What “I
Have a Dream”®
Does
“I
Have a Dream”® is based on a successful national model with over
180 projects. We provide:
- Academic
Support:
Staff, tutors, and volunteers provide continual academic support for
Dreamers.
- Mentors:
All Dreamers who agree have an adult mentor as positive role model and
advocate.
- Long-term:
From 1st grade through high school with post-secondary education
financial support.
- Variety
of Experiences: We provide constant opportunities for Dreamers to have
different experiences.
Evidence*
shows “I
Have a Dream”® works because:
-
Youth
with mentors have better attendance in school, a better chance of going on
to higher education, better attitudes about school, lower rates of substance
abuse, and fewer misdemeanors and felonies.
The longer the mentoring relationship, the better the outcome is.
Successful programs combine mentoring with other services.
- In
most successful programs, mentoring was augmented with other services, such
as academic support.
-
The longer the mentoring relationship, the better the outcome is. In fact,
relationships of short duration may do more harm than good.
- Youth
are more likely to benefit if mentor maintain frequent contact with them and
know their families.
- Youth
people who perceive high-quality relationships with their mentors experience
the best results.
- Overall,
young people who are the MOST disadvantaged or at-risk seem to benefit the
most from mentoring.
- Mentoring
programs that are driven more by the needs and interests of youth - rather
than expectations of the adult volunteers - are more likely to
succeed.
*[“Mentoring:
A Promising Strategy for Youth Development,” Child Trends: Research Brief.
February 2002.]