Thirty years ago, a dream was born on what The New York Times once called “the worst block in New York City.” That first, endless dream—that the youth of our communities have a safe, beautiful place to play, learn, and grow—blossomed from a scruffy baseball league into an expanding network of DREAM Charter Schools. 

But we’ve never lost sight of what it really means to be a kid, and how to nurture that. That’s why we now build schools that balance rigor and joy to serve the students in an extended-day, extended-year model, combining academic excellence and social-emotional learning. Together, this approach ensures that DREAM serves the whole child with everything they need and deserve to thrive from early childhood into young adulthood.

And now, in our 30th Anniversary year, as we look to our past and plan for our future, we are still dreaming big. 

When we dream alone, it’s just that—dreaming. But when we dream together, that’s when real change becomes possible. 

DREAM’s rich history gives us the foundation to dream big and bold for the future, hand in hand with our community. 2020 was a singular chapter in that history—one that tested and tried us, but which in the chapters to come, we think we’ll look back upon with pride. Throughout our history, we’ve always expanded when many others contracted, and stepped up when first instincts said to step back. The partnership of our entire community made that possible—and it is the only thing that will sustain us for the next 30 years, and beyond.

That’s why we launched our 30th Anniversary celebration with our Dreaming Together campaign. DREAM is an organization built on relationships and powered by people. It’s made up of staff, families, alumni, supporters, and other community members who, together, are building DREAM’s future: tripling the number of youth we serve through our extended-day, extended-year whole child model, building more schools in more places, and working toward equitable, generational change, together.

After all, we’re just getting started. Throughout 2021, expect much more from us as we celebrate this milestone – stories of impact, events both virtual and socially distanced, alumni meetups, volunteer opportunities, and so many more ways to engage. Stay close to www.wearedream.org/30years for the latest.

Because when we dream alone, it’s just that—dreaming. But when we dream together, that’s when real change becomes possible.