Holiday

Greetings
The Holidays wouldn’t be the same without you, our hearts are filled with joy for all those who have made our progress possible!

This year we celebrated our Five-Year Anniversary with an open house event. We are humbled by all those who came to see
the progress the Dream Center has made over the years. The growth we continue to make is a remarkable testament to the
150
youth
dedicated donors, volunteers, and staff that we have. Participated in the
2017-2018 school
As we look to the future, we are focused on facility renovations, expanding our volunteer pool, purchasing vans, and eventually year programming.
adding a college-and-career-readiness program.

What makes the Dream Center unique is our “In Your Life Mentoring” model that connects parents with teachers both working
Our goal is to serve
together towards academic and character development outcomes of at-risk youth in the downtown, North End, community.
We also provide what we call “Spark” activities, which are activities youth have interest and passion for that can be leveraged
for accountability. The Dream Center offers quality Music & Arts instruction, Sports training, competition and performance 200
youth
opportunities. Our staff is comprised of teachers, paraprofessionals, and Dream Center coaches who are trained in reading
prescriptions and math improvement strategies utilized by District educators to continue teaching what is applied to
students during the school day. These trained, professionals are what we call School Connectors. School Connectors go into
%
schools each day to connect with students and their teachers to ensure that they are meeting expectations academically and
behaviorally. See how this model has impacted the lives of our students and their families by reading their stories on the back.
78
Of students
Please consider joining our Dream Team! Increased their reading
MAP scores during the
We are counting on the support of our community to continue impacting the lives of youth and families we serve. We
last school year.
would love to have you visit the Dream Center to see programming in action. If you have any questions, please contact
our Donor Relations representative, Racquel McClellan, rmcclellan@dbqdream.org. Please take a moment to review our
%
enclosed donation card, we are still in need of $55,300 to meet our Dream Team fudnraising goal of $300,000 by the end of the year.
84
Best wishes for the New Year, Of students
Increased their math
The Dubuque Dream Center MAP scores during the
last school year.

Mud Facials at Keeping the Dream Alive: Our 4th Grade Team made Meal Mentoring time with
Swiss Valley! Five Year Anniversary Celebration! National Qualifiers! school connectors and
students!
dream center impact
LAKISHA, JORDAN’S MOM
& JORDAN
Jordan, 11, recently exceeded the benchmark for reading at
his grade level and continues to increase his math MAP scores.
Jordan was enrolled in the Dream Center in 2016. Each year
that he is a part of the program, we continue to see academic
growth. Jennifer Vaassen, Jordan’s teacher at Prescott
Elementary, has also seen his progress in the classroom,
“Jordan has increased in his academic ability and his positive,
responsible, and respectful behavior.” The Dream Center
partners with the Dubuque Community Schools to help
students reach reading at proficiency at each grade level.
GABBIE & MRS. SEYMOUR
Gabbie, 11, is the youngest of her siblings to be enrolled in the
Dream Center. Gabbie recently earned a 4.0 GPA at Roosevelt Middle
School on her Trimester 1 report card! Stacy, Gabbie’s mom, says,
“all four of my children have been in the Dream Center Program. My
children’s grades have improved, and they are socializing more. It
[The Dream Center] also helps parents, like myself, to get involved.”
Gabbie’s teacher, Julie Seymour, says, “Gabbie strives to do her
very best. She’s truly one of the hardest-working, most dedicated
students I have this year.” The Dream Center’s holistic approach
creates a support system for a student’s entire family.
impacting youth. strengthening families. building community.
TONEE & SAVANNAH
Tonee, 10, has grown not only in her academics, but also in her
character and leadership since her enrollment in the Dream Center
in 2016. Tonee was below grade level in math and reading before
starting the Dream Center program. Despite the initial academic
challenges, as shown by her test scores, she has exceeded grade
level expectations in both math and reading! Tonee participates in
our Girls’ Club Basketball team and has also shown progress on the
court. Savannah Shepler, Tonee’s School Connector and a teacher
at Fulton Elementary, notices, “She has become such a great team
player and leads by example.” Tonee’s mom, Keesha, says, “Over the
past couple of years, Tonee has shown so much growth from her
strengths in the game, to the love of the game.”
MONTREL & LATOYA
Montrel, 12, is a 7th grader at Jefferson Middle School. He struggled with
self-confidence and motivation in school. Latoya, Montrel’s mother, enrolled
him in the program in 2016. She says, “He’s more confident and motivated
when it comes to school. Having that extra help and support makes a huge
difference! Because of the Dream Center and the schools shared expectations
he’s grown tremendously.” Mr. Herrmann, Montrel’s math teacher, says that he
has demonstrated exceptional character traits during the first trimester of the
current school year. “I recently nominated him for the BEST breakfast, which
showcases exceptional students,” Herrmann says. A part of our strategic and
intentional, “In Your Life Mentoring” strategy is to provide youth with character
development tools they can use in and outside of the classroom.