Mission
To motivate and empower children to reach their educational and career goals by providing a long-term program of mentoring, tutoring and enrichment with an assured opportunity for higher education.

Origin
The original “I Have A Dream” Project was the spontaneous brainchild of businessman and philanthropist Eugene Lane, who in 1981 made a promise to the entire sixth-grade class of P.S. 121 in East Harlem: that he would provide financial support for a college education to every student who finished high school. Lang kept his promise and then some – he added a year-round academic and cultural enrichment component, made social services accessible to his “Dreamers” and their families when needed, and made a personal commitment to each student. Six years later, over 90% of his Dreamers graduated from high school – more than three times the expected average graduation rate of students from their neighborhood.

How It Works
Project Sponsors “adopt” a group of students beginning no later than third grade, staying with them throughout elementary, middle and high school. This group can be an entire class or grade level in an elementary school or an entire age group from a public housing development. The Sponsors initiate the project and are responsible for developing after-school educational and recreational programs, recruiting and managing volunteers, arranging community service activities, partnering with other organizations, engaging Dreamer parents, providing social guidance and interacting with teachers. As the Dreamers get older, the program is adjusted to include college and career planning. Field trips and other enrichment opportunities are provided throughout the years of the program. Once the Dreamers graduate from high school or earn a GED, they are eligible for last dollar tuition assistance after obtaining other grants and scholarships.

Richmond Program
Ken and Gail Henshaw are Sponsors for the first Richmond program. After considering several geographic areas and schools, they adopted all secondgraders at Broad Rock Elementary School in 2007-08, extending enrollment throughout the next year to new third graders. There are approximately 60 Dreamers, now in fifth grade. The primary focus of the Richmond program in the early years has been on increasing reading levels and improving reading comprehension. Initiatives toward that goal include the donation of thousands of books to all students at Broad Rock, not just Dreamers; school-wide implementation of a web-based reading program, Accelerated Reader; novel studies and visiting authors.

Through traditional and innovative initiatives and special events, “I Have A Dream”® Foundation – Richmond is helping Dreamers and their families maximize their personal and educational potential.