{"id":1401,"date":"2020-09-22T03:47:11","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T07:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/?p=1401"},"modified":"2024-08-22T06:34:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T10:34:33","slug":"i-have-a-dream-foundation-helps-low-income-children-achieve-every-possible-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kars4kidsgrants.org\/our-grantees\/i-have-a-dream-foundation-helps-low-income-children-achieve-every-possible-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Have a Dream\u201d Foundation Helps Low-Income Children Achieve Every Possible Dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation<\/a> is making sure that every child can go to college and succeed in school and in life, no matter who they are or how much money their families have. IHDF begins working with kids early on, to make sure the message gets through loud and clear: you can be somebody, go to college, and get ahead. And it\u2019s not just a message, but support at every level, to ensure that college is not just a dream, but a reality for every child who desires success.<\/p>\n

That IHDF has the right formula\u2014a formula that\u2019s working\u2014is clear enough. It\u2019s also clear that this effort deserves our support, which is why Kars4Kids was pleased to award the \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation with one of our small grants<\/a>. We turned to the \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation President and CEO Eugena Oh, to learn more about the work of IHDF:<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: Can you tell us about the demographic of the \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: The \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation serves young people, their families, and communities across nine states in fifteen different regions and in New Zealand. The majority of Dreamers come from low-income families, with 94% qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Most Dreamers are the first in their families to graduate college\u201484% do not have a parent or guardian with a 4 year degree. 85% of Dreamer Scholars identify as Latinx or Black.<\/p>\n

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Kars4Kids: How many children has I have a Dream served?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: Since our founding 1981, we have served nearly 18,000 young people.<\/p>\n

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2017 “I Have A Dream” Foundation Dream UP program participants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kars4Kids: You offer support from kids from kindergarten or at least no later than the third grade, through college. What is the necessity for long-term support?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation is a movement that empowers young people to achieve their dreams through education and mentoring. We provide academic, financial, and emotional support to students, their families, and their communities to overcome social inequity. We build trust by partnering with young people from kindergarten to career, ensuring that they become compassionate and have meaningful choices, to create a more just society. In order to do this life-changing, generation-trajectory-changing work, we need to invest in building deep, authentic, and trusting relationships with those that we serve. There is no short cut to developing trust, which is why we put in the time.<\/p>\n

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I Have a Dream Foundation’s National Dreamer Conference 2009 in Denton, Texas at University of North Texas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kars4Kids: Is later than third grade, too late? Why?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: I would argue that it is never too late; any life and every life has potential and is deserving of the opportunity to unlock that potential. We have chosen to begin earlier than third grade because there are some specific academic benchmarks that we are looking to hit by the third grade. In order to do so, we needed to begin our programming prior to third grade.<\/p>\n

\"IHDF<\/p>\n

Kars4Kids: One of the most striking facets of I Have a Dream is postsecondary tuition assistance. Why is this important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: We have found that there are profound positive psychological impacts to children and families being told that the financial barrier to college is being removed or effectively lowered. In fact, studies have shown that students with as little as $499 in college savings are three times likelier to attend, and four times likelier to graduate, from a four-year degree program. These impacts, coupled with the obvious benefit of providing direct financial assistance for school to families that need the financial assistance, highlight the importance of postsecondary tuition assistance. Our founder, Mr. Eugene M. Lang began \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation with an impromptu promise that he made to pay for the college tuition of a class of graduating six graders from his alma mater elementary school, P.S. 121 in 1981. We honor his legacy and his vision by continuing to include financial support towards postsecondary educations in our core programming.<\/p>\n

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I Have a Dream Foundation’s National Dreamer Conference 2009 in Denton, Texas at University of North Texas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kars4Kids: Can you tell us about the Dream Up program?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: \u00a0Dream University Prep (Dream UP) is \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation\u2019s summer college immersion experience, aimed at reinforcing our college-going goal and culture within \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation, and inspiring each Dreamer to find their best fit college.<\/p>\n

Each year, talented middle and high school Dreamers from across the nation come to a college campus to engage in a number of activities aimed at college readiness. The Dreamers live in college dorms, eat in the dining hall and attend workshops in college classrooms. The workshops are all aimed at reinforcing the goal of college success by emphasizing topics such as academic persistence, career exploration, and financial literacy, while the social activities are designed to foster a sense of unity amongst Dreamers from around the country. For many of our Dreamers, attending Dream UP is their first experience traveling out of state, and with their peers.<\/p>\n

Over the past 16 years we have organized this college immersion experience across the country and Dreamers have learned about universities such as University of Miami, Loyola Marymount University, Boston College, and American University.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to host an in-person Dream UP in 2020.<\/p>\n

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IHDF participants tour Princeton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kars4Kids: How do kids find their way to your program?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Eugena Oh: \u201cI Have A Dream\u201d Foundation works with the community to conduct a needs assessment and engage a partner to host a program. Typical program partners include schools, public housing developments, and religious institutions. Once a program partner is found, every child in the appropriate age group is invited to become a Dreamer. For example, we may engage with an entire kindergarten class, or grade, or every kindergarten aged student within a specific housing development.<\/p>\n

There are no academic or behavior requirements to become a Dreamer \u2013 we believe deeply in equity and the potential of every child and promise to meet every child where they are, to unlock their fullest potential. This often means that we work with children who have a wide range of academic, emotional, and social needs. We promise to partner deeply with our families to ensure that their children have every opportunity in life to achieve their dreams.<\/p>\n