 financial performance shows the expansion and capital investment of the Program over the past year. Expenditures rose sharply from 2004 due to the addition of a full summer camp program and the professional design work completed for the camp site plan and the Vermont Act 250 permit process. Our evaluations report, the Elm Street High Adventure Trip to Alaska, and a van purchase significantly raised our programs expenditures.

Even with the rapid growth, we kept general administration and overhead costs to just 10% of our total expenditures, and fundraising expenses to just 6%. 84% of DREAM funds were spent directly on programs.

In 2005 DREAM continued to maintain and grow our stable and diverse funding base. Grant and foundation support comprised 54% of the overall income while support from individuals, organizations, and local business donations made up another 24%. Finally, DREAM received 22% of its funds from the Housing Authorities that we work with as fees for service.

The measurable value and return on investment of the DREAM Program goes far beyond the dollars spent on programming.

Factoring for contributed volunteer time during the 2005 school-year, DREAM was able to provide over 12,500 contact hours with the children. If we had to pay even just $10.00 per hour for this service it would cost the program over $125,000 per year. Leveraging the time of our amazing volunteers, we are able to deliver this $231,069 program at a cost of just 46% of its value.

For more information, contact Executive Director Mike Loner at mloner@dreamprogram.org.

Functional Expenses Total Expenditures for DREAM in 2005; $316,288 Fundrasisng Expenses $18,367 6% Program Expenses $264,931 84%

General Administration $32,991 10%

DECEMBER 31, 2005 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash and cash equivalents Temporarily restricted contributions receivable Accounts receivable

$

101,155 101,155

Total current assets OTHER CURRENT ASSETS: Inventories for sale

3,857

Total inventories for sale

Donations and Income by Donor Type $261,864

Individuals 19%

Other 1%

Fees for Service 22%

Companies and Organizations 5%

13,000 100,000 (2,348) 110,652

Cash restricted for college accounts Other temporarily restricted assets

275 46,121

Total long-term assets TOTAL ASSETS Foundations 30%

(excludes, Camp, High Adventure and Summer Program)

Program Costs $105,909.00 46%

160,905

$ 262,060

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS CURRENT LIABILITIES Current portion of long-term debt Accounts payable

Volunteer Value vs. Program Costs

Volunteer Value $125,160.00 54%

3,857

LONG-TERM ASSETS: Equipment Land Accumulated depreciation Total property and equipment, net

Government 23%

85,305 12,158 3,692

$

3,660

Total current liabilities

3,660

Total liabilities

3,660

NET ASSETS: Net assets, beginning of year Opening Balance equity Unrestricted net income Cost of Goods Sold Temporarily restricted net income Total net assets TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

311,318 2,138 (69,114) * (632) 14,690 258,400 $ 262,060

DREAM’s full Financial Report for 2005 is available at http://www.dreamprogram.org/about/finances.htm

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Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

33

NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR

34 Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

TOTAL INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS (69,114) 14,690 (54,425)

NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR 111,065 200,253 311,318

41,951 $ 214,943

$ $

(122,792) -

14,690 261,864

105,909 45,368 113,654 105,909 45,368 113,654

Total program services 264,931 264,931

Supporting Services: General and administrative Fundraising 32,991 18,367 32,991 18,367

Total supporting services 51,357 51,357

Total functional expenses 316,288 316,288

256,893 TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES

$ 105,909

35,924 2,602 2,014 6,300 296 194 39 3 8 70 388 8,683 5,575 2,872 6,605 156 4,979 18,561 2,968 118 1,100 6,456

$ 45,368

$ 33,239 2,407 1,863 417.91 2,017 6 1,773 1,586 2,059

$

20,532 $ 1,487 1,151 7,850 2,970 50 8,115 31,385 * 495 245 378 11,942 4,812 168 100 10,429 * 133 2,937 446 132 2,762 2,160 698 2,278 $ 113,654

$

264,931

89,695 6,496 5,029 14,150 296 3,164 50 39 8,115 31,388 495 253 70 388 9,061 5,575 15,231 13,434 330 100 10,429 6,885 23,083 3,414 250 2,762 2,160 1,798 10,793

59,185 83,057 8,687 4,147 30,059 57,500 716 2,660 15,854 9,170 664 514 4,830 3,606 477 468 1,252 600 785 260 808 1,755 698 690 555 545 17 47 320 140 3,556 415 206 (155) 766 $ 32,991

$

$ 18,367

$ 13,756 996 771 1,813 95 14 254 114 424 128 -

$ 51,357

$ 22,926 1,660 1,285 6,643 3,606 572 468 1,252 600 785 260 808 1,755 713 690 809 545 17 162 320 564 3,684 415 206 (155) 766

Supporting Services General and Administrative Fundraising Total

122,792

247,174

Total

$

Program Services Summer Camp Programs DREAM

59,185 70,107 7,000 500 690 -

$

FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: Program Services: School-year programs Summer programs Camp DREAM $

FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: Salaries and related expenses Payroll taxes Health insurance Housing stipends Other benefits Staff development Staff recruitment Legal Accounting and payroll Engineering and design Other professional services Office and occupancy Phone, fax, and internet Website Technology Marketing Risk management Evaluation Supplies Food Postage Printing and duplication Building materials Activities Travel and transportation Lodging DREAM gear purchases Program fundraising expenses Dues and subscriptions Interest and fees Taxes Depreciation Vehicles

Total revenues 12,950 1,687 3,647 29,369 57,500 716 2,660 15,854

School-Year Programs

$

Total $ 316,288

$ 112,621 8,156 6,314 20,793 3,902 3,736 50 507 1,252 8,115 31,388 1,095 1,039 330 808 388 10,816 5,575 15,944 14,124 1,139 645 10,429 6,902 23,245 320 3,978 3,684 665 2,968 2,004 1,798 11,560

Total Expenses

REVENUES, GAINS, AND OTHER SUPPORT: Contributions Government Foundations Companies Organizations Individuals Fees Investment income Sales to public Fundraising events Net assets released from restrictions: Satisfaction of program restrictions Temporarily Restricted

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005

Unrestricted

STATEMENT OF FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES (UNAUDITED)

THE DREAM PROGRAM, INC.

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES (UNAUDITED)

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

35

The Central Office

New Developments at DREAM These are additional new DREAM items that we thought you’d like to know about.

Teen Programming Teens can stay in DREAM as long as they choose, though many migrate to other activities once they get to high school. We are developing a Teen Program model to facilitate teens designing and implementing their own experiences and adventures while taking greater leadership roles in their Local Programs. This will start out with the Elm Street Local Program. Look for developments in 2006!

New DREAM Core Value Still in draft stage, this seventh core value revolves around our goal to be responsible to the communities we work with. Check out our Core Values at www.dreamprogram.org/about/corevalues.htm.

-DRAFTWe strive to impact local and non-local communities positively. To be responsible citizens, we will seriously and respectfully consider all people we impact in our programming and purchasing decisions. We welcome and investigate suggestions of how we can improve the relationships we create by interacting with people and communities. We understand that we face tough decisions in weighing costs and benefits of our transactions with limited information. We will make good faith efforts to determine the best action for all communities.

New Web Pages for Camp, Jobs, Vehicles, and Birchwood A powerful tool, our website continues to develop. Check out these new pages and suggest ways the site can be more useful to Daniel at daniel@dreamprogram.org Chris

Dave

Lu

Mike

Daniel

Chad

Kristin

Jen

Elizabeth

www.dreamprogram.org/camp www.dreamprogram.org/resources/jobs.htm www.dreamprogram.org/resources/vehicles.htm www.birchwood.dreamprogram.org

Sweat Free DREAM Gear Our shirts and hoodies are now purchased through No Sweat Apparel, a provider of sweatshop free clothes. We’re proud to support good wages and a healthy work environment and we hope you’ll enjoy the new colors!

The Special DREAM Challenge We wanted to show our kids just how far dreams can take you. We’re collecting photos of DREAM supporters with DREAM gear in locations all around the world. Kids will judge the best DREAM ambassador. Send yours in today and you could win a prize. Check out the fabulous submissions at: http://dreamprogram.smugmug.com/gallery/947931

Images from the

Champlain mentors cleaning up in New Orleans

36

Annual Report 2005 | www.dreamprogram.org

Max Young (Dartmouth ‘06) in Egypt

John Cyr (Dartmouth ‘06) in Salamanca, Spain

Lindsey Davis’ (UVM ‘04) water bottle at the Great Wall of China

Beth Huston (Dartmouth ‘02) in Cameroon, looking into Nigeria

www.dreamprogram.org | Annual Report 2005

37