The Blue Wagon November 2010

Inside this issue

Note from the President 2

Get Involved! 2

DREAM Wins CLASSY Awards 3

Where Are They Now? 4-5

Program Updates Galore 6-8

“The Bachelor” stars repping DREAM at the CLASSY Awards ceremony

NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT By AJ LeGaye, Alumni Council President

Wow, DREAM has been buzzing with activity this Fall! By far the most exciting news was re-

ceiving the Classy Awards for Most Influential College/Student Organization and Philanthropic Small

Business of the Year. The awards are a testament to how DREAM touches the lives of so many people,

and how a group of young, passionate individuals can effect real change. I am extremely proud of

DREAM and of everyone who has ever contributed to the success of this organization. Congratulations to

all of us!

On a separate note, I wanted to share an important update with all of you. The DREAM Central

Office and the Alumni Council have completed the mammoth task of updating the entire Alumni Data-

base. It took about 20 volunteers and several hours each to finish

the project. We added 514 “pieces” of contact information, we seg-

mented Alumni by geographic region for more targeted communi-

cation, and we have 189 new Facebook friends (we're still adding

some). Our goal is to keep you as connected to DREAM as possi-

ble, so we will continue to do everything we can to stay in touch.

So, if you're reading The Blue Wagon for the first time, enjoy!

DREAMing Big,

AJ LeGaye

President, 2010-2012

DREAM Alumni Council

a.legaye@gmail.com

The goal of the Alumni Council‟s Knowledge Initiative is

to collect and make use of the vast amount of DREAM knowledge and professional expertise that alumni

have. We have two exciting projects on the horizon that we need your help with! The first project will

involve working with alumni to offer their professional knowledge to local DREAM programs and the

Central Office. We will be putting together workshops that will cover a number of topics and teach a vari-

ety of skills. With so many alumni in the “real world” working and gaining skills, it would be wonderful

to offer some of that knowledge to today‟s mentors as workshops they can request for their programs.

The second project is the creation of an alumni magazine! The size and scope of the magazine will

depend entirely on the enthusiasm and skills that alumni bring to its creation. We are looking for writers,

graphic designers, editors, photographers, and who knows what else! Interested? Have a few hours a

month to donate to this kind of work? Let me know! Feel free to email me with questions, concerns,

thoughts, or corny jokes of the month that weren‟t selected as winners: philortego@gmail.com

GET INVOLVED! By Phil Ortego, Elm St/UVM „09

Alumni Council Knowledge Chair

On Sunday, November 7, 2010 I stepped onto the stage of the San Diego Civic Theater with Kelly

Thomason, Dartmouth ‟05, and Kevin Spates, Northeastern ‟11, to represent DREAM and accept two

CLASSY Awards. As Kevin, Kelly, and I walked down the aisle and onto the stage to Miley Cyrus‟

“Party in the USA,” DREAM vaulted

into the national spotlight as America‟s

Most Influential College Student Or-

ganization and Philanthropic Small

Business of the Year.

As a DREAM alumnus, I take

great pride in my involvement with the

organization. All the trophies, gradua-

tions, job offers, and milestone mo-

ments of my life pale in comparison to

the day that I proposed a partnership to

my mentee, and began feeling as if all

of life‟s worries were just small brush

strokes in a much larger, and more

beautiful, work of art. Standing before

a packed auditorium and national view-

ing audience with two fellow DREAM-

ers brought me back to the day when

my mentee reluctantly told me that I

was “cool enough” to be his mentor.

Overwhelmed with excitement and emotion, we thanked all those who voted for DREAM, and all

those who have been a part of DREAM‟s powerful ten year history.

As mentors in college, each of us donated countless hours traveling, programming, planning,

fundraising, and building a foundation for DREAM‟s

future success. Our work, our energy, and our contin-

ued support have fueled DREAM‟s growth, increased

program offerings, and provided an increased level of

sustainability to the organization. DREAM‟s recogni-

tion as Philanthropic Small Business of the Year and

Most Influential College Student Group is a celebra-

tion of over a decade of hard work from mentees,

mentors, staff, and supporters.

So, fellow members of DREAM‟s Alumni Or-

ganization, congratulations on your CLASSY

Awards! You have earned them!

Josh Warren

Champlain College „06

Resource Development Director

The DREAM Program, Inc.

P.S. See the video of Josh giving an amazing speech at the award ceremony! http://tinyurl.com/39h84ue

DREAM WINS AWARDS & $20K! “Philanthropic Small Business of the Year” & “Most Influential College Student Group”

Josh accepts the CLASSY Awards for DREAM

The Blue Wagon will begin a new feature this month that we hope – with your help – will continue on a

monthly basis. All alumni are encouraged to answer the below questions and send them to constitution-

keeper@gmail.com, and they will be published in the order in which they are received. Your fellow

alumni would love to hear what you are up to – please let us know!

What is your name and age? Where

are you living now? Where are you

from originally?

Alison Mabra Basdekis, 26, of

Longmeadow, MA. I am living in Le-

nox, MA currently.

What DREAM program did you par-

ticipate in? During which

years? Who was your mentee? Do

you still keep in touch with him/her?

UVM- Elm Street „02-‟06.

Bridgette Lafond was my mentee... Sad-

ly, we do not keep in touch... : (

Do you have any special or favorite

memories of DREAM? Did you go on a high adventure trip, for instance, or have a special relation-

ship with your mentee or their family? I always enjoyed the annual fall Chili Cook-off. It was a great fundraiser for the program that the

kids and families helped to put together. On Redstone campus at UVM, businesses, UVM students, fami-

lies and faculty would donate and enter a pot of chili for a contest. Both local bands and nationally recog-

nized acts would perform. DREAM youth would serve food and run games... The fall air was crisp and

the chili was hot! It was always a wonderful community event.

Did DREAM have any impact on what you did after you graduated? What did you do immediately

following graduation? Are you still doing that, or are you doing something new now?

Absolutely. Since graduation I've put on a few hats, but all in the vein of youth development and

community development. In 2006 after graduation, I took a group of students to Australia on a travel and

service program through Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA. After that summer, I worked at the Berkshire

Outdoor Center facilitating outdoor education for retreats. From there I worked as an intern at MASS

MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, MA. I was attracted to the muse-

um as a high school student because of the innovative art exhibitions and also for its secondary mission,

which is described well on the website (www.massmoca.org):

“If MASS MoCA‟s mission is to nurture and present exciting new art of the highest quality in all

media -- and in all phases of its production – MASS MoCA works equally hard to leverage the arts as a

catalyst for community revitalization: the creation of new markets, good jobs and the long-term enrich-

ment of a region in economic need are all part of our driving purpose. We at MASS MoCA are convinced

that advancement of the arts, increased tourism and community participation, and regional economic re-

development are mutually reinforcing and inextricably linked, and we act forcefully on that belief.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Catching up with Alison Mabra Basdekis, UVM „06

Elm St. & friends from back in the day (2002)

“The arts create and bestow community identity. A strong identity rallies confidence, hope,

productivity, pride and economic vibrancy. These are base conditions for a healthy community; they can-

not be created, however without risk, adventure, and the willingness to embrace the new.”

I spent eight months interning tirelessly,

with little pay, finally to prove myself worthy

for a staff position. They hired me in August

2007 as Education Coordinator. I worked with

all public education programs, including local

schools and teen groups. While in that role, I

also worked part-time for the Northern Berk-

shire Community Coalition (nbCC) as the UNI-

TY (United, Neighboring, Interdependent,

Trusted Youth) Associate. I co-facilitated

youth programs including a teen-run concert

series, youth leadership programs and a middle

school art group. We were funded by the De-

partment of Public Health of MA, so I did other

work to assess and curb risky behavior of

young people in Berkshire County, MA. Since leaving both posts at MASS MoCA and nbCC in July

2009, I've remained connected and involved at both organizations.

I shifted from North Adams to Pittsfield (20 miles south), where I now work at Miss Hall's

School, an independent school for girls. Currently I'm the Assistant Director of the Horizons Program,

the School's experiential education and community service-learning program. I also advise the environ-

mental club and the community service club.

What are you doing now? (Work, school, etc.) Are you volunteering outside of your job? Do you

participate in any mentoring program (BBBS, at work, etc.)? I volunteer at Berkshire organizations like the Alchemy Initiative, MASS MoCA, Becket-

Chimney Corners YMCA, Railroad Street Youth Project and the Northern Berkshire Community Coali-

tion.

Are you where you thought you would be this many years out of college? Strangely, I am... I love being in the Berkshires working with young people, while also being en-

gaged with the community. It‟s a quiet yet thriving place... Mountains and culture.

What are your “next step”

plans?

I plan to start part

time graduate work in the

near future, in social work

and public health. I do like

my current work and place,

so will likely pursue this in

the summer months.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW (CONT.)

Alison (in red) with UVMers at an „05 chili cook off

HOLY PROGRAM UPDATES! Wondering how your old program is doing? Read on!

Collected by the DREAM Central Office Program Empowerment Directors

Periodically, The Blue Wagon will publish updates on the local programs so that alumni can see how

much DREAM has expanded and hear how the local programs are continuing to thrive and DREAM!

Willowbrook DREAM of Bennington College

The Willowbrook DREAM currently has 21 matches! They have been up to all sorts of fun this

fall including baking cookies and muffins, celebrating birthdays, and making crafts. The DREAMers de-

voted one day to making instruments and drumming, and another Friday was an introduction to circus

arts. For Halloween, mentors planned a grand trick-or-treating adventure all around campus. One station

featured a tree spirit who needed to be awakened and coaxed down from his hiding place way up in the

tree! Covered in green and brown body paint and garlands of stars and leaves, he swung from a low

hanging branch to give out his candy to the amazed mentees. Sarah Moses-Winyard has taken over for

Faith and Dana as the leader of the mentors. She coordinates the distribution of tasks and disperses infor-

mation.

Poultney DREAM of Green Mountain College

Poultney DREAM‟s fall activities have included

playing games, working on homework, making birdfeed-

ers, and going to a corn maze. They picked pumpkins

one week and then carved jack o‟lanterns out of them the

following Wednesday. The mentors have big plans for

the upcoming months, including a joint ice skating event

with Forest Park, a Saturday rock-climbing trip, and a

visit from the Slow Foods club to make peanut butter and

ice cream and to taste-test raw versus pasteurized milk.

Calvin Linder and Megan Lumnah are the co-chairs this

term and are doing a tremendous job!!

FrElm Street Program of UVM The FrElm Street program has been evolving in

exciting ways in the past couple of months! After several

Franklin Street mentees expressed feeling left out of the

FrElm community during joint Franklin St. and Elm St.

Fridays, FrElm mentors decided to split the program

up. Franklin Street mentors and mentees felt that the

Franklin Street DREAM community was very strong, and often got lost when integrated with the signifi-

cantly larger Elm Street during DREAM Fridays. Both DREAMs continue to collaborate in many ways,

attending joint meetings, participating together in large events and fundraisers, and sharing funds.

Franklin and Elm Street DREAM, which is currently at a combined 47 matches, recently collabo-

rated on their annual Chili Cook-off fundraiser this past October with great success! Franklin and Elm

Street DREAM have also enjoyed an apple picking trip to Shelburne Farms, a field trip to a DREAM

alum‟s family farm, and a trip to ECHO, the Burlington aquarium.

Pumpkins in Poultney!

LOOK HOW WE‟VE GROWN! Forest Park DREAM of Castleton State College

The 12 mentor/mentee matches of Forest Park DREAM have been enjoying an eventful fall, ap-

proaching each DREAM event with their characteristic contagious energy! Forest Park DREAMers have

enjoyed an „egg drop‟ contest (an activity where teams of DREAM folk constructed protective vessels for

eggs that were then dropped from varying heights), a visit to the campus swimming pool, and an energetic

Halloween pumpkin carving contest. During their annual Pie-in-the-Face fundraiser, Forest Park mentors

raised $221 for their program and were attacked by DREAM supporters with countless whipped cream

pies. Forest Park has recruited 10 new mentors and is currently in the process of recruiting more mentees

in an effort to expand the program!

Birchwood DREAM of Champlain College

Birchwood DREAM has been up to a lot this semester! Among other activities, they have hung

out in the community, dined at IDX, and joined FrElm and Riverside for the Chili Cook-off! Most recent-

ly, however, things have gotten wild! Crazy-off-the-charts-fun! For Halloween, mentors and mentees par-

took in a Halloween extravaganza, which included eating donuts on a string, pumpkin decorating, arts and

crafts, cookie decorating, and Halloween mask making. All attendees were in costumes of course, and

boogied down to Hocus Pocus. Post Halloween there must have been a lingering spell because DREAM-

ers started demonstrating very monkey-like characteristics for their November 5th Friday of rock climb-

ing. In the mentor world, a retreat was held on October 24th, which yielded some very productive conver-

sations about the Birchwood Program and got mentors reinvigorated to finish out the semester strong. A

few last tidbits of Bwood excitement: DREAM was chosen by the Champlain Staff Council as their

“cause” for this year‟s Halloween Lunch and Craft/Raffle Fair, which could bring in up to $1000! And,

back by popular demand…Culminating! Birchwoodians will head to Pizza Putt for an end-of-the-

semester, sports-themed celebration!

Windsor DREAM of Dartmouth College

With 24 mentees, Windsor DREAM has been mixing it up this term! In October, the D, Dart-

mouth‟s student newspaper, hosted Windsor and NW/HD mentors and mentees at their office to explore

the world of writing, editing and photo-shopping. DREAMers also checked out FarmFEST at the Dart-

mouth Organic Farm where they carved pumpkins, participated in dough/pie making workshops, made

pizza, toured the farm, and saw the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble! Homework Club continues every Mon-

day with teens at the Windsor Resource Center, and this term has brought the induction of the Little Kids

Club: a homework/educational activities club for younger DREAMers outside of Fridays. On the mentor

front, regular weekly meetings have been brought back into action as well as a new tradition of PDD

(Post DREAM Debrief, not to be confused with PDP), where mentors gather up after DREAM and do

“rose/bud/thorn” to debrief the highlights and lowlights of the Friday and share what they are looking for-

ward to/hope to improve upon for future Fridays. Particular discussions have taken place about DREAM

core values, age specific programming, and intentional programming. For those of you in the Boston area,

Windsor is heading to the Boston Aquarium for culminating on November 20th – stop by and say hello!

Windsor at a Manchester, NH hockey game

SO MUCH AWESOMENESS Northwoods/Hollow Drive DREAM of Dartmouth College

Northwoods/Hollow Drive DREAM has been rockin‟ and rollin‟ this term with 39 mentees and

even more mentors! Fridays have been a mix of one-on-ones and group activities as well as some inter-

programming with Windsor, including visiting the D to explore the world of writing, editing and photo-

shopping. Wait…what‟s this? Kids get to see mentors 3 days a week?? That‟s right! NW/HD mentors

have been hosting Homework Night and Community Dinners throughout the fall! Community Dinners

alternate between communities every week and Homework Nights happen every Wednesday at both com-

munities! Everyone is excited about the new crop of 14s (gasp! college graduates of 2014?!) who will join

the program in January, so plans are in the works for welcoming them in a very DREAMy fashion. Addi-

tionally, mentors recently decided to begin holding weekly meetings to debrief Fridays, plan for future

Fridays, bond, socialize, and address any programmatic issues. If you‟re in the White River Junction area

on November 20th, bring your bowling shoes for some culminating fun at the lanes!

Franklin Square DREAM of St. Michael’s College

Franklin Square and the students of St.

Michael‟s are continuing to sustain strong program-

ming and community building. Last week (November

5) the program held their annual egg drop competi-

tion with multiple prizes. This year categories were

slowest falling, largest, most original, most materials

used and biggest splatter. Mentor recruitment this

year went well due in part to the MOVE Office‟s

freshman service orientation. Incoming freshmen be-

gan their week of service with an event at Franklin

Square with cooking, games and a quick explanation

of DREAM by Meghan Kerrigan `10.

Riverside DREAM of UVM

Riverside and the mentors of UVM are busy expanding their numbers and having a ton of fun. So

far this year mentors and mentees have watched movies, gone rock climbing, picked apples, celebrated

birthdays and much more. Currently the program is planning for the annual Thanksgiving Celebration in

November.

Highgate DREAM of Norwich University

Twelve mentors returned this year, marking a tremendous beginning to the year. The program is

proving to be more sustainable through continued partnership with the Center for Civic Engagement, di-

rected recruiting efforts and mentor bonding. Activities with children, both on campus and at the

Highgate Community, have been exciting and enriching: arts and crafts, Halloween activities, and tradi-

tional DREAM games have been highlights. One major accomplishment and piece of exciting news is

that one of the original Green Acres mentees, Jayla Brink, who continues to stay very involved with

DREAM through Camp, our CIT program and with her mentor, has been accepted to college! Congratu-

lations to Jayla!

Pine Meadow DREAM of Middlebury Middlebury mentors have grown the capacity of the program to new heights. By recruiting 13

new mentors, there are currently more mentors than kids! The group has used this capacity to plan amaz-

ing activities for the kids, including hosting a huge Halloween party for DREAM and other mentoring

organizations, visits to a local nursing home, and a dance party!

Celebrating “We Day” in Montreal