FEATURE STORY
We Are Bouncing Back
| Pre-COVID Dreamline was serving an average of 6,000 students per year–to help them find the dreams they believe in and connect to others. That went down to 600 students in the previous two years thanks to the pandemic. But NOW… |
As of this writing we are serving 2,961 students at 26 sites!
We are welcoming back schools we haven’t seen for quite few a years such as
FERRY PASS MIDDLE SCHOOL in Pensacola, Florida!
IRMA RANGEL MIDDLE & HIGH in Dallas, Texas! and
CALEB GREENWOOD ELEMENTARY in Sacramento, California!
We are welcoming many first-time schools to the Dreamline community such as:
FUZHI JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL in Gukeng, Taiwan!
McDOWELL HIGH SCHOOL in Erie, Pennsylvania! and
DUNBAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!
And with programs like the intensively supported pilot at Dunbar, we are learning tons about best implementation practices in our most underserved schools.
CLICK HERE to VIEW the participant map and browse around.
CLICK HERE to JOIN in if you’re an educator who has 5 or more class periods for Dreamline before the end of this school year!
PROGRAM PROGRESS
June 4, 2023 EVENT
PICTURE THIS: You walk into the 500-foot art space that is Cherry Street Pier and all around you see Dream Booths – 7-foot high structures wrapped in Dreamline Banners, each made by a different student, each Dream Booth from a different school. Beyond that, tables with people of all ages making their own Dream Banners, learning cloth printing techniques, making Dream-related buttons, and other activities.
There’s music from the stage under the 11-foot digital screen where students from around the world join in. And there are booths and tables from organizations related to what our students dream of changing: the environment, social justice, education, and more.
At 12:00 noon the action starts and at 2 pm on the stage, special guest Ryan Harris takes the mic. He will inspire and provoke, showing that we all can make a difference in the world as he has with the creation of As I Plant This Seed, a program supporting at-risk youth in the neighborhood where he grew up.
And then the dreams–as students step to the mic and read their Dream Banners, one at a time, supported by music that moves with their words. On the giant screen overhead, students from far away places add their voices in a tapestry of dreams and sound that surrounds us.
The Pier Vendors will keep us fed, the Banners inspired, the Activities busy, the Music energized, and the day will leave us all ready to change the world. Because together, we will..
Join us – in person or online, you’re invited.
FROM THE BOARD
Making Dreams Happen
Dreamline’s nonprofit Board of Directors is a working group supporting Dreamline both week-to-week and at the oversight and policy level. To give you an idea of how the Board is making dreams happen for our June 4 event, here’s an insider look:
Barbara Bassett, Board Co-President, is leading the charge for our Donors’ Reception. The event is the culmination of a fundraising drive to support Dreamline in 2023-24.
Lourin Plant, Board Co-President is putting his vast production experience to work by leading the stage segment of our program with musicians, speakers, most important of all, student readers.
Dan Lai, Board Secretary, is the lead organizer for the hands-on activities and allied organization tables and booths.
Ron Carleton, Board Treasurer, is leading the ticket tracking from our Eventbrite and supporting the ticket sales and fundraising efforts.
Serita Lewis, Board Member, is helping reach out into Philadelphia communities and beyond to make sure everyone knows about this event and can join in.
Jeffrey Harlan, Founder and Program Director, is coordinating with schools to get the Banners there, get students on stage, and bring voices to us on Zoom.
YOU CAN MAKE DREAMS HAPPEN TOO!
If you are local, and would like to volunteer on the day of the event, we will put you to work with guidance and partners.
Everyone can help make dreams happen by supporting the Dream Philly Festival Annual Campaign to fund Dreamline’s work in 2023-24. Read more and join in!
WHAT’S NEXT
ASAP, MAY 20 & MAY 26
Schools participating in the June 4 Philly Dream Fest should sign up As Soon As Possible and get their Booth Banners to us by May 26th. There are options for all kinds of participation for both local Philadelphia region schools and remote schools. Click below to learn more and fill out the form as soon as you can.
On Saturday, May 20 Dreamline expects to be at the Spring Fest in Philadelphia’s Roxborough neighborhood. We’ll bring a Dream Booth covered in Banners made my by students at the nearby Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School. If you’re in or around Roxborough, stop by!
HAVING A LOCAL EVENT WITH DREAM BANNERS? Please email program@dreamline.org to let us know!
info.dreamline 