Programs

Overview

DreamCatchers utilizes a two-pronged approach to improve both the academic outcomes and health behaviors of our students. A growing body of research indicates that organizations providing services across multiple areas of focus are more effective. By administering programs that target both students’ education and health, DreamCatchers provides a synergistic pair of programs that work together to reinforce one another. Together, the DreamCatchers Academic Program and Healthy Behaviors Program work to not only improve the academic outcomes and health behaviors of our students, but to also cultivate skills key to success including self confidence, goal setting, accountability, and work ethic. By engaging our students directly in the behaviors necessary for academic achievement and good health – hard work, diligent studying, and healthy eating – we help our students develop habits that ultimately equip them for long-term success and well-being.

Academic

Academic Program sessions are led by our cohort of Site Directors and are comprised of one-on-one tutoring, guided individual work, and group activities. Together, these three components inform our program’s mantra, “dream, believe, achieve”.

One-on-one Tutoring

Through personalized yearlong interactions with trained tutors, our students receive individual coaching in areas specifically targeted to their own academic needs. Over the course of the year, tutor-student pairs are able to develop strong relationships that move beyond improving grades to mentorship and self-confidence building.

Guided Individual Work

We provide our students with the skills and strategies they need to succeed in school, by teaching them to become accountable to themselves and others, and to engage in the regular habits necessary to realize their goals. Our program also includes group activities focusing on leadership skills, confidence building, study habits and mentorship, which build a strong sense of community among and between tutor-student pairs.

Healthy Behaviors

Our Healthy Behaviors Program is led by our cohort of Site Directors and is comprised of providing healthy afterschool snacks as well as weekend family cooking classes. The program’s aim is to improve the health outcomes of our students by engaging our students and their families in practicing and enjoying healthier eating behaviors.

Afterschool Snacks

We provide our students with healthy, tasty, and fresh snacks afterschool to keep our students energized during their academic program sessions. We provide fresh fruits, vegetables and grains such as kiwis, pomegranates, guacamole, broccoli, radishes, peanut butter and hummus, along with ‘fun facts’ placards to introduce and expose students to novel aspects of these foods. We accompany these snacks with engaging activities and discussions about the history, culture, seasonality, environmental impact, nutritional value, and health value of these foods, to inspire and excite students about consuming healthy foods.

Family Cooking Classes

Research Based

Our programs have been developed in collaboration with world-renowned researchers at Stanford University, based on innovative concepts at the forefront of both the education and public health fields. Our Academic Program applies the concept ‘growth mindset,’ coined by Stanford University psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, while our Healthy Behaviors Program is grounded in the concept of ‘stealth interventions,’ coined by Stanford University professor of pediatrics and medicine, Dr. Thomas Robinson. By applying leading research at the forefront of these fields, DreamCatchers provides an effective program that reliably produces positive, measurable results in our students.

Growth Mindset

Our Academic Program works to cultivate growth mindset, the idea that intelligence is a skill that can be developed through hard work. This concept is a core facet of DreamCatchers’ academic teaching and philosophy. Research has shown that low-performing students who embrace growth mindset do better in school than those who do not. Our program enables tutors and students to internalize growth mindset, by using a curriculum informed by experts including Carol Dweck who pioneered the concept. As a result, our students learn to equate success with hard work and are motivated to work harder and aim higher.

Process motivators

Our Healthy Behaviors Program is based on the new ‘stealth intervention’ approach within the public health field. This approach recognizes the importance of making healthier behaviors fun and rewarding in and of themselves. By leveraging ‘process motivators,’ such as taste, teamwork and social interaction, our program engages students in consuming healthy fruits, vegetables and grains in a way that is exciting and enjoyable. As a result, our program promotes sustainable positive changes in our students’ eating habits over a lifetime.