The dream program, orchard gardens, june and july, 2014

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The Village Ment oring Organization

The Orchard Gardens DREAM Update June & July 2014 The Orchard Gardens Summer Program started off with a day of popsicles and outdoor games. The youth and interns are excited for a fun-filled summer of activities!

Meet the Inters!

Sydney Durand: This coming fall, Sydney will be a senior at the University of Vermont where she is majoring in Community and International Development with a minor in Spanish. Sydney grew up in a very quiet town with a general store and one stop light, however, she recently moved to the wonderful city of Boston, which she loves! Sydney’s new favorite activity is biking through the busy city streets, alongside the Charles River, and discovering short cuts on her morning commute to the DREAM office.

After Sydney graduates she looks forward to lots of traveling, especially to Spanish speaking countries, and continuing to meet new people where ever she may land!

Sharldine Desire: Sharldine Desire, or Dinie, as she’s called, is a 20 year old Boston native entering her junior year at Williams College. Recognizing early on that she loved working and interacting with children, Dinie plans to enter the Massachusetts Juvenile Court System…but in the meantime, she’s determined to make the lives of underprivileged inner-city youth as rich as they can possibly be.

DREAM, she figured, was a great place to start! Dinie has always believed that being a big sister provided her with the patience and enthusiasm that makes her great with kids. She plans to carry all that she’s learned from the amazing people in her life to her work and beyond!

Emily Durfee: Emily is a senior at the University of Vermont seeking a degree in Anthropology with a minor in Global Studies. After growing up and attending college in Vermont, a new adventure in Boston for the summer seemed necessary. Having a sense of community has always been important to her which is one of the main reasons she stays active volunteering whenever given the opportunity. Also, why the DREAM Program is the perfect fit for her. Emily loves painting and crafting as well as yoga and exploring new things. She is eager to return to Vermont and get involved with the DREAM program there and has plans to return to Boston after graduation.

DREAM Programming:  Summer DREAM began on June 16th with kick-off events in each of DREAM’s communities.

Summer DREAM will consist of one community-based activity and one field trip each week-all catered to the youth within the community.  The first official week of Summer DREAM began on June 30th.

Week of June 16 th-June 20th  June 18: The interns hosted a kick-off event with outdoor games and popsicles. The youth had fun as they played telephone, ran relay races and cooled off with an iced treat! The interns were able to meet several school-year DREAM participants, parents of DREAM youth, and youth interested in joining DREAM.

41 Dearborn St., Roxbury, MA 02119 | (617) 699-8408 | boston@dreamprogram.org

Week of June 23-July 4th  June 30: Seven youth from Orchard Gardens attended our Harbor Island Trip to George’s Island.

Attendees played on the beach, toured the fort, and had picnic lunches.  July 2 : For this week’s activity, youth from Orchard Gardens and Madison Park Village participated in a combined community activity. The youth made their own tye dye creations which included tshirts and socks.

Week of July 7 th-July 11 th  July 9: Four youth from Orchard Gardens went to the Joseph Tierney Learning Center in South Boston to participate in a Community Outreach activity hosted by the New England Aquarium. Youth got to learn about, touch, and hold, various creatures which call tide pools home. The youth had a great time as they got to touch hermit and horseshoe crabs, starfish and snails.  July 11: The youth came to the DREAM office for Pajama Day, which included popcorn and a movie Week of July 14 th-July 18 th  July 16: The interns planned a Scavenger Hunt which was to take place along the Freedom Trail.

Unfortunately rain foiled this plan, so the quick thinking interns took the youth to the AMC theater along the Boston Commons to see Earth to Echo.

Week of July 21 st -July 25th  July 23: Pool Day in Madison Park Village  July 25: Aquarium Field Trip Trips and Off-Site Activities:  The Roseway: DREAM was selected to send 25 youth in grades 6 through 9 aboard the Roseway schooner. The program ran from July 14th through July 18th. Each day was focused on a different teambuilding and life skill, which included communication, teamwork, and self-worth. Each day opened with a morning circle and was followed by the youth working together with the crew to raise the 4,000 lbs sail! Youth on board learned how to coil the line to create ballentines, learned about buoyancy by creating their own boats out of aluminum foil, used a compass to chart a course, learned about local conservation efforts, tidal flats and tidal patterns, and got to climb the rigging and steer at the helm!  Boston College Trip: Boston DREAM will be hosting a college trip for DREAM youth in grades 6th through 12th the week of July 21st through July 24th. We have been confirmed to tour Roxbury Community College, Boston University, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts Boston, and Suffolk University. Ten to fifteen youth will attend each tour.

DREAM Office:  Summer Community Intern Orientation: All of the Vermont and Boston Summer Community Interns joined the Camp DREAM staff and DREAM Program staff members for an orientation at Camp DREAM in Fletcher, VT from June 9th to the 11th. Interns participated in workshops on topics including: behavior management, DREAM basics, supporting youth through the tough stuff, fundraising, and building relationships with families. The interns and Camp counselors loved the opportunity to meet one another and left energized for a fun-filled summer.  Summer Appeals: DREAM is amidst its Summer Appeal. Letters were sent out in order to continue funding the wonderful summer activities that are offered each year.  Rodman Ride for Kids: In partnership with the Massachusetts Mentoring Partnership, DREAM was selected to be a participant in this year’s Rodman Ride for Kids. The ride, which takes place in Foxboro on September 18th, will include many DREAMers, including our Regional Director, riding 25, 50, or 100 miles to raise money for DREAM in Boston.

DREAM Big!

Jason Desrosier Boston Programs Director The DREAM Program 41 Dearborn Street Boston, MA 02119 Jason@dreamprogram.org