Village Mentoring
Providing Every Child with a Caring Mentor
Our Village Mentoring program offers both one-to-one and team mentoring, creating a highly social experience and fostering a strong sense of group identity among youth, families, and mentors. Each mentee is matched with a mentor from their affiliated college campus, allowing for the development of meaningful relationships.
Mentor-Mentee Relationship
Personal Connection
Mentors build a meaningful relationship with their mentee and the mentee's family, enriching the mentee's aspirations for life in a fun and engaging environment.
Support System
Our organization, alongside college campus leadership, supports each chapter of DREAM by providing training, safety guidelines, and strategies for building positive relationships.
Community Involvement
We partner with housing property managers, local foundations, businesses, and various federal and private supporters to offer this program free of charge.
Programming Activities
One-to-One Mentoring
Mentors meet with their mentee individually about four times a month and maintain regular communication.
Team Mentoring
Menntor and mentee matches come together for team activities either on campus or within the community.
Mentor Commitment
Mentors typically volunteer 4-5 hours per week during the academic year.
Weekly mentor planning meeting
(1 hour)
Weekly program activities known as DREAM Days (From 3-6 PM)
Occasional events like trips to Camp DREAM, mentor retreats, and end-of-semester adventures.
Mentee Experience
Village Mentoring runs each week of the school year.
Weekly contact from their mentor, which may involve calling a parent/guardian if the child doesn't have direct phone access.
Weekly neighborhood visits from mentors for DREAM activities.
Activities may take place on the college campus, in the neighborhood, at community centers, or at local attractions.
The Village Mentoring Philosophy
DREAM started in public housing near Dartmouth College in January 1999 and became a nonprofit in 2001. From the beginning, we have focused on fostering and supporting shared communities. Each community across Vermont, Boston, and Philly has unique needs, and our mentors and staff collaborate to address them. While our communities don't rely solely on DREAM, we see our Village Mentoring model as the cherry on top that rounds out students' school experiences. Our programs aim to close the opportunity gap wherever we serve.
