Dibia DREAM, Inc.

Today’s youth must be equipped with a new set of core knowledge and skills to solve difficult problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information they receive. STEM helps develop these skills. Yet opportunity gaps persist throughout the education system, creating inequities in STEM education along racial and ethnic, linguistic, cultural, socioeconomic, gender, disability, and geographic lines.

Elevate Prize funds would be used to expand both services and organizational capacity.  Since its founding in 2014, Dibia DREAM offers programming in 27 states and seven countries through a combination of on-site/in-person and virtual programming delivery approaches. Our programs include: 

• DREAM Academy – an afterschool program using a STEM-based curriculum
• STEM Saturdays - community-based, family-interactive STEM-based learning activities/workshops
• SPARK Summer Institute – a six-week, STEM-based learning program covering arts and culture, social-emotional learning, financial literacy, health and wellness

Elevate Prize Funds will allow Dibia DREAM to increase our capacity and engage engage 2000 more youth through these programs, respectively. Also, the investment will create 8 additional part-time positions in our target communities. We hire program staff who are either currently employed at the school sites or residents from the community, ensuring that our staff is representative of the DREAM scholars we serve. 

I was a young boy who was kicked out of a Catholic school in the second grade. After transferring to a creative arts school where they channeled my negative energy into art, my love for art was cultivated. At a young age I remember curing my boredom by breaking apart my Nintendo to figure out the internal mechanics and technology. Because I struggled in school, and was afforded a second chance, I am passionate about changing the trajectory of and building asset spaces for youth globally. I started with programming in Miami and New Orleans with a desire to elevate children from my old neighborhoods. Programming then expanded to other cities and countries  through summer camps that served as the perfect blend between STEM and sports. 

In 2014, I founded Dibia DREAM to provide free afterschool and weekend academic enrichment to historically underserved students and spark social change through STEM programming to directly impact the lives of youth age 5 to 16 -- many of whom are economically disadvantaged. DREAM’s work fully embraces the organization's mission to foster life skills development through STEM and recreational education for underserved youth.  

My vision is to create the next generation of future leaders.  

Access to high-quality programs is not always equitable. Significant disparities exist based on income and education (Afterschool Alliance, 2020), transportation, cultural and developmental appropriateness of programming, and neighborhood safety, among other factors. Nationwide, 9 in 10 adults reported that afterschool programs are important to their community; however, more than 19 million children are unable to enroll in an afterschool program (Afterschool Alliance, 2020). In Florida, for every child enrolled in an aftercare program, three are waiting for an available program (Afterschool Alliance, 2020).  In Miami-Dade 33% of identified children live at or below the federal poverty level; (RWJF, 2020) reside in communities where the unemployment rate is consistently above 35%; and reside in households where the annual family income is $33,849 (Census, 2020). For these students and families, the cost of and access to quality afterschool and summer programming is a barrier to entry.

DREAM provides students with a free, engaging, productive, and safe space during the critical afterschool, weekend and summer hours when many at-risk youth are left unguided and unsupervised. Research shows that students are most vulnerable during these critical hours. DREAM not only diminishes these risks, it also develops positive academic, social, and career potential in students. 

“We have to take a step back and look at the whole child.”

DREAM’s strategy is to holistically address these needs by providing youth with the necessary resources to overcome the stresses of their circumstances and excel. DREAM Academy is our daily after-school program which is offered five days per week for three hours per day. DREAM Academy scholars participate in programming conducted by certified teachers and experienced youth program specialists.  DREAM’s programming encompasses evidence based, positive youth development practices and strategies to help youth reach their personal and academic goals. Unlike many mainstream afterschool programs, our flagship afterschool program, DREAM Academy, offers a rigorous blend of athletic, academic, and STEM programming to drive students to academic success, promising careers, and healthy lives. The long-term impact is felt in disadvantaged communities where local students are afforded new opportunities and experiences that positively impact their lives. 

DREAM is a specialized enrichment organization. Our programs incorporate transformative teaching and coaching strategies to improve the academic and socio-emotional outcomes of our scholars. Our unique approach uses sports as a tool to educate youth on other essential concepts and core value systems. We translate the skills that lead to success in sports into skills that lead to success in school and life. This allows for the development of a blueprint for success in language that captivates the youth we serve.

“We have to take a step back and look at the whole child.”

DREAM’s strategy is to holistically address these needs by providing youth with the necessary resources to overcome the stresses of their circumstances and excel. DREAM Academy is our daily after-school program which is offered five days per week for three hours per day. DREAM Academy scholars participate in programming conducted by certified teachers and experienced youth program specialists.  DREAM’s programming encompasses evidence based, positive youth development practices and strategies to help youth reach their personal and academic goals. Unlike many mainstream afterschool programs, our flagship afterschool program, DREAM Academy, offers a rigorous blend of athletic, academic, and STEM programming to drive students to academic success, promising careers, and healthy lives. The long-term impact is felt in disadvantaged communities where local students are afforded new opportunities and experiences that positively impact their lives. 

At DREAM, I, and we as an organization, believe our approach to social change is unique. Racial and economic disparity has plagued urban and rural communities for decades.  By prioritizing low-income students of color in grades K-­8, DREAM creates opportunities that are only available to these students’ more affluent peers.