The DREAM Program, Evaluation Report, Youth Report, 2009-2012

The DREAM Mentoring Program: An Evaluation of DREAM’s Impact on Youth

Participants in Vermont (2008-09 Program Year)

Elizabeth Haag Associate Executive Director

The DREAM Program

Amy Carmola Hauf, Ph.D Research and Evaluation Specialist

United Way of Chittenden County

Alex Howe Evaluations Coordinator

The DREAM Program

The DREAM Program, Inc. PO Box 361

Winooski, VT 05401 802-338-8979

www.dreamprogram.org

September, 2010

http://www.dreamprogram.org/

Acknowledgments We wish to acknowledge the contributions of the DREAM families, children, and mentors for their insights, cooperation, and support in this program evaluation. Special thanks to DREAM’s summer 2009 D-units (Alicia Best, Evan Eckstein, Faith Griffiths Meghan Kerrigan, Sharon Mathieu, Meghan McCormick, Kate McNerney, John William Meyer, Josh Nagle, Maggie Ringey, and Hayley Wells) and DREAM staff members for their help with survey administration and thoughtful encouragement over the past year. Elizabeth Haag, Amy Carmola Hauf, and Alex Howe Further information about this study can be obtained from: Elizabeth Haag Associate Executive Director The DREAM Program PO Box 361 Winooski, VT 05404 (802) 338-8979 [email protected]

Amy Carmola Hauf, Ph.D. Research and Evaluation Specialist United Way of Chittenden County 412 Farrell Street, Suite 200 South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 861-7850 [email protected]

2 | D R E A M E v a l u a t i o n : H a a g , C a r m o l a H a u f , a n d H o w e

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Table of Contents

Organizational Background ...............................................................................4

Goals of Current Evaluation ..............................................................................7

DREAM’s Theory of Change ............................................................................8

Study - Objectives, Sample, and Methods .........................................................11

Summary of Findings .........................................................................................14

Detailed Report of Findings ...............................................................................16

Level of Participation in DREAM .....................................................16

Youth Outcomes .................................................................................19

Broadened World View ......................................................19

Expanded Social Horizons ..................................................22

Increased Social Capital ......................................................23

Increased Self-Reliance ......................................................26

Expanded Comfort Zone .....................................................29

Increased Constructive Risk-Taking ...................................30

Increased Aspirations and Expectations .............................32

Youth Perspectives of DREAM Programming ..................................34

Mentor Commitment and Mentor-Mentee Relationships ..................36

Impact on Community ........................................................................40

Concluding Remarks ..........................................................................................41

References ..........................................................................................................42



The DREAM Mentoring Program: An Evaluation of DREAM on Youth Participants in Vermont (2008-09 Program Year)

Background DREAM (Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure, and Mentoring) is a non-profit mentoring organization that pairs college students and children living in subsidized housing developments in Vermont and Boston, Massachusetts. As described in the mission statement, “DREAM builds communities of families and college students that empower children from affordable housing neighborhoods to recognize their options, make informed decisions, and achieve their dreams.” DREAM was founded in 1999 by students attending Dartmouth College and achieved 501(c)(3) status in 2001. DREAM has evolved into a multi-state mentoring and adventure organization that now includes partnerships between eleven colleges and fifteen affordable housing communities across Vermont and Boston. For this evaluation report, we focus only on Vermont-based programs; the Boston programs were not yet established at the time of survey administration. All DREAM Local Programs are listed below, with the Boston programs in italics:

• Dartmouth College and Northwoods/Hollow Drive, White River Junction (est. January 1999)

• Dartmouth College and the town of Windsor, Windsor (est. June 2001) • University of Vermont and Elm Street, Winooski (est. February 2002)1 • St. Michael’s College and Franklin Square, Burlington (est. February 2003) • Norwich University and Green Acres/Highgate, Barre (est. September 2003) • Castleton State College and Forest Park, Rutland (est. September 2004) • Champlain College and Birchwood, Milton (est. September 2004) • University of Vermont and Franklin Street, Winooski (est. September 2005)2 • Middlebury College and Pine Meadow, Middlebury (est. January 2008) • University of Vermont and Riverside, Burlington (est. September 2008) • Bennington College and Willowbrook, Bennington (est. September 2008) • Green Mountain College and the town of Poultney, Poultney (est. September

2008) • Northeastern University and Madison Park, Boston, MA (est. September

2009) • Boston University and Orchard Gardens, Boston, MA (est. September 2009)

1 The University of Vermont Elm Street and Franklin Street programs merged to create one program (FrElm) in 2009. 2 See above footnote.

These partnerships, or “Local Programs,” are the core of DREAM and serve a range of youth from 4 to 18. The Local Programs, supported by a central office, are organized and run by college students and incorporate both one-on-one and group mentoring activities. Every child has a college student mentor who is able to customize one-on-one programming to suit their child’s needs, as well as group programming for the diverse range of DREAM’s youth participants. Youth have the option of continuing to be part of the DREAM program over many years, affording sustained contact and compounding benefits. Local Programs engage in culminating adventures at the end of college semesters, which include traveling to destinations throughout New England, as well as “green up” days and large scale fundraisers for educational and recreational purposes. Special programmatic efforts are also made to sustain youths’ contact with DREAM over the summer months, when college students are less able to provide their time. This includes overnight sessions at Camp DREAM, High Adventure expeditions for teenagers (past trips have included Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Florida), and onsite programming in each child’s community, all at no cost to families. Central to DREAM is its Village Mentoring model, which focuses on the volunteers’ and participants’ feelings of ownership and group culture.

• Ownership: Ownership allows all involved to have control over and

responsibility for program outcomes. This level of involvement is in contrast to many programs that place their volunteers solely on the receiving end of directions. Village Mentoring fully leverages and engages volunteer resources.

• Group Culture: Group culture in DREAM arises from a combination of the

program being a frontier for ideas as well as a social outlet. Volunteer mentors spend time with each other while programming with mentees as well as during planning and training events. This social component has a contagious effect on volunteer recruitment and in bringing energy to programming. It also creates a hub for idea development and implementation.

Programmatic Components Weekly Mentoring: Youth are paired with college student volunteers in consistent one-on-one relationships. On a typical DREAM programming day, students bring the children to their college campus for a combination of group and one-on-one activities. Group activities are age-appropriate and programming is tailored by mentors to the specific needs and interests of each child. Culminating Experiences: Weekly mentoring builds to a culminating experience at the end of each semester or term. Culminating experiences can take many forms, including a group day of skiing; a field day; or a trip to Boston or Washington, DC. Culminating experiences are highly anticipated events, enhancing important skills such as goal setting, fundraising, and delayed gratification.


Summer Program: The Summer Program is designed to establish continuity between school years, as well as to provide opportunities for group communication skills and self-reliance development. DREAM community interns (D-Units) run programming with every DREAM community 3 to 5 days a week throughout the summer. This program combines onsite community-based work with DREAM children and families and off-site trips to explore Vermont and neighboring states. Camp DREAM: Founded in the summer of 2004, Camp offers free residential summer camping for children ages 8 and older and overnight winter camping for youth ages 10 and up. Camp provides outdoor education and adventure opportunities, focusing on activities that build self-reliance and teamwork. Camp is also a significant forum for cross-program collaboration and for the deepening of relationships between mentors and youth. Additionally, Local Programs visit Camp DREAM for different special events throughout the year. Teen Programs: DREAM recognizes that the needs of youth change as they enter adolescence, and a curriculum of teen-centered opportunities was established to address those needs. Opportunities include:

“High Adventure” – Embodying DREAM’s core value of “Dreaming Big,” children choose a destination and work together with mentors throughout the year to plan, fundraise, and ultimately lead a trip together. These adventures build children’s understanding of communal responsibility and individual self-reliance, as well as broadening their world-view. Past High Adventure destinations have included Florida, Alaska, and California. Counselor in Training (CIT) Program – The CIT program provides a series of trainings during the school year that qualify teens to work as counselors in training during summer camp sessions at Camp DREAM. In return, they receive skilled trainings and a small stipend. This program combines teambuilding with dynamic job skill and leadership trainings to increase each teen’s self-reliance and constructive risk-taking skills. Teen Retreats – An annual inter-program effort to bring teens across the state together to enjoy one another’s company and reflect on the joys and challenges they face. Mentors and staff facilitate forums to confront “hard to face” teen issues, as well as providing a venue for story sharing, questions, and exploration.

The programming outlined above develops long-term relationships amongst DREAMers, enabling children to build trust, feel cared for and part of a community, and engage in positive risk-taking. This gives them the opportunity to gain new perspective on themselves and the world around them, and envision new possibilities for their futures.


Goal of Current Evaluation As DREAM expands to new communities and enhances its program model, it is important to track the impact the program is having on its participating youth and families. In particular, the organization wishes to evaluate the extent to which the DREAM program positively influences the experiences, perceptions, and understandings that youth have of themselves and their relationship to others, as well as their engagement with the broader world and sense of the future. In the winter of 2004-2005 DREAM Inc. developed a Theory of Change – a model which attempts to synthesize DREAM’s programmatic mechanisms, immediate outcomes, and long-term outcomes into a single framework. As noted by Weiss and others (e.g., Patton, 2002; Connell and Kubisch, 1998; Philliber, 1998), explicating a theory of change is valuable to informing the work and understanding of not only program evaluators, but that of program designers, managers, practitioners, funders, policy makers, and the general public. The current study continues to explore this formulation of DREAM’s Theory of Change and examine DREAM’s impact upon its youth participants. The study builds on an earlier evaluation of DREAM’s 2004-05 program year (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006).


DREAM’s Theory of Change DREAM works to increase the expectations and aspirations of children and youth living in project-based, low-income housing communities. DREAM makes use of a variety of mechanisms to do so, fueling them consistently with our children’s own aspirations, passion, and dreams. Ultimately, DREAM aspires that all children lead healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives. We believe that to achieve such goals children and youth must broaden their world view, expand their social horizons and social capital, and increase their self-reliance. This is complemented by learning to expand their comfort zones and engage in constructive and healthy risk-taking, ultimately resulting in raising the expectations for what they believe is possible for their lives.

Primary Outcomes The direct results of DREAM’s activities are a broadened world view, expanded social horizons, increased social capital, and increased self-reliance. These results are directly linked to the mechanisms that DREAM provides children and youth to grow through. • Broadened World View

Through such DREAM activites as visiting a college campus, spending time with college mentors, attending outdoor summer/winter camp, and going on culminating experiences and High Adventures, youth build a greater image of the world in which they live. This includes a greater sense of possibility, a greater repertoire of experiences, familiarity with places outside of their community, and an introduction to people of different cultures and lifestyles.


• Expanded Social Horizons Through their relationships with college student mentors and meeting other children and adults through weekly DREAM programming days, summer/winter Camp, trips, and gaining access to other organizations and youth development programs, youth are introduced to a diversity of views, aspirations, personalities, and life choices. By interacting with people from a wide spectrum of life experiences DREAM provides opportunities for children and youth to expand their own personal peer group, experience a greater diversity of relationships, and grow increasingly comfortable interacting with people of differing backgrounds.

• Increased Social Capital

Youth have the opportunity to build lasting supportive relationships with their peers, mentors, DREAM alumni and supporters, a variety of Vermont state institutions (VSAC, Casey Family Services, Vermont State Housing Authorities, etc.), social entrepreneurs/philanthropists, neighbors, and a variety of local organizations. These relationships increase the social “wealth” of children, providing them with a network of individuals and institutions that afford them support, opportunities, and resources which in turn, they are able to give back to.

• Increased Self-Reliance

Through Camp DREAM, trips, fundraising, and new experiences, youth increase their competence by knowing and becoming confident in themselves and their abilities. By allowing children a variety of safe venues in which to test boundaries, reflect, enjoy themselves, and grow into their own self-knowledge, DREAM encourages the development of children’s ability to understand and trust themselves.

Secondary Outcomes DREAM’s secondary, more intermediate outcomes are built from DREAM’s Primary Outcomes. These Secondary Outcomes are developmental outcomes which are constantly expanding themselves, growing, and feeding back into the system through the child’s increased expectations and aspirations. • Expanded Comfort Zone

By broadening their world view and social horizons, youth are able to expand their own personal “comfort zones” – the psychological, social, and physical spaces within which a child feels safe and comfortable. In DREAM, this comfort zone is constantly being expanded as children become familiar with an ever-widening range of people, places, ideas, and experiences.

• Increased Constructive Risk-Taking

Risk-taking is vital to a healthy and successful life as an adult. DREAM encourages constructive risk-taking by supporting youth with a network of relationships (adults, peers, institutions) that challenge and care for them. Through a variety of programming options our children have the opportunity to increase their level of self-reliance, self-efficacy, and resilience. By learning outdoor survival skills or planning


and executing their own activities, events, fundraisers, and group trips, youth develop strong skills and gain experience in using these skills to help themselves and others.

With an “Expanded Comfort Zone,” youth are aware of, and comfortable with, a widening range of opportunities. “Increased Risk Taking” allows youth to search out life opportunities themselves, and make those opportunities a reality.

The Feedback Loop: Increased Expectations and Aspirations This entire system is fueled by the hopes and dreams of DREAM children. As our children build a greater sense of the world around them and feel increasingly comfortable taking risks to explore it, they increase their expectations and aspirations for what is possible for their lives. These aspirations and expectations exist both within the child and in all of those who surround the child. Aspirations and expectations, both internal and external, can create self-fulfilling prophecies that either stifle a child’s potential or raise it to new heights. DREAM’s Theory of Change depicts a cyclical process. As children grow with DREAM, they pass through this cycle a number of times. These increased aspirations fuel the process for its next iteration and carry the child through increasingly harder challenges and greater rewards. Global Result The ultimate goal of DREAM is that DREAM youth will lead healthy, productive, fulfilling lives.


The Study – Objectives, Sample, and Methods The current study was designed to continue exploration of DREAM’s Theory of Change and monitor its progress since its last assessment in the 2004-05 program year. It intends to evaluate the impact of the DREAM mentoring program upon its youth participants by assessing the degree to which youth experience the primary and secondary outcomes described in DREAM’s Theory of Change. In addition, this evaluation examines the levels of commitment and quality of the youth-mentor matches (as perceived by the youth) and the impact DREAM has on the communities where the programs are located (as perceived by the parents of DREAM youth). Sample and Methods: The study targeted both DREAM youth and parents. A DREAM youth survey was administered in all 13 program sites in the summer of 2009. Administrators surveyed children in each housing community and during program activities across the state. An effort was made to get in touch with each child who participates in school year DREAM. Any child who did not complete the survey was a result of the child not being home or available while the survey administration was occurring. Surveys were completed by 137 youth (76 (55.5%) girls and 61 (44.5%) boys). Youth ranged in age from 4 to 16 years; 19 (13.7%) were aged 4-7, 61 (43.9%) were aged 8-11, and 57 (42.4%) aged 12-16. A survey was also administered to DREAM parents in all 13 program sites. Parents were asked to fill out one survey form for each of their children participating in DREAM. A total of 107 parent surveys were completed from 73 different DREAM households.

Site # of Collected Youth Surveys

# of Collected Parent Surveys

Northwoods/Hollow Drive 20 15 Windsor 6 9 FrElm 26 17

Franklin Square 20 12 Highgate/Green Acres 8 2

Forest Park 10 5 Birchwood 13 11

Pine Meadow 7 4 Riverside 13 8

Willowbrook 8 14 Poultney 6 10

Total 137 107 At the time of survey administration, 225 children were participating in the DREAM Program throughout the state of Vermont. Thus the survey sample of 137 youth represents just over half (61%) of all DREAM youth. Analysis of demographic characteristics demonstrated that, across the entire sample, youth who completed the survey did not differ from those who did not in terms of youth age or gender, although in a few communities girls and/or older youth were more likely to participate.


The 107 completed parent surveys represent 47.5% of DREAM children and 42.7% of all DREAM households. Of the children surveyed, 130 indicated that they had a mentor: 31 (23.8%) are male/male matches, 58 (44.6%) are female/female matches, 10 (7.7%) are female mentor/male mentee matches, 2 (1.5%) are male mentor/female mentee matches, and 29 (22.3%) are matches where the gender of the mentor is unknown. The youth surveys were administered by DREAM summer and central office staff. Each child worked with a summer or central office staff member to complete the survey form. If a child was too young or not able to read the document on his or her own, the document was read aloud to them. To administer parent surveys, staff members went door-to-door in DREAM communities dropping off the forms. Staff members returned later the same day to pick up the completed surveys, or the parents mailed the surveys to the central office. Parents were instructed to fill out one survey for each of their children participating in DREAM. Description and Analysis of Survey Instruments: The youth survey included multiple sections. The first section asked about their experiences with DREAM and the perceived benefits; this section was customized by age group (4-7, 8-11, 12+), with the number and nature of questions designed to match the developmental and reading level of different age groups as well as the different activities engaged in by youth of different ages. The 4-7 survey consists of 17 items (13 multiple choice and rating scale items and 4 open-ended items). The 8-11 survey comprises 40 items (31 multiple choice and rating scale items and 9 open-ended items). The 12 and older survey consists of 53 items (43 multiple choice and rating scale items and 10 open-ended items). The mentor commitment and quality of mentoring relationship survey comprises 15 items (14 multiple choice and 1 open-ended item). Children ages 8 and older also answered questions specific to their experiences at Camp DREAM. All age groups completed the final section of the survey which addressed youth perceptions of mentor commitment (using 4 items developed by Allen & Eby, 2009) and mentor-mentee relationship quality by the 10-item Mentor-Youth Alliance scale (MYAS; Zand et al., 2009), which yields a single-factor score representing perceived relationship quality. For the age-customized survey, youth were presented with a number of statements and asked to rate each one along a 3-point scale as to the degree to which they agreed or disagreed (i.e., “No,” “Sort of,” or “Yes”). The all-ages survey consisted of a series of statements, each of which children were asked to rate along a 4 and 5 point scale as to the degree to which they agreed or disagreed (i.e., “Strongly Disagree,” “Disagree,” “I don’t know,” “Agree,” “Strongly Agree”; and “Very False,” “False,” “True,” “Very True”). Qualitative data from the children’s prose responses to the open-ended questions (e.g., “What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself from being a part of DREAM?”; “What is one thing you’ve learned about people and places in the world from being a part of DREAM?”) were compiled and later categorized and coded for major themes that arose from the youths’ statements.


DREAM parent surveys consisted of 31 items (23 multiple choice and rating scale items and 8 open-ended items.) Parents were presented with a series of statements regarding their child’s experience with DREAM (e.g., “My child is comfortable taking risks in a safe environment like DREAM,” “DREAM adds to my child’s happiness”) and asked to rate each statement along a 5-point scale (ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”). Parents used the same scale to respond to three additional sets of statements involving general assessments of their child, their community, and their family’s relationship to DREAM (e.g., “I think my child will go to college,” “I feel like mentors listen to my ideas,” and “DREAM brings good changes to my neighborhood”). DREAM parents also answered 5 open-response questions such as “Compared to other activities, how important is DREAM to your child?” and “What does DREAM mean to you?”


Summary of Findings This evaluation examines areas of youth development identified in DREAM’s Theory of Change, as well as assessing the commitment level and quality of mentoring relationships. Positive growth was found in all primary and secondary outcomes, as well as positive indicators in assessing the quality of mentor relationships and the benefits experienced by DREAM communities. Major results included: Broadened World View: Both youth and parents felt strongly that DREAM introduced youth to seeing and doing new things.

• 86% of children said they “went on trips with DREAM where they see and do new things with DREAM” (91% of children ages 12 and older agreed with this statement.)

• 92% of parents agreed, “DREAM introduces my child to new experiences.” Expanded Social Horizons: Children reported DREAM helped them feel more comfortable meeting new people, and that they had made new friends since being in DREAM.

• 78% of children ages 4 to 7, and 78% of children ages 8 to 11 identified having made new friends since being a part of DREAM.

• 75% of all DREAM children feel like being in DREAM makes them more comfortable meeting new people.

• 80% of children 12 and older say they have met friends in DREAM who are different then themselves.

• 89% of parents felt their children are able to make and keep friends their own age. Increased Social Capital: Youth feel a part of a greater social network, and feeling confident using their mentor as a resource to new things.

• 77.2% of children responded that DREAM helps them when they want to try new things.

• 92% of children ages 8 to 11 feel like they can trust people from DREAM, and 70% of the same children feel like they can talk to their mentor about going to school in the future.

• 80% of children ages 12 and older felt they had met people in DREAM who they’ll be able to count on in the future.

• 84% of parents agreed that “DREAM had introduced their child to people he or she could count on in the future.”

Increased Self-Reliance: In general, youth identified with having increased confidence and self-sufficiency.

• 87% of children 8 to 11 feel confident in the skills they’ve learned in DREAM. • 77% of children 8 and older who have been to Camp DREAM enjoy trying new

things there, even when they’re challenging. • 77% of children ages 12 and older feel like they can make positive, healthy

choices for their life.


• Parents agreed that their children believe in their own abilities. A number of parents’ qualitative responses indicated they believe their children gain self-sufficiency in DREAM.

Expanded Comfort Zone: Children 12 and older were asked to respond to questions regarding their comfort zone.

• 70% of children identified feeling comfortable spending time in places they’ve never been before.

• Additionally, 74% of children felt if they wanted to do something, they’d have ideas of ways to raise the money to do it.

• A number of parent qualitative responses indicate they believe that DREAM expands their children’s comfort zones.

Increased Constructive Risk-Taking: Children 12 and older were asked to respond to questions regarding constructive risk-taking.

• 65% of children felt if there was a problem in their life, they could figure out a way to solve it.

• Similarly, 64% of children identified DREAM as having helped them succeed in something they didn’t think they could do.

• Parents across all child ages agreed that their children are comfortable taking risks at DREAM.

Increased Aspirations and Expectations: Through qualitative responses, youth expressed high aspirations and expectations regarding DREAM and their own futures.

• 16% of children were interested in participating in culminating activities in DREAM, and 15% of children were hopeful in participating in a High Adventure.

• Parents had high hopes for their child’s future in DREAM, and agreed that their children had generally high expectations for their own futures.

Mentor Commitment and Mentor-Mentee Relationships: A large majority (nearly all) of youth endorsed many positive qualities of their mentoring relationship.

• 96% of children look forward to the time they spend with their mentor, feel their relationship with their mentor is important to them, and feel comfortable with their mentor.

• Parents also indicated having positive relationships with mentors, with 80% agreeing that the mentor pair was a positive and important part of their child’s life.

Impact on Community: Parents were asked to respond to how DREAM has impacted their community, as well as their satisfaction level with living in their community.

• 78% of surveyed parents agreed with the statement, “DREAM brings good changes to my neighborhood.”

• 60% of parents agreed with the statement, “DREAM helps bring neighbors in my community together.”

• Only 56% of DREAM parents agreed with the statement, “My neighbors get along, and communicate well with each other.”


Detailed Report of Findings This section presents more detailed findings from the youth and parent surveys, including data related to these areas of assessment:

• Levels and type of youth participation in DREAM activities • Youth outcomes, using DREAM’s Theory of Change as an organizing framework • Youth perspectives of DREAM programming • Mentor Commitment and Mentor-Mentee Relationships • Impact on community

Data from the youth survey are presented separately by age group when survey items varied by age group and/or when responses to an item varied significantly by age group. Data from the youth survey were tested also for group differences based on the following variables: community/program location, program age (i.e., newer, medium, or older programs), frequency of youth participation, youth gender, mentor gender, and youth/mentor gender match (i.e., same v. different gender match; however, only a small number of matches included a mentor/mentee of different genders). Any significant differences between such groups are highlighted in the results described below. Level of Participation in DREAM

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses Do you like doing

DREAM? 4-7 95%

Do you go to DREAM every Friday?

8-11 12+

65% 60%

Do you go to your mentor’s college every Friday?

8-11 12+

35% 41%

Youth Perspectives: Children 8 and older were asked to identify how often they participate in Weekly DREAM programming, as well as how frequently they attend their mentor’s college during Weekly DREAM programming activities. In general, attendance of Weekly DREAM programming days was high, with 62% of children 8 and older reporting to attend DREAM every Friday and only 4% stating they almost never attend. Of the children 12 and older, girls (70%) were more likely than boys (48%) to say they attend every Friday. Of the children surveyed, 38% indicated they go to their mentor’s college “every Friday” and 53% felt they go there “some Fridays.” These responses are consistent with DREAM’s model of Friday programming. While Fridays frequently occur on college campuses, programs also take advantage of local recreational and educational resources. Finally, mentors sometimes choose to program in the children’s community.


Children were asked whether or not they had participated in various activities with DREAM. 85% of children asserted that they had participated in summer programming, while only 49% indicated they had completed a culminating experience. The language “culminating experience” is not often used with children when referencing these-end-of semester opportunities; it is possible this relatively low result stems from a lack of understanding of what a “culminating experience” actually indicates. Additionally, responses signifying participation in a culminating experience was less common among newer programs; these programs may not have yet had the chance to mount such an event. (“Newer” programs are those founded between 2008 and the present.) 58% of children indicated involvement in fundraising, with children ages 4 to 7 and 12 and older from older programs more likely to have participated. (“Older” programs are those founded before 2003). Children in newer programs were less likely to have ridden on the DREAM bus; overall, 80% of children surveyed identified as having ridden the bus.



One-third of children ages 8 to 11 have participated in a beautification day in their community, a relatively new DREAM service opportunity. This event gets the community involved in planting flowers, cleaning up trash, and the general improvement of community spaces (park benches, centers, etc.). Many more (78% of children surveyed) have attended Camp DREAM at least once for summer or winter programming; 44% of those youth have been to Camp DREAM 1 or 2 times, and 45% have attended Camp 3 times or more. Children ages 8 to 11 who indicated going to DREAM every Friday were more likely to have also gone to Camp DREAM. Levels of participation in DREAM activites targeting teens were relatively low. Only 17% of teens have participated in a service trip, 26% in a High Adventure, and 39% in DREAM’s annual teen retreat. DREAM has facilitated only two service trips, which did not include any children from newer programs. High Adventure participation was most common among programs of intermediate age, which is surprising given that most intermediate programs have yet to participate in a High Adventure. (“Intermediate” programs are those founded between 2003 and 2007.) It is possible that teens from intermediate programs may not have understood the term “High Adventure” and took it to mean something different. Girls (57%) were more likely than boys (19%) to have attended a teen retreat; attendance was also more common among youth in older programs. Parent Perspectives: Surveys returned by DREAM parents corroborated a high level of youth program engagement. A very high number of parents reported observing consistent enthusiasm and anticipation for DREAM: 97% of parents surveyed agreed with the statement, “My child looks forward to DREAM every week." Furthermore, parents observed that this engagement included significant emotional impact: 93% of parents surveyed agreed with the statement, “DREAM adds to my child’s happiness.” These results are reinforced by the open-ended section of the survey. Parents were asked, “Compared to other activities, how important is DREAM to your

child?” Responses included: DREAM is quite important to my child. It gives him a great alternative to just "running

the streets.” (Birchwood)

Very important, looks forward to it every week. (Highgate)

Dream is the only activity [my child] has not quit (Forest Park)

More important than videogames. (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

Dream is very important all the kids start talking about it Monday or Tuesday!! (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

Youth Outcomes Broadened World View (Primary Outcome 1)

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses Do you go on trips where you see and do new things

with DREAM?

All Ages 4-7 8-11 12+

86% 79% 84% 91%

Do you talk about what you do in DREAM to people who aren’t in DREAM?

4-7 8-11

53% 64%

Have you tried new food at Camp DREAM?

8-11 12+

79% (Ages combined)

Since you’ve been in DREAM, have you had new

ideas about what type of work you want to do as an

adult?

12+ 59% (29% “sort of”)

Youth Perspectives: Overall, responses from children regarding their world views were very positive, with a large group of children indicating that being in DREAM enables them to go on trips in which they have new experiences. When children were asked if they “went on trips with DREAM where they see and do new things,” 86% responded “yes.” This is a significant increase from the 66% of youth who responded “yes” to this question when asked in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). Children 12 and older reported particularly positively to this question (91% responded “yes” and 9% said “sort of.”)



61% of children ages 4 to 11 agreed that they talk about the things they “do in DREAM to kids or adults who aren’t in DREAM.”3 Boys ages 8 to 11 were more likely than girls to answer “no” to the question. Children ages 4 to 7 from newer programs were more likely to respond “yes.” Of the children surveyed aged 12 and above, 80% responded “sort of” or “yes” to having “new ideas about what type of work they want to do as adults since being in DREAM.” Girls (67%) were more likely to say “yes” to this question than boys (36%). Additionally, youth from older programs were more likely to say “yes.” New ideas of what to be as an adult included: truck driving, a teacher and “make my own.” Camp DREAM is another instrument for broadening worldviews. Children meet people who are different from them, as well as learn to try new things they may not have otherwise experienced. The food served at Camp DREAM is healthy and diverse, and many children are trying different types of food uncommon to their usual diet. 79% of children who have been to Camp indicated that they “tried new food during their stay.” Examples included: lasagna, tuna melts, s’mores, hot chocolate, and salad. One thing children have learned about people and places in the world from being a

part of DREAM (Ages 12+)

Themes Emerging from Youth’s Responses

Sample Responses

Awareness of Different Cultures/People 16% of youth

That people and places are different, and it’s cool to experience that

Everyone is different They are different in many ways

I’ve learned there are different kinds of people

Knowledge of Specific Cultures/People 12%

I learned about India The bus picks up people in college and

takes them around to their classes They have different buildings

How cultures work Boston has buses that turn into boats

Potential for People to Come Together & Commonality

13%

Everyone is the same All people go through struggles

Different people can come together and work as a team

We can work together to complete a goal Value of All

11% Respect

The people are special Everyone should be treated with respect We can all come together no matter what

culture we’re in; we’re all special 3 This question in the 4 to 7 year-old survey is phrased as “Do you talk about what you do in DREAM to people who aren’t in DREAM?”

Kindness/Friendliness to Others 11%

They’re nice People are nice, and Vermont is a cool

state That they’re friendly

People are nice once you get to know them Misc. It’s always good to try new things

To be more understanding New places can be exciting To have fun and be happy I’ve learned new things

Met new people Parent Perspectives: Overall, surveys returned by parents reflected a high degree of agreement that DREAM introduces children to new experiences: 92% of parents agreed with the statement, “DREAM introduces my child to new experiences.” This is a lower figure than the 2005 parent survey, in which 100% of parents agreed (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). One possible factor is that many families have now been part of DREAM for several years; going to Camp and college campuses may now seem less novel. In the same vein, 88% of parents agreed that “My child has visited places outside of Vermont”; while high, that is a decrease from 2005, when 94% of parents agreed (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). DREAM’s recent expansion might play a part: children in communities where our program is newer—and where a higher proportion of children are younger, and therefore ineligible for High Adventure—may not have had a chance to travel outside the state (with DREAM or otherwise). That said, the possibility that programs are mounting long trips less frequently cannot be ruled out. Interestingly, DREAM parents responded to two questions regarding expanded world view even more positively than children. 89% of parents agreed with the statement, “My child talks about his/her own experiences with DREAM in school, or with others.” As noted above, only 61% of children in this survey agreed when asked whether they “talk about what they do in DREAM to people (kids or adults) who aren’t in DREAM.” Similarly, 82% of parents agreed with the statement, “Being in DREAM has helped my child think of new things to be when he/she grows up,” while 80% of children aged 12 and up agreed to a very similar question (Since you’ve been in DREAM, have you had new ideas about what type of work you want to do as an adult?). Rather than indicating that children exaggerate the value of the program to their parents, it seems more likely that this discrepancy is the result of the greater perspective possessed by parents.

Parents were asked, “What does DREAM mean to you?” Responses related to this outcome included:

Expansion, growth, knowledge, freedom (Pine Meadow)

A great opportunity for broadening horizons (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

A way of helping [my child] make friends and experience other places she wouldn't go to (Willowbrook)


Expanded Social Horizons (Primary Outcome 2)

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses Have you made new friends

in DREAM? 4-7 8-11

78% 77%

Does being in DREAM help you feel comfortable meeting new people?

All Ages 4-7 8-11 12+

75% 84% 79%

At Camp do you meet people whose lives are

different from your own?

8-11 12+

80% (Ages combined)

Have you made friends in DREAM who are different

than you?

12+ 80%

Youth Perspectives: 77% of children aged 4-11 responded “yes” to the question, “Have you made new friends in DREAM?” Children ages 8 to 11 who have not participated in summer programming were more likely to say “no,” they had not met new friends. 80% of youth ages 12 and older felt they had “made new friends in DREAM who are different” from them. When asked whether “being in DREAM helps you feel more comfortable meeting new people,” 75% of children replied “yes” with 99% of youth feeling that it at least somewhat did (i.e., answering “yes” or “sort of”). Children ages 8 to 11 from newer programs were more likely to agree. Only 1% felt being in DREAM did not make them feel more comfortable. When children 8 and older were asked what their “favorite part of Camp DREAM” was, 12% of child responses mentioned making new friends or seeing old friends from other communities. Children ages 8 and older who have been to Camp DREAM were asked, “At Camp do you meet people whose lives are different from your own?” 80% of children felt that they did. Parent Perspectives: 89% of parents agreed with the statement, “My child is able to make and keep friends his/her own age.”


A place my children can learn about others (FrElm)

It gives my child a chance to meet new people (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

That my son is enjoying himself, is safe and making friends. (Pine Meadow)



Increased Social Capital (Primary Outcome 3)

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses When you want to try new

things, do people in DREAM help you?

All Ages 4-7 8-11 12+

77.2% 61% 77% 83%

When you want help with something, do you feel

comfortable asking people in DREAM to help you?

4-7 8-11

84% 72%

Can you trust people from DREAM?

8-11 92%

Do you feel like you can talk to DREAM mentors about school, or going to high school in the future?

8-11 70%

Will you keep in touch with DREAMers from around

Vermont that you’ve met at Camp DREAM?

8-11 12+

63% (Ages combined)

When you want help with something, are you

comfortable asking people in DREAM to help you?

12+ 68.4%

Have you met people through DREAM who

you’ll be able to count on in the future?

12+ 80%

Do you feel like you can talk to DREAM mentors

about school?

12+ 83%

Do you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and

feelings at Camp DREAM?

12+ 48% (37% “sort of”)

Youth Perspectives: Children responded positively to feeling a part of a greater social network, feeling confident in using their mentor as a resource for new experiences. 77.2%4 of all children surveyed felt that when they “want to try new things, people in DREAM help” them. For ages 4 to 7 and 12 and older, children from older programs were more likely to say “yes” to this question. When asked, “When you want help with something, do you feel comfortable asking people in DREAM to help you?” 75% of children ages 4-11 said “yes.” Oddly, children ages 8 to 11 from older programs were less likely to say “yes.” Youth in opposite gender matches ages 8 to 11 were more likely

4 An extra decimal point is used in this case to ensure the percents add up to 100%.


to say “yes,” while ages 8 to 11 in same gender matches were more likely to say “sort of.” Only 68.4% of youth ages 12 and older responded “yes” to the question: “When you want help with something, are you comfortable asking people in DREAM to help you?”

Children ages 8 to 11 were asked whether they could “trust people from DREAM,” and 92% surveyed felt they could. This is consistent with the 90% of children who responded positively to a similar question—“I have at least one adult who I trust and go to when I need help”— in the 2005 survey (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). Not surprisingly, 100% of youth from older programs responded “yes,” compared to 82% of children from newer programs; presumably, newer programs are still building relationships between mentee and mentor matches. Children ages 8 and older were asked whether they felt like they “could talk to DREAM mentors about school?”5 76% of children felt they could. Children 12 and older were more likely to feel comfortable talking to mentors about school—83% agreed—than children ages 8 to 11 (70%). Youth 8 and older who have been to Camp DREAM were asked if they would “keep in touch with DREAMers from around Vermont” that they met at Camp; 63% indicated they would.

5 This question in the 8 to 11 year-old survey is phrased as “Do you feel like you can talk to DREAM mentors about school, or going to high school in the future?”

Children 12 and older were also asked to respond to the question, “Have you met people through DREAM who you’ll be able to count on in the future?” 80% of children felt they had. Only 48% of children 12 and older who have been to Camp DREAM responded “yes” when asked whether they felt “comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings at Camp DREAM.” Not surprisingly, youth who have been to Camp more frequently (3 or more times) were more likely (58%) to say they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings than children who have been just 1 or 2 times. Parent Perspectives: Parent surveys also indicated that DREAM expands the social capital of its youth participants. 84% of parents agreed that “DREAM had introduced their child to people he or she could count on in the future.” 79% of parents agreed with the statement, “My child feels comfortable asking mentors for help when he/she needs it.”


What it means is that children or youth get to interact with an older youth—sibling type in a positive way (Highgate)

An outlet for [my child] to get out and do different activities and meet new people and

peers (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

A great chance for my son to learn in the community with safe and trusted adults that are good to him. (Forest Park)



Increased Self-Reliance (Primary Outcome 4)

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses Have you tried something

new with DREAM? 4-7 47%

Are you confident in the skills you’ve learned in

DREAM?

8-11 87%

Do you feel like you can make good choices for yourself and your life?

8-11 77%

Is it hard for you to decide whether to try something

new at DREAM, that you’ve never done before?

8-11 38% (and 31% “sort of”)

Do you like trying new things at Camp, even when

they’re hard?

8-11 12+

77% (Ages combined)

Do you know your way around the trails at Camp

DREAM?

8-11 12+

62% (Ages combined)

Are you confident in yourself and the things

you’ve learned in DREAM?

12+ 74% (and 19% “sort of”)

Do you feel like you can make positive, healthy choices for your life?

12+ 77%

Is it hard for you to decide whether to try something

new at DREAM?

12+ 25% (and 23% “sort of”)

Are you able to take care of your gear and your space at

Camp DREAM?

12+ 86%

Youth Perspectives: Children ages 4 to 7 were asked whether they had “tried something new with DREAM:” 53% of youth believed they had not. Children from older programs were less likely to have tried something new. This may imply that current programming is not diverse or challenging enough for younger age groups. Interestingly, all 3 children in opposite sex matches (3 female mentor/male mentee) responded “yes” to the question. Of the children surveyed ages 8 and older, 77% responded “yes” to the question: “Do you feel like you can make good choices for yourself and your life?”6 Youth in newer programs were more likely to say “yes” to the question. 81% of children surveyed 8 and

6 This question in the 12 and older survey is phrased as “Do you feel like you can make positive, healthy choices for your life?”


older feel “confident in the skills they’ve learned in DREAM.” Children ages 8 to 11 were more likely to feel confident in those skills (87%) than children 12 and older (74%). However, when children 12 and older were asked the question, it read: “Are you confident in yourself and the skills you’ve learned in DREAM?” It’s possible that the less positive responses from children 12 and older were a result of not feeling as confident in themselves, rather than the skills they’ve learned. 42% of children surveyed ages 8 and older believed it was not hard for them to “try something new at DREAM that they’ve never done before.”7 Children ages 8 to 11 were less likely (31%) to say “no,” than children 12 and older (52%).

Of the children 8 and older who have been to Camp DREAM, 77% responded “yes” to the question, “Do you like trying new things at Camp, even when they’re hard?” When the same group was asked whether they knew their “way around the trails at Camp DREAM,” 62% of youth said “yes.” As expected, children who have been to Camp frequently (3 or more times) were more likely to say “yes” to this question (81% v. 43%) who had been fewer times. Most (86%) children 12 and older who have been to Camp DREAM believed they are able to take care of their gear and their space at Camp DREAM. 7 This question in the 12 and older survey is phrased as “Is it hard for you to decide whether to try something new at DREAM?

One thing children have learned about themselves from being a part of DREAM (Ages 12+)

Themes Emerging from Youth’s

Responses Sample Responses

How to Act/Behave Differently 21% of youth

How to control my behavior To not be bad

Be nicer I should always be nice and friendly

I open up to more people It’s ok to be outgoing

It’s not impossible to be nice Patience and respect

I used to be shy, but DREAM helped change this

Skill Building/Realization of Strengths 19%

I am an athlete I can throw a football

I’m good at random activities That I am strong and talented

I like fooling around and meeting new people

I have a lot of confidence How silly I am

I’m different than I thought I was That I’m more outgoing than I thought

General Self-Worth 11%

That I could be myself That I am also an important person

Always believe in yourself, have confidence, stay positive

It’s ok to be yourself I’m awesome

That I’m special Social Support

9% That I can count on DREAM

I learned that there are a whole lot of people there for you when you’re sad

I learned I can trust people I don’t just have to rely on myself – I can

rely on my [mentor] to talk about my feelings

Realization of Potential 9%

I can do things I say I can I can do anything I put my heart to

I can do whatever I want if I try I can do anything I put my mind to


Parent Perspectives: 79% of parents agreed with the statement, “My child believes in his/her own abilities.” The same percentage agreed in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006).


Building community + confidence in young adults (Poultney)

Knowing that [my child] is capable of trying new things. (Franklin Square)

It means an opportunity for [my child] to grow and become interested in college and support children in his life. (Willowbrook)

Expanded Comfort Zone (Secondary Outcome 1)

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses Do you feel comfortable spending time in places

you’ve never been before?

12+ 70%

If you want to do something that costs money, would you have ideas of ways to raise the money to do it?

12+ 74%

Do you have ideas of things to build at Camp DREAM?

12+ 32% (21% “sort of”)

Youth Perspectives: Children 12 and older were asked to respond to questions regarding their comfort zone. When asked if they felt “comfortable spending time in places they’ve never been before,” only 7% of children said “no.” This is a significant improvement from 2005, when only 52% of children felt “comfortable walking around places they don’t know” (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). When working with youth, DREAM provides fundraising opportunities and emphasizes its value in an effort to encourage children to set goals, plan, try new things, and receive the gratification from accomplishing a goal. 74% of children surveyed felt that if they “wanted to do something that cost money,” they “would have ideas of ways to raise the money to do it.” Again, this is an increase from the 2005 survey, where only 66% reported that if there was something they wanted to do that cost money, they’d have ideas of ways to raise it (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006).


Children 12 and older who have been to Camp DREAM were asked whether they “have ideas of things to build at Camp DREAM.” Only 53% of children responded “sort of” or “yes.” Ideas for things to build at Camp included: a treehouse in a tree, an ice-skating rink, a waterslide, and a new playground. One child expressed the desire to hold a chess tournament at Camp. Youth from newer programs were less likely to say that they had ideas of things to build at Camp DREAM: 75% said “no,” compared to 43% of kids from intermediate programs and 46% from older programs. Children who have been to Camp DREAM less often (1 or 2 times) were also less likely to say they had ideas of things to build at Camp DREAM: 77% of children who have been to camp 1 or 2 times said “no,” compared to 39% of kids who have been 3 or more times. Parent Perspectives:


I believe that it has helped my child to become more outgoing with people. (Windsor)

It gives my child a chance to meet new people and a chance to do activities that are new + challenging to her. (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

An opportunity for my son to interact with males who may become role models.

(Poultney) Increased Constructive Risk-Taking (Secondary Outcome 2)

Survey Items Age Asked % of “Yes” Responses When there is a problem in your life, can you figure out

a way to solve it?

12+ 65% (and 32% “Sort of”)


Has DREAM ever helped you succeed in something you didn’t think you could

do?

12+ 64% (and 25% “Sort of”)

Have you led or facilitated an activity or programming

at Camp DREAM?

12+ 31%

Do you hope to be a CIT (Counselor in Training at

Camp DREAM)?

12+ 64% (and 19% “Sort Of”)

Youth Perspectives: Children 12 and older were also asked to respond to questions regarding their constructive risk-taking. Of the children surveyed, 65% reported feeling that if there was a problem in their life they “could figure out a way to solve it.” Only 3% said “no” to the question. This is consistent with the 64% of children who responded “yes” to this question when asked in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). Children who responded “yes” to this question in 2009 were more likely to agree that they had met people through DREAM who they’d be able to count on in the future and that they could make positive, healthy choices for their life. When asked whether DREAM had helped them succeed in something they didn’t think they could do, 89% said “sort of” or “yes” (25% and 64%, respectively). Youth in newer programs were more likely to say “yes.” 76% of children who indicated that they go to DREAM every Friday said “yes,” compared to 43% of other children. Additionally, youth who participated in summer programming were more likely to say “yes” (74%) than children who did not (11%). Children surveyed in 2005 were asked whether they had succeeded in doing something no one thought they could do, and 70% responded “yes” to that question (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006).


Of the children 12 and older who have been to Camp DREAM, 31% identified as having “led or facilitated an activity or programming at Camp DREAM.” Youth from newer programs were more likely to have not led or facilitated an activity or programming at Camp: 75% of children from newer programs said “no,” compared to 38% of youth from medium or older programs. Children who have been to Camp DREAM less often (1 or 2 times) were also more likely to say “no”: 69% had not led an activity, compared to 36% of youth who have been 3 or more times. 64% of children “hope to be a CIT.” Youth from intermediate programs were most likely to say they hope to be a CIT: 86% said “yes,” compared to 50% of children from newer programs and 48% of children from older programs. Parent Perspectives: Asked to respond to the statement, “My child is comfortable taking risks in a safe environment like DREAM,” 88% of parents agreed. 96% of parents agreed with the statement, “My child does things that are important to him/her,” compared to 90% parent agreement in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006).


A chance to do activities that are new + challenging to her (Northwoods/Hollow Drive)

A program that encourages [my child] to try new things (Poultney)

DREAM is a great program where my daughter is able to experience new things and learn important life skills. (FrElm)

Increased Aspirations and Expectations Youth Perspectives: When children were asked to name things they have not done with DREAM, but would be excited to do with DREAM in the future, responses frequently referenced offsite activities (visit a farmer’s market, golfing, kayaking) (26%), as well as informal games or low-intensity activities (go to mentor’s house, hide and seek, tie-dying) (17%). Additionally, youth showed excitement about DREAM’s more structured programming, such as culminating activities (16%), as well as programming that becomes available to children progressively by age, like High Adventure (15%) and Camp DREAM (10%).


Overall, aspirations and expectations identified were high and involved taking on new challenges with DREAM, as well as outside of DREAM.

Increased Aspirations and Expectations Swimming at Camp DREAM

Go to different places like Washington and New York Do a service trip

Go to the deep end of the pool Field trip to the butterfly conservatory

Go on a sail boat Go on a bike ride and go past where I’ve gone before

Be a CIT at Camp DREAM I want to go to Camp with a positive attitude

Fundraise Go to Florida on the DREAM bus

I want to be a mentor Learn how to drive the DREAM bus

Go to the moon! Parent Perspectives: Asked to respond to the statement, “I think my child will go to college,” 71% of DREAM parents agreed and not a single parent disagreed. This result is a dramatic improvement from the 49% of parents who agreed to a similar statement—“I think my child is likely to attend college”—in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006), despite the fact that this year’s statement conveyed even stronger expectations: “will” go to college versus “is likely” to go to college. It is worth noting that more parents responded “Not Sure” to this question than any other question on the survey, undergirding the tipping-point difference DREAM may have in making a difference in these children’s lives. 84% of parents agreed with the statement, “My child is hopeful about his/her future”; 76% of parents agreed with the same statement in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006).



DREAM is a way for [my child] to see beyond her present and into the future. (Windsor)

Keeping my child positive and focused on a brighter future. (Franklin Square)

A chance for my daughter's dreams to be listened to, helped with and made possible for her to “Dream Big.” (FrElm)

Youth Perspectives of DREAM Programming Youth responded to a number of open-ended questions about their experiences with DREAM. Some of those open-ended questions addressed desired outcomes, as outlined in the DREAM Theory of Change (and responses to those questions have been presented earlier in this report); other questions asked about more general aspects of their experiences. Sample responses to those general questions are presented below.

Favorite part of DREAM (Ages 4-7): The Great Escape

Going to Camp DREAM All the activities

Playing Going different places

Baking cookies Having fun!

Favorite part of Camp DREAM (Ages 8+):

Swimming Sleeping in the treehouse

Canoeing New friends

Being able to see my best friends from up north! Cooking Sledding

Night sledding Playing games

Hanging out with all of the new people I have met and the mentors too Commando Making fires

The freedom of it When I first tried cross-country skiing

Everything! Holding the bunnies


Most Challenging Part of Camp DREAM (Ages 8-11):

Themes Emerging from Youth Responses

Sample Responses

13% - Physical Activities 7% - Social Aspects

7% - Walking 5% - Mud

Walking Muddy trails

Hiking Cross-country skiing

Remembering other kids’ names Performing in front of everyone

Low ropes course Getting cold

Being in the woods Cleaning Nothing

Things children would like to do again with DREAM (All Ages)

Themes Emerging from Youth

Responses Sample Responses

31% - Going different places for activities 26% - Swimming/Beach

19% - Formal DREAM Activities 16% - Camp DREAM

16% - Travel/Trips 5% - Go to mentor’s school

Swimming Canobie Lake Park

Boston Going on trips

Washington DC Six Flags

Sturbridge Farms Culminating experiences

Bowling Go to college Snowboarding Rock climbing Berry Picking

Fishing Gardening

Baking Ice cream

Hanging out with children from other communities

Camp DREAM Be a CIT

Egg Drop activity Teen Retreat

Have fundraisers High Adventure



Things children would like to change about DREAM (Ages 8+)

Themes Emerging from Youth Responses

Sample Responses

25% - Nothing 18% - Doing more, increase in activity

5% - Different Activities

Play every day! No more fighting

The location More Fridays in age groups

More one-on-one time with mentor Meet with kids in other programs

More mentors More kids

Longer time Swimming every week

Nothing! More sports activities

Go more places Mentor Commitment and Mentor-Mentee Relationships Youth Perspectives: Children of all ages were asked to answer questions regarding their relationship with their mentor.8 These questions were taken directly from two separate studies: “Mentor Commitment in Formal Mentoring Relationships” (Allen & Eby, 2009) and “The Mentor-Youth Alliance: the Role of Mentoring Relationships in Promoting Youth Competence” (Zand et al., 2009). This part of the survey was titled “You and Your Mentor,” and included 4 items assessing mentor commitment (Allen & Eby) as well as the Mentor-Youth Alliance Scale (Zand et al.), a 10-item scale that can be scored as a single factor measure of mentoring relationship quality. DREAM prides itself on its “village mentoring” model, but one of the key components to its success is the quality of the one-on-one mentoring matches. It serves as a foundation for children achieving the outcomes discussed in DREAM’s Theory of Change. Research has demonstrated a link between relationship quality and youth outcomes, with youth perception of high-quality relationships with mentors predicting more positive outcomes for youth (Jekielek, Moore, Hair, & Scarupa, 2002; Zand et al., 2009). The survey used two response scales; for the sake of analysis and comparison, the scales were merged into fewer categories, allowing easier identification of differences across groups.9 The first scale was: “Strongly Disagree,” “Disagree,” “I Don’t Know,” “Agree,” and “Strongly Agree.” The first two and last two options were combined to

8Among the 4 to 7-year-old youth, one boy said “False/Disagree” to all of the questions on the mentor survey. It is possible when this child was filling out the survey that he/she was distracted and/or disinterested in answering the survey questions. 9 The original (not condensed) responses were used to calculate overall scores on this scale; see next page.

create a condensed 3 point scale: Disagree, I Don’t Know, and Agree. The second scale was: “Very False,” “False,” “True,” and “Very True.” These were combined into two categories: False and True. The Allen and Eby scale responses reflected generally high mentor commitment, particularly among girls. 77% of children felt as if the mentor “wants to have a close and helpful relationship” with them. Only 5% of children disagreed with this statement, leaving 18% of youth who feel they “don’t know” if that’s what their mentor wants. 17% of youth agree with the statement, “I often feel that my mentor does not have enough time for me.” Boys were more likely to agree with this declaration (27%) than girls (10%). 70% of youth disagreed with the statement, “It seems as though I am a burden (hassle) to my mentor.” However, 17% of children agreed with the above statement, indicating that a noteworthy number of children may be in a lower quality relationship. 78% of children agree that their mentor makes their relationship a priority. 10% of boys disagreed, contrasted with only 2% of girls.

The MYAS items were scored on a 4-point response scale (1 = Very False; 4 = Very True). Each child’s overall score was calculated as the average across all 10 items; this is possible because all the items are positive statements about the mentor relationship. The overall average child Mentor-Youth Alliance score across all age groups was 3.5 out of a possible range of 1 - 4. There were no significant group differences on the average scores, indicating that nearly all children in DREAM endorse positive qualities of their mentoring relationships, regardless of age, child gender, mentor gender, gender-match, community, or program maturity level (although there were a few group differences on individual items, as noted below).


The MYAS responses reflected positive assessments of the “quality of mentor relationships,” with a 90% or higher positive response rate on all items for the entire group of children surveyed. 94% of children responded “true” or “very true” to the following statements: “I would feel sad if something bad happened to my mentor” and “I try to follow my mentor’s advice.” Girls were more likely to respond positively (98%) than boys (88%). 98% of youth felt their mentor was happy when good things happen to them. Furthermore, 96% of children felt that their mentor cares about them. This is a notable increase from 2005, when children were asked a similar question—“People in DREAM Care about Me”—and 85% agreed (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). 90% of children felt that their mentor cares about them, even when they do things their mentors do not approve of.

Almost all children (96%) felt the following three statements were either “true” or “very true”: “I look forward to the time I spend with my mentor,” “My relationship with my mentor is important to me,” and “I feel comfortable with my mentor.” Boys were more likely to respond negatively to the question, “ I look forward to the time I spend with my mentor”; 8% of boys (4 boys) responded “false” or “very false,” compared to 0% of girls. When asked whether they “enjoy talking with” their mentor and trust their mentor, 97% of children answered “true” or “very true.” 6% of boys responded negatively to the statement, “I trust my mentor,” compared to 0% of girls. Again we observe that boys are slightly more likely to assess aspects of their mentor relationship negatively.


The limited-but-noteworthy negative response pattern from boys cannot be attributed to any single characteristic examined in this evaluation (e.g., age, gender, community). Among children aged 8 and older, negative responses to questions on the mentor survey came from a range of children, with two children each giving more than 10 negative responses. Thus, in each age group one boy responded negatively to a majority of mentor commitment survey items. Other than gender, these 3 boys had no apparent characteristics in common (they live in different communities, are different ages, two have male mentors/one has unknown mentor status). All other negative responses were spread across a larger group, with children giving only 1 or 2 negative responses along with a majority of positive responses. Parent Perspectives: Parents also evaluated their relationships with mentors positively. 84% of parents agreed with the statement, “I feel like mentors listen to my ideas.” 80% agreed with the statement, “The mentors are an important part of my family’s life,” compared with 72% of parents surveyed in 2005 (Char, Lazar and Foote, 2006). Somewhat fewer parents—72%—agreed with a third statement: “My family feels close to my child’s DREAM mentor.” The fact that more than 7 out of 10 DREAM parents feel that their family as a whole has a substantial relationship with a DREAM mentor is welcome news, especially given that opportunities for mentors to spend time with mentees’ families are limited. It is reassuring that mentors are successfully building positive relationships with DREAM parents, both because parents share an interest in our mentees’ success and because a functional mentor-parent alliance could compound the effects of DREAM programming.


Impact on Community DREAM parents were asked questions regarding their perspective on where they live and DREAM’s relationship with their communities. Their responses provide rich perspective on our mentees’ daily environment. As a community-based program exclusively targeting distressed neighborhoods, DREAM has a special imperative to understand and address the challenges attendant to our constituents’ communities. The lack of a sense of community among residents in these neighborhoods was made clear in the parents’ responses. Only 56% of DREAM parents agreed with the statement, “My neighbors get along, and communicate well with each other.” This question elicited the most negative response on the parent survey, with 29% of parents disagreeing. The second-most-negative response of the survey, with 28% of parents disagreeing, was the statement, “The children in my neighborhood get along well with each other,” with 59% of parents agreeing. Slightly more parents—63%—agreed with the statement, “My child likes living in our neighborhood.” These community measures happen to be the only questions on the parent survey in which answers varied significantly by program age. Puzzlingly, parents in programs of intermediate age were less likely than other programs to agree to the two statements regarding their children’s experience of living in their community: “My child likes living in our neighborhood” and “The children in my neighborhood get along well with each other”; only 33% and 27% percent, respectively, of parents in those communities agreed, compared to over 70% agreement to both statements in both newer and older programs. These differences may be related to how long DREAM has been active in the communities, or may reflect different characteristics of the communities themselves (regardless of DREAM). The only other variation by program age concerned the statement, “DREAM helps bring neighbors in my community together.” Newer programs were most likely to agree, with 79% of parents agreeing. Older programs were least likely to agree: 40% of parents agreed. (67% of parents in programs of intermediate age agreed.) These low numbers point to the difficulties our families face in their communities—difficulties that DREAM certainly hopes to help address. Happily, many parents believe that DREAM is actively making progress on that very front: 78% of surveyed parents agreed with the statement, “DREAM brings good changes to my neighborhood.” Such an encouraging figure both affirms the program’s work to date and reinforces the view that DREAM’s impact does extend beyond individual children’s lives. 60% of parents agreed with the statement, “DREAM helps bring neighbors in my community together.” Facilitating that kind of constructive connection-building among DREAM children is a primary program goal; the fact that a majority of parents report that DREAM performs similar community-building among their peers can be seen as a heartening success in a secondary, but nonetheless valuable, goal.


Concluding Remarks In conclusion, the 2010 DREAM Evaluation of the 2008-09 program year verifies the impact that DREAM has on its participants. Positive growth in youth development was found in all of the primary and secondary outcome areas identified in DREAM’s Theory of Change. Furthermore, DREAM parents positively reinforced these findings across all areas of the Theory of Change. In some cases primary and secondary child-survey outcomes appear stronger than those identified in the 2005 Evaluation Report. This progression in growth may comprise initial evidence that the “feedback loop” portion of the Theory of Change is demonstrable, and that the longer children are in DREAM, the more opportunities they have to pass through DREAM’s Theory of Change. Additionally, results reflected high levels of mentor commitment and mentor-mentee match quality, with the large majority of children feeling as if they are a part of a thriving and caring relationship with their mentor. This bond is crucial if children are to reap the maximum potential from passing through DREAM’s Theory of Change. DREAM’s commitment to consistent evaluation continues to offer a fruitful avenue for the assessment of the specific impact of DREAM programs upon youth participants, families, and communities. These findings help DREAM maintain and improve the effectiveness of its impact on program participants. Finally, it is hoped that these conclusions can contribute more broadly to the fields of mentoring, youth development, and community initiatives.



References

Allen, T. D., & Eby, L. T. (2009). Mentor commitment in formal mentoring relationships. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 72, 309 - 316.

Char, C. Lazar, J. and Foote, M. (2006). The DREAM Mentoring Program: An Evaluation of DREAM’s Impact on Youth Participants in Vermont(2004-2005 Program Year). A report prepared for DREAM, Winooski, Vermont.

Connell, J.P. & Kubisch, A. (1998). Applying a theory of change approach to the evaluation of comprehensive community initiatives: Progress, prospects, and problems. In New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives: Vol. 2: Theory, Measurement, and Analysis, ed. K. Fulbright-Anderson, A. Kubisch and J. Connell, Eds. Washington DC: The Aspen Institute.

Foote, M. and Potter, J. (2006). Theory of Change. Winooski, VT: DREAM Program.

Jekielek, S. M., Moore, K. A., Hair, E. C., & Scarupa, H. J. (2002). Mentoring: A Promising Strategy for Youth Development. Child Trends Research Brief. Retrieved from http://www.childtrends.org/files/MentoringBrief2002.pdf.

Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Philliber. S. (1998). The virtue of specificity in theory of change evaluation. In New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives: Vol. 2: Theory, Measurement, and Analysis, ed. K. Fulbright-Anderson, A. Kubisch and J. Connell, Eds. Washington DC: The Aspen Institute

Zand, D. H., Thomson, N., Cervantes, R., Espiritu, R., Klagholz, D., LaBlanc, L., & Taylor, A. (2009). The mentor-youth alliance: The role of mentoring relationships in promoting youth competence. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 1 - 17.

http://www.childtrends.org/files/MentoringBrief2002.pdf

The DREAM Program, Evaluation Report, Youth Report, 2009-2012

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Transcript of The DREAM Program, Evaluation Report, Youth Report, 2009-2012