Many DREAMs, One Community, Shared Responsibility

Newsletter
December 2016

Many DREAMs, One Community, Shared Responsibility
The DREAM Holiday Brunch!

Our shared community came together, once again, for the DREAM Holiday Brunch. Thanks to more than 230 smiling faces, we celebrated our biggest local fundraiser ever! DREAM was honored to host our community's newest member and Holiday Brunch sponsor, Lifestyle Holidays, which will open its doors in Cabarete in January 2018. Thank you Cabarete/Sosúa, thank you Brunch Committee and a very special thanks to our Shared Responsibility Partners who made our silent auction the best way to get ready for the holidays!

Offering Solidarity to our Communities

With local and international support, we were able to give DREAM Solidarity Kits to more than 420 families devastated by the flood conditions in Cabarete and Sosúa. Each Solidarity Kit includes a double mattress, sheets, towels, a mosquito net, first aid supplies, as well as household and personal cleaning items to ensure that our community members can rebuild their lives in a healthy environment for their families. This donation was made possible by the financial support of Isla Dominicana de Petróleo Corporation, Fast Track Enterprises and more than $15,000 in small donations, as well as large in-kind donations from the Alerta Joven family, INAIPI, Fathom Cruise Lines, Carol Morgan School, Colgate, Judith Curry, and Carib Wind, among many others.

Our Newest Montessori Classroom!

Our newest Montessori Classroom, Aula Carola Sofia, was inaugurated this month in partnership with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in San Pedro de Macorís. A special thanks to Executive Board Member Rubén González, who has once again led the way in providing high quality early childhood education models. Sustainable change, DREAM Big!

Innovative Reading Instruction One Step at a Time

DREAM is proud to support USAID through two unique initiatives. With funding from the International Women's Club of Santo Domingo, DREAM provided more than 600 copies of our children's book, Un León en Cabarete, and trained primary school teachers to use the book to improve reading instruction through the USAID LEER project. In addition, as part of the USAID Baseball Cares project, DREAM is training teachers to lead a student writing competition in seven schools in San Pedro, Boca Chica and San Cristóbal. These efforts continue our journey to provide innovative reading instruction in the Dominican Republic.

DREAM Leadership: The 2016 Board Retreat

One reason our organization has had such positive growth since the year 2000 is because of the team that leads the way. This diverse, committed, experienced group of international, national and local volunteers is what makes the DREAM Team able to go out into 27 communities and educate more than 7,000 youth. Our results driven approach to making an impact offers a progressive model that redefines how high quality education can change a generation, one child at a time.

A Ganar Encourages Lifelong Learning with Alumni Conference

Nearly 40 youth participated in a day of professional development workshops at our first-ever alumni conference for graduates of the A Ganar program, funded by USAID/Alerta Joven and Banco Popular. Participants had a chance to meet and get inspired by youth from other communities, as well as learn about leadership, stress management, language learning tips, and more! This fun, interactive conference with the theme "Ya Ganamos!" was a great way to show youth the important role that continuous learning plays in their career and professional life. We hope to make this an annual event!

DPV National Conference Celebrates Successful Collaboration with Peace Corps

Our annual conference for Deportes Para la Vida coaches across the country was a huge hit this year! DREAM and Peace Corps Dominican Republic celebrated the amazing achievements of the network since 2010, including training 522 peer coaches and reaching more than 10,000 youth through community programs. We also received a special visit from the national teen pregnancy prevention campaign, Tú No 'Ta Pa' Eso. The coaches loved learning new information that they can share to help youth learn the difficult reality of raising a child as an adolescent. We're motivated to spread the word in 2017!

DREAMer of the Month

Ecoserve Potable Water Source

The Potable Water Source is now open to the public at the DREAM Center! Spurred to action by the contaminated water supply during the floods, Ecoserve offered to provide this clean, healthy water source to our community. Come fill up for all of your household needs!

Donors of the Month

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

The RC22 Foundation     Playa Grande Foundation
The Thomas Rosato Foundation     Tidal X Benefit Concert
United Way Worldwide & FedEx     Kevin Smith
David Weiss Family Fund     Benjamin de Menil
Carol Morgan School     Barrow House     Myriam Badault
Michel Zaleski     Ben Meyer     Simone Meyer     Don Husby
Matthew Wemple     Norman Lerchen     Allison Kahl
Kevin Fallon     Linda Barbier     Javier Abreu Aracena
Fathom Cruise Lines     Dave Pearson     Entrena
Sonia (Cabarete Fashion Show)     Carib Wind & MJ Barshi
Noah D. Shannon     Fosubo     Trevor Reid
Jacqueline Vandermeer     Michelle Garcia     Wm Meyer
Judith Curry     Audrey Meyer     Pass it On Store
Colgate     Patrick Neill     Anouk Shambrook
Geraldine de Santis     Eric Urbahn     Taye Diggs
Shane West     Karen More     Sigalit Button
Graciela Rincón     Caroline Bucher/Dennise Morales
INAIPI     Prue Saunders Hunt     Sabine Schnatz
Audre Claudette     Miguelina Arias Alvarez
Marta Julio     Ambra Attus     Maria y Jonathan
Dr. Jose Esmurdoc Salomon     Dr. Larry Mason
Milena Pon     Efrina Briggs     Arion Dominicana SRL
Sociedad Anonima Henicas/Eliza Abreu

and all those who donated to our Flood Relief efforts and all those who purchased tickets or donated to
the DREAM Holiday Brunch

A special thanks to our Shared Responsibility Partners!