“Change will not come if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
- Barack Obama
44th US President
Youth Leadership
25% of Dominican youth are not in school, vocational training or have gainful employment.
DREAM believes that holistic youth development is key to ensuring that youth have the opportunity to live safe, healthy and productive lives, which ultimately strengthens the communities in which they live. Youth development programs protect the basic rights of vulnerable youth, encourage personal growth, promote positive behavior change and develop future leaders. Our programs foster healthy decision-making at critical moments so that youth do not just survive - they thrive.
Our Youth Programs
A Ganar - Workforce Development
The A Ganar program equips youth with job training, life skills and the entrepreneurial abilities necessary to secure a job, return to school and continue to move forward with best practices aligned with hygiene and health.
Empowerment Programs
DREAM's work with youth focuses on the development of civically minded and socially conscious youth to change the future of our communities. These programs include Deportes Para la Vida, a sex education program; Unica and Luchadores por el Cambio , empowerment programs focused on gender relations; and Youth Networks, a youth development and civic engagement program. These peer-to -peer programs give youth leaders the training and skills to develop healthy decision-making and strong citizenship skills that they pass on to the children and youth around them.
Scholarships
Through various organizations, like the Thomas Rosato Foundation, Beyond the Beach and private donors, over 30 college scholarships are offered in the Cabarete community annually. In addition to paying part of the tuition and transport costs, DREAM offers professional development and internship options for the scholarship participants.
How is our approach unique?
Peer-to-peer education, active and authentic methodology through sports and role-playing and working on issues that are of importance to youth are behind all programs at DREAM. We strive to give youth a voice in their own learning and work with them to develop innovative curricula that are of high interest and relevance We offer a variety of programs that fit the needs of youth where they are at, whether that be job training or a college scholarship.
Our program facilitators are graduates of these same programs and live in our communities, which creates a strong connection to the issues the youth are facing. Our dream is to create youth leaders that can transform our communities and be productive citizens.