Newsletter
January 2015

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HBO Latin America Spotlights DREAM

Sembradores de Optimismo | DREAM Project

The HBO Latin America documentary "Planters of Optimism" (Sembradores de Optimismo) has been seen by millions of viewers all over Latin America. The documentary spotlights DREAM's innovative Early Childhood Education Programs, in particular, our five Montessori Preschools. We are honored to be recognized by HBO Latin America for our work to end poverty and build a new generation of learners in the Dominican Republic. You can watch the video above in Latin America, and if you are watching in the US, check your local HBO Latin America listings.

A Ganar in Sosua

DREAM has launched our third A Ganar course for youth in Sosua, working in the community of Villa Liberaci�n and La Uni�n. The support from the community has been tremendous, so a big thank you to Mayor Ilana Neuman for the use of the Villa Liberaci�n Community Center. In three years, this innovative program has graduated more than 200 youth (16 to 24 years of age) and transformed their lives, along with the way we look at local communities as a source of qualified employees. More than 70% of our graduates are either back in school, employed or both. To learn more about this incredible program, please visit our A Ganar page.

2015 DREAM Global Connection Visitors

A new year means more than 15 groups and 400 DREAMers to the region. Thanks to more than 10 years of these groups, DREAM has been able to add much needed support to local communities, schools and hundreds of thousands of dollars into the economy of the North Coast. If you see a Global Connection visitor this year, make sure you give them a wave and a smile!

University Collaborations Kick Off the New Year

This January, DREAM welcomed representatives from two student research teams at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and the McCourt Policy in Practice (MPiP) organization at Georgetown University. These initial field visits allowed two members from both teams to get know DREAM and the Cabarete community while initiating research and planning for their projects. SIPA students are designing a youth entrepreneurship curriculum and microcredit program as part of A Ganar and Alerta Joven. MPiP students conducted community surveys to assess health needs and will help implement a community health fair in the spring. We're excited for the incredible contributions of both groups!

�nica: DPV for Girls

This month, the Deportes para la Vida team launched its second-level curriculum for girls: �nica. The last weekend in January, eight female coaches traveled to the DREAM Center in Cabarete for the pilot program training. The new program �nica will empower girls ages 12-16 to build self-esteem, communication skills, healthy relationships and good decision-making. The 12-session program aims to equip adolescent women with the knowledge, skills and resources to mitigate the risks of sexually transmitted infections, gender-based violence and unplanned pregnancy during adolescence. In the coming months, four pilot programs will replicate the �nica methodology in Batey Libertad, La Romana, Caraballo and Cabarete.

DREAMers of the Month

Marianne Florentino and Jhan Carlos Toribio Martinez

This month's special recognition goes to two outstanding members of the A Ganar team, Marianne and Jhan Carlos. Their dedication and motivation as teachers has pushed students to reach the highest levels possible in their personal and professional development. We thank them for their positive attitude and commitment to supporting A Ganar students, especially their efforts at the end of the year to ensure students had excellent internships during high season in Cabarete. A special KILO to this duo!

Donors of the Month

A special thank you to all who gave this month, including:

Kimball Family Foundation Michel Zaleski

Michel Cohen & Tribeca Healthcare

Millwoods Christian School Michael A. Goldfarb

FedEx Hintz Family Fund, Inc. Entrena, SRL

Charles Herrmann Cigar Country

The Wapakoneta Foundation University of Maryland

Celines Toribio North Coast Charity Golf Classic

Claudia Troncoso Linda Davis Amy Fitzsimmons

Aron Schlau Frank & Linda Cassirer David Weiss

Robert Wadley Eva Trader Jose Maria Trullols