Core Values

DREAM's Core Values are the philosophical cornerstones that steer us towards our mission. They are not unilateral. They are used together, as a unified whole, to guide our actions and visions.

Transparency

DREAM's business is the formation of human relationships. Clear, consistent, open, and honest communication is the foundation for creating the trust and understanding necessary for these relationships to succeed. DREAM's community enjoys equality across roles. DREAM takes seriously the confidentiality of personal matters, but all other information, decisions, reasons, and intents should flow freely to everyone involved in the organization.

Empowerment through Ownership

There should never be a sense that there is a higher authority in DREAM. Delegation should occur by entrusting the problems, not the solutions, and then having the humility to encourage the solutions that are then created by the ownership. It is difficult to truly relinquish control of projects for fear that they may not be solved the way initially intended, but the ensuing feeling of ownership creates a desire to continually improve the program. When individuals feel complete control of a project, they invest themselves more wholly than if they were just participating. By distributing ownership of different projects, DREAM maximizes its available resources and ensures shared enthusiasm for the program. And that is the magic, the strength, and the sustainability behind DREAM.

Contagious Energy

DREAM lives and feeds off of its contagious energy. We all bring to the program what we are excited about and motivated by. Those outside the program can sense this energy and are drawn to DREAM because of it. It creates a fun and attractive environment where diverse interests are encouraged and new ideas are supported. DREAM's contagious energy perpetuates the feeling that anything is possible with a can-do attitude.

Supportive Community

Those involved in DREAM-children, parents, mentors, staff, alumni, and other supporters - are part of a single community that works to support and sustain itself. We are also respectful of the various other communities with which we interact. We promote tolerance by celebrating differences within and outside of our community. Everyone in DREAM is an equal partner, and the importance of relationships is central to the way our community operates. If people in our community have problems they are faced with or an idea they would like to pursue, they find comfort in the fact that other members of our community rally around them, support their efforts, and encourage them to succeed.

Safety

DREAM must pursue all of its endeavors through the bedrock of safety. DREAM must be physically and emotionally safe for all of its participants - mentors, children, and adults. Safety should never be seen as an insurmountable obstacle, but rather as a challenge to be faced in everything DREAM does. If there is something that a DREAMer can dream of doing, there is a way to do it safely, and DREAM will find that way.

Encourage Dreaming

We encourage dreaming in each other by broadening the scope of what seems possible, supporting others in their dreams, and setting the example through pursuing our own big dreams. Each mentor's experience challenges us to unlock our dreams and share them with our partners, and each mentor is charged with discovering and encouraging the children's dreams. Dreaming is contagious - put a group of imaginative minds together, light the fuse, and enjoy the fireworks.

Responsible Citizens -DRAFT-

Our work impacts local and non-local communities positively. To be responsible citizens, we will seriously and respectfully consider all people we impact in our programming and purchasing decisions. We welcome and investigate suggestions of how we can improve the relationships we create by interacting with people and communities. We understand that we face tough decisions in weighing costs and benefits of our transactions with limited information. We will make good faith efforts to determine the best action for all communities.