The DREAM Program is committed to dismantling systems of oppression that affect our youth and families. This organizational commitment means that members should join this space with an intention of learning, unlearning, and diving into ways that your involvement will directly contribute to DREAM’s mission of reducing the Opportunity Gap while also supporting the dismantling of other systemic inequities. We seek members who contribute to The DREAM Program’s diverse community, as having different perspectives, identities, and skills are what allow us to excel in our service. DREAM seeks members who are ready to engage in and foster an inclusive environment, and who strive to deliver culturally appropriate and relevant programming to the youth we serve. Incoming members and staff should understand that we serve marginalized communities, which means that it is imperative that diversity, equity, and inclusivity are infused into every aspect of our work as an organization.

Learn more and apply.

The DREAM Program is committed to dismantling systems of oppression that affect our youth and families. This organizational commitment means that members should join this space with an intention of learning, unlearning, and diving into ways that your involvement will directly contribute to DREAM’s mission of reducing the Opportunity Gap while also supporting the dismantling of other systemic inequities. We seek members who contribute to The DREAM Program’s diverse community, as having different perspectives, identities, and skills are what allow us to excel in our service. DREAM seeks members who are ready to engage in and foster an inclusive environment, and who strive to deliver culturally appropriate and relevant programming to the youth we serve. Incoming members and staff should understand that we serve marginalized communities, which means that it is imperative that diversity, equity, and inclusivity are infused into every aspect of our work as an organization.

Learn more and apply.

We typically operate on a school-year cycle, offering job and service opportunities that begin in August (for full year positions) and in June (for the summer). See a list of our current opportunities below.

https://www.dreamprogram.org/work-with-us

Objective/Summary:
DREAM’s Program Empowerment Director members ensure that DREAM’s local sites have the necessary resources, training and support to run strong programs and close the opportunity gap. This includes directly supporting our partner communities, along with volunteers, throughout the calendar year and in each program offering (school-year mentoring, summer enrichment and adventure).

Essential Functions:

• Coordinate and support college campus based one-on-one and team mentoring.
• Partner with SummerCorps members to provide summer enrichment programming and adventure trips.
• Recruit youth participants and engage families of youth.
• Recruit, train and support volunteers in their specific roles within DREAM (mentors, SummerCorps, and more).
• Support extended learning opportunities, with a focus on teens.
• Support the development and execution of adventure-based programs.
• Participate in national, state and local service projects.
• Participate in developing and executing orientation/training for volunteers.
• Participate in all staff/member development programs.
• Having fun, building friendships and embarking on an adventure of a lifetime!

Supervisory Responsibility:
This position supports and supervises a network of volunteers.

Work environment/physical demands:

• This job operates in a professional office environment as well as an indoor/outdoor environment with active children and students. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. This position can be very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move items over 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Position type/expected hours of work:
This is an AmeriCorps position with a term length designated Full Time with a minimum hours requirement of 1700 hours. The position has a commitment length of one calendar year. The position will average 30-40 hours per week of service with some evenings and weekend events, throughout this calendar year.

​For questions or to contact our office about positions:

Email: recruit@dreamprogram.org

DREAM believes all children deserve the opportunity to thrive. For children living below the poverty line, an “opportunity gap” of resources, experiences and mentors holds them back. DREAM’s Village Mentoring model helps close this gap for the most vulnerable children in our communities by providing deeply committed college student mentors, local and regional adventures, summer enrichment and overnight camp, support for postsecondary success, and an unwavering commitment to dreaming big.

A parent of a DREAM participant provides an unsolicited window into DREAM’s impact: “Through DREAM, my kids were able to see their true place in the world and feel valued for who they were. DREAM has provided immeasurable opportunities for my children – opportunities that, as a low-income parent, I could never have provided.”

The $100,000 grant would be a game changer for DREAMs work and would make it possible to enroll more youth, as well as give life to a new DREAM offering, the “Creation Station,” a multi-purpose program center serving as a creative hub of self-expression and “do it yourself,” hands-on programming, providing children a safe, creative play space for artistic expression.

Please vote here (you can vote as many times as you want): http://tiny.cc/DREAM100. For more information on DREAM, visit http://www.dreamprogram.org.

DREAM works to close the opportunity gap for youth living in affordable housing communities by providing high quality, college-campus based Village Mentoring, summer enrichment, local and regional adventures, support for post-secondary success, and an unwavering commitment to dreaming big.

DREAM recognizes that the needs of youth change as they grow and has piloted a teen Mentor-In-Training (MiT) Program at two of our housing communities (Westpark Apartments in West Philadelphia and Fairhill Apartments in North Philadelphia).

We have hired a subset of teens at each housing site to serve in our MiT Internship and Leadership Development program. We have built a robust, creative curriculum of staff-led, teen-centered opportunities focused on leadership, healthy behaviors, community engagement, character development, academic support and preparation for college and career.

While our staff is heavily involved in the MiT program, we are seeking additional support from consistent volunteers to provide our teens with academic tutoring, college preparation and career exploration.

Requirements

Volunteers must be willing to travel to these project sites and provide tutoring and college preparation for our teen MiT participants. We currently employ 3 MiTs at each housing site.

Volunteers would work closely with the staff to develop a schedule and curriculum to best support each MiT. We are looking for steady, consistent volunteers who can serve in both a academic support capacity, as well as mentorship for the teens participating in the MiT program.

Interested volunteers will be screened by DREAM staff and must receive a background check and orientation / training before working with any of the youth.

Interested volunteers can contact jmacfadgen@dreamprogram.org for more information on this opportunity.

DREAM is “going the distance” for Philadelphia children living in low-income housing by racing the Rocky Run 5k/10k on November 15th, 2014.

For the city of Philadelphia, the story of Rocky has always been a metaphor for the underdog overcoming great odds to achieve the impossible. Since our launch in January 2014, DREAM has been fighting the good fight for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable youth. By joining our team you will help DREAM expand its reach in providing critical mentoring and resources to youth living in affordable housing.

DREAM’s mission is to change the life outcomes of youth living in affordable housing by providing high quality, college-based Village Mentoring, summer enrichment, local and regional adventures, support for post-secondary success, and an unwavering commitment to dreaming big.

According to reseach conducted by the Pew Trust, Philadelphia has the 6th highest poverty level in the United States. The negative impacts of poverty and growing up in poverty stricken communities can be devastating to the future success of children and youth. Children from low-resourced communities are:

• 40% to 70% less likely to graduate from high school than their more affluent peers.
• Twice as likely to be held back a grade and more than twice as likely to not finish high school
• Very unlikely to achieve a four-year college degree (9% compared to 54% of youth from more affluent communities)

Mentoring is a proven, cost-effective preventative measure to help insulate youth from the negative impacts of poverty; every $1 invested in mentoring today saves $3 in future costs associated with poverty.

DREAM children receive:

• Weekly one-on-one and group mentoring on college campuses
• Ongoing support for academic success and college access
• Introductions to new places and experiences, locally and nationally, including DREAM’s summer adventure facilities (a summer camp in northern Vermont and a sailing program in Boston)
• Year-round, continuous programming from age 5 through high school graduation

In less than a year, DREAM Philadelphia has already mentored over 60 youth through their partnerships with Temple University and University of Pennsylvania. We have provided enrichment programming, one-on-one mentoring, local and regional adventure trips, a summer program and a college road trip through the Northeast for our teen Mentors in Training.

DREAM’s goals for the future are to enroll more youth, continue to strengthen and enhance our program model, and expand our programming to new communities and college partners. Contributions made from this race will help us acheive these goals and improve the lives and futures of the children we serve.

DREAM believes that there’s a little bit of Rocky in all of us and that every kid deserves a chance to be a champion!

To register or to learn more about the Rocky Run, please visit http://www.rockybalboarun.com

To learn more about the DREAM Program, please visit http://www.dreamprogram.org

DREAM Summer Camp Coordinators work on a team to organize a summer full of fun, adventure and exploration for youth ages 5-18 living in affordable housing communities in Philadelphia.

DREAM places a high premium on having fun, dreaming big, thinking outside the box and creating opportunities for youth to thrive and believe that anything is possible. DREAM’s Village Mentoring model builds upon the adage that “it takes a village to raise a child” and uses a community oriented approach to mentoring and empowering youth living in affordable housing. If you want to work for an organization which encourages you to be creative, silly, energetic, thoughtful and passionate about creating positive changes for youth, than maybe you’d like to join our team. We are currently seeking Summer Community Interns at our recently launched Philadelphia office.

It Helps If You Have…
• Experience working with youth and additional experience in one or more of the following areas: community development, youth/student led initiatives, project/program design and implementation, group travel planning, volunteer management
• Strong communication and facilitation skills
• A flexible schedule (able to participate in overnights, trips and evening meetings)
• A good sense of humor, a team-first attitude and contagious energy

Our hiring process is rolling and we are looking to hire staff as soon as possible. If you are interested in joining the DREAM team this summer, please submit letter of interest that includes your background and qualifications by email to Mike Foote: mfoote@dreamprogram.org.