The DREAM Program, Franklin Square, Quarter 1, 2017

Franklin​ ​Square​ ​DREAM​ ​Quarterly​ ​Report October​ ​-​ ​December,​ ​2017

Greetings​ ​from​ ​DREAM!​ ​As​ ​the​ ​summer​ ​drew​ ​to​ ​an​ ​end​ ​and​ ​the​ ​children​ ​and​ ​college​ ​students​ ​all prepared​ ​for​ ​class,​ ​wonderful​ ​DREAM​ ​activities​ ​began,​ ​starting​ ​in​ ​September​ ​and​ ​stretching​ ​all​ ​the​ ​way​ ​to December.​ ​Saint​ ​Michael’s​ ​College​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Franklin​ ​Square​ ​community​ ​were​ ​brimming​ ​with​ ​DREAMiness and​ ​here​ ​is​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​happenings​ ​that​ ​occurred​ ​during​ ​the​ ​fall.

Highlights​ ​from​ ​the​ ​quarter​ ​include: ●

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Franklin​ ​Square​ ​mentors​ ​tabled​ ​at​ ​Saint​ ​Michael’s​ ​College’s​ ​Activities​ ​Fair​ ​to​ ​recruit​ ​new mentors.​ ​Their​ ​efforts​ ​were​ ​successful​ ​and​ ​the​ ​program​ ​welcomes​ ​eight​ ​new​ ​mentors: Jacob​ ​Brodbine,​ ​Kayla​ ​Schneider,​ ​Kyle​ ​Kowalski,​ ​Gabrielle​ ​White,​ ​Angelina​ ​O’Donnell, William​ ​Langdon,​ ​Mariah​ ​Mansur,​ ​and​ ​Monique​ ​Gardon.

Franklin​ ​Square​ ​mentors​ ​volunteered​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Ben​ ​and​ ​Jerry’s​ ​Factory​ ​and​ ​raised​ ​$390​ ​for their​ ​program!

Participants Mentees Total:​ ​25

Mentors Total:​ ​18

Weekly​ ​Programming​: ● ● ● ● ●

Franklin​ ​Square​ ​DREAM​ ​spent​ ​an​ ​afternoon​ ​at​ ​Oakledge​ ​Park​ ​enjoying​ ​time​ ​by​ ​the water,​ ​and​ ​exploring​ ​the​ ​treehouse.

Mentors​ ​grilled​ ​on​ ​St.​ ​Mike’s​ ​campus​ ​and​ ​the​ ​group​ ​played​ ​soccer​ ​outside​ ​the​ ​Student Life​ ​Center.

Franklin​ ​Square​ ​DREAMers​ ​dressed​ ​up​ ​and​ ​very​ ​happily​ ​trick-or-treated​ ​across​ ​campus.

DREAMers​ ​visited​ ​St.​ ​Mike’s​ ​sports​ ​courts,​ ​where​ ​mentors​ ​and​ ​mentees​ ​played basketball,​ ​racquetball,​ ​and​ ​danced!

Franklin​ ​Square​ ​was​ ​joined​ ​by​ ​Winchester​ ​for​ ​a​ ​DREAMy​ ​Thanksgiving​ ​celebration!

Special​ ​Events​ ​for​ ​Children​ ​and​ ​Mentors: ● In​ ​October,​ ​DREAM​ ​staff​ ​hosted​ ​our​ ​annual​ ​mentor​ ​conference,​ ​DREAMstock!​ ​We​ ​had over​ ​50​ ​mentors​ ​in​ ​attendance​ ​from​ ​7​ ​different​ ​programs​ ​across​ ​the​ ​state.​ ​The​ ​day consisted​ ​of​ ​multiple​ ​trainings​ ​on​ ​topics​ ​including​ ​behavior​ ​management,​ ​cultural competency,​ ​healthy​ ​sexual​ ​development​ ​in​ ​youth,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​teen​ ​panel.

Capacity​ ​Building​ ​and​ ​Fundraising: ● We’re​ ​currently​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​our​ ​annual​ ​fundraising​ ​drive,​ ​where​ ​we​ ​raise​ ​close​ ​to​ ​⅓ of​ ​our​ ​annual​ ​operating​ ​budget.

Camp: ● Camp​ ​programming​ ​is​ ​off​ ​at​ ​the​ ​moment,​ ​but​ ​we​ ​are​ ​planning​ ​for​ ​Winter​ ​Adventure Camp​ ​in​ ​February​ ​and​ ​March. ● Camp​ ​construction​ ​on​ ​our​ ​lodge,​ ​bath​ ​house,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​underway.

Teen​ ​Accomplishments: ● The​ ​Fall​ ​Vermont​ ​Teen​ ​retreat​ ​took​ ​place​ ​on​ ​Saturday,​ ​November​ ​4​ ​at​ ​Champlain College.​ ​19​ ​teens​ ​from​ ​all​ ​across​ ​the​ ​state,​ ​5​ ​DREAM​ ​staff,​ ​5​ ​DREAM​ ​mentors,​ ​and​ ​6 guest​ ​speakers​ ​attended.​ ​The​ ​range​ ​of​ ​topics​ ​covered​ ​included​ ​career​ ​options​ ​and identity,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​college​ ​club​ ​options​ ​and​ ​challenges​ ​that​ ​teens​ ​face​ ​at​ ​school​ ​and​ ​in their​ ​personal​ ​lives.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​very​ ​successful​ ​event!

Alumni: ● The​ ​alumni​ ​council​ ​is​ ​rolling​ ​out​ ​an​ ​alumni​ ​directory​ ​intended​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​alumni​ ​connected and​ ​able​ ​to​ ​support​ ​the​ ​kids​ ​and​ ​organization. ● Alumni​ ​grants​ ​are​ ​also​ ​being​ ​reviewed,​ ​providing​ ​program​ ​sites​ ​with​ ​additional​ ​programrelated​ ​funding.

Office: ●

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DREAM​ ​welcomed​ ​14​ ​new​ ​Americorps​ ​members​ ​(six​ ​of​ ​which​ ​are​ ​serving​ ​in​ ​Vermont) and​ ​kicked​ ​off​ ​the​ ​new​ ​service​ ​year​ ​with​ ​a​ ​retreat.​ ​The​ ​retreat​ ​set​ ​vision​ ​for​ ​the​ ​upcoming year​ ​and​ ​included​ ​all​ ​members​ ​and​ ​staff​ ​from​ ​across​ ​our​ ​three​ ​locations​ ​(Boston, Philadelphia,​ ​and​ ​Vermont).

The​ ​DREAM​ ​Office​ ​hosted​ ​its​ ​first​ ​site​ ​visit​ ​with​ ​our​ ​CNCS​ ​Grant​ ​Officer​ ​Rachel​ ​Turner The​ ​visit​ ​was​ ​very​ ​informative​ ​and​ ​helpful​ ​for​ ​us​ ​and​ ​Rachel​ ​was​ ​pleased​ ​with​ ​our progress​ ​as​ ​a​ ​new​ ​grantee.

DREAM​ ​Vermont​ ​has​ ​a​ ​“new”​ ​office​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Elm​ ​Street​ ​Community​ ​Center​ ​in​ ​Winooski, Vermont.​ ​ ​A​ ​few​ ​of​ ​our​ ​current​ ​staff​ ​members​ ​and​ ​AmeriCorps​ ​members​ ​will​ ​now​ ​call​ ​this their​ ​new​ ​home​ ​office.

Thank​ ​you​ ​for​ ​your​ ​ongoing​ ​support​ ​of​ ​DREAM.​ ​ ​If​ ​you​ ​would​ ​like​ ​additional​ ​or​ ​more​ ​detailed​ ​information, please​ ​contact​ ​me​ ​by​ ​email​ ​or​ ​by​ ​phone.​ ​ ​You​ ​can​ ​always​ ​look​ ​back​ ​at​ ​past​ ​reports​ ​or​ ​other​ ​programs’ reports​ ​by​ ​going​ ​to:​​ ​http://dreamprogram.org/mentoring/vermont/local-program-reports​.

DREAM​ ​big, Deb​ ​Kosnar Program​ ​Empowerment​ ​Director dkosnar@dreamprogram.org 802.338.8979