Community Education Empowerment

Community Education Empowerment covers DREAM’s collaborations with privately-owned schools and various community groups and organizations. DREAM supports these programs with the goal of educating and empowering these communities so that they may reach their own goals. DREAM currently has six community education empowerment programs: Alta Gracia Learning Center, CADIN, DREAM Guzman Ariza Summer Camp, Lawrence Academy South Preschool (Batey Caraballo), La Libertad and The Ruth Plaut School.

At these sites DREAM volunteers run various programs in order to engage the community in working towards sustainable, achievable goals. The programs offered cover the following areas:

Model Preschool Classrooms
Teacher-certified volunteers provide instruction for preschool-aged children. Volunteers run curricula and programs that follow the Montessori principles of peace education and are focused on interactive learning methodology. Volunteers run classrooms to serve as DREAM models for quality education.

Youth Groups & Student Councils
Volunteers organize and lead youth groups and student councils in activities that instill community pride, encourage responsibility and develop vocational and life skills. Areas of focus include: environmental awareness, science and English education, sports and recreation instruction and sex education.

Summer Camp
Volunteers help to implement and lead an intensive five-week summer program designed to provide a quality educational experience. The program is based on experiential learning and acts as a general support system for disadvantaged and at-risk youth. Activities include: tutoring, team building challenges, art projects, sports education, music and dance instruction, science and nature experiments, excursions and educational games.

Teacher Training
Volunteers help to reform the current education system by introducing child-centered teaching methods and supporting community and family involvement in preschool and primary school.

Women’s Groups
Volunteers assist groups of Haitian and Dominican women dedicated to improving the lives of their families and communities. Volunteers help women interested in creating businesses (such as arts and crafts shops) that will provide sustainable incomes for their families. Volunteers also offer classes in life skills, such as parenting and English, to help these women reach their goals.

Parent Teacher Associations
Volunteers help organize parent teacher associations so that the communities in which they work take ownership of their school. Volunteers work to educate the community and increase parental involvement with the goal of self-sustaining schools. Volunteers assist with petitions, grant writing and fundraising that further the parents’ goals.