Mission: DREAM's mission is to provide inner-city youth with opportunities to play, learn and grow. We use the power of teams to coach, teach and inspire youth to recognize their potential and realize their dreams.
Programs: In 1991, DREAM, then Harlem RBI, was founded when a group of volunteers transformed an abandoned, garbage-strewn lot into two baseball diamonds for the youth in East Harlem. Over time, we began to address the greater needs of the community, like low literacy and high school graduation rates, through summer and after-school enrichment. As these programs became more sophisticated, we also opened up DREAM Charter School to more deeply serve the community of East Harlem.
Since then, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,200 boys and girls in East Harlem, the South Bronx and Newark with a unique program model that uses team-based methods to provide a comprehensive, enriching experience for young people.
We look forward to expanding our proven program model to new cities in the country while continuing to innovate and improve to maximize our impact in all the communities we serve.
In the 11 years I've been involved with Harlem RBI I’ve seen first hand the tangible impacts in the community. The net result of RBI has been an increase in both high school graduation rates as well as college acceptance rates. From its baseball and softball teams, to its after-school programs, to now the dream school, Harlem RBI has continued to grow and fill the greater need in the East Harlem Community and beyond. This is an organization worthy of investing your time and charity dollars into.
Coming from the perspective of a single parent, working full-time, Harlem RBI was an excellent resource that met my needs. I am grateful for the guidance that my son received from such an excellent, caring staff. Because of this experience, my son is more interested in reading - and just the other day he was teaching his little sisters how to play baseball. I couldn't be more grateful! THANK YOU!
Harlem RBI has had an incredible impact on the community and the wonderful children and young adults involved. I recently spoke on a panel for students about future careers. The students were polite, enthusiastic and asked thoughtful questions. It is amazing how many attended this evening program in the summer!
Harlem RBI is a wonderful organization that positively impacts everyone who's involved with it, including the kids, their families and the many volunteers and employees. It's an organization that's making positive changes in East Harlem that will be seen for many years.
