When Dreams Emerge! They emerge in powerful ways!

achievement as a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship Award from Georgetown University.  We first met Darryl as a rising senior during an interview for our program Project Dream Green, an environmental learning and work experience.

Georgetown President John DeGioia congratulated the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy – Parkside senior Thursday Night for winning the 2011 Presidential Scholarship Award.  The award grants Darryl a full scholarship to Georgetown University for all four years.  Darryl not only enjoys the support of the entire Chavez community, but DOL and the broader community.

P.S. Congratulations Darryl!

Thanks to our supporters, we will be traveling to Madrid from February 18th-21st

DOL heads to Madrid to "start more than a car."

On February 18th Dreaming Out Loud’s Executive Director, Christopher Bradshaw, will be traveling to Madrid, Spain representing the nonprofit organization as one of forty winning charities in The Ford Focus Global Test Drive. The innovative campaign launched by Ford invited the public to submit a 2 minute video on Facebook, expressing how they would “start more than a car” with $10,000 for their favorite charity.

Facebook users selected Dreaming Out Loud’s winning video from among more than 300 entries from across the globe. The winners will be greeted, hosted and coached by the versatile Tanner Foust, HISTORY television personality on the American edition of Top Gear. Teaming with 24 Hours of Le Mans, Trans-Am and American Le Mans Series (ALMS) veteran Justin Bell, Foust will host, coach and assist the winners in the first-ever Focus Global Test Drive program. The National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), near Madrid will provide an astonishing locale. As an aeronautical research facility, INTA and its varied surfaces make an ideal location for dynamic driving events.

“Focus Global Test Drive will be a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience for the participants,” said Foust. “I’m looking forward to helping these drivers put the next-generation Focus to the test, and to benefit the driver’s charities of choice.” At the three-day event, Feb. 18-20, 2011, consumers and bloggers will be able to experience the Ford Focus in a unique new manner. Each challenge and course will highlight the driving dynamics and technologies in the vehicle. And throughout the event, charities will benefit.

After a few weeks of waiting and constant promoting, DOL received notification of the win on Martin Luther King Day! Receiving the news on this specific day could not have been a better sign to reaffirm a commitment to service… Founded in 2008, Dreaming Out Loud, Inc. was created in response to the educational disparities in underserved urban communities. Our aim is to transform some of the prevailing negative attitudes youth have about education and to direct them towards positive character development.

Our services have focused primarily on Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC, where some of the most pressing economic, educational and social development needs converge to affect young people.We are certainly proud to be listed among dedicated individuals working towards amazing causes and social change. In our programs we engage young creative minds in underserved communities by building leadership capacity, providing character development and cultivating skills so that they can plan and execute innovative solutions to issues of concern in their communities. Our video shows our real, not supposed, impact and how we can use $10,000 to support the purchase of gardening equipment, art supplies and provide training that will develop young leaders. We began 2010 serving 10 students at one school, but by the end of the year we were serving 80. In 2011 we will be engaging over 100 underserved youth and we need your support.

Here are a few ways you can help spread the word about this great achievement for Dreaming Out Loud:
1. Forward this press release to a friend and encourage them to signup for our newsletter.

2. “Like” Dreaming Out Loud on Facebook and dedicate your status update:

“@Dreaming Out Loud, Inc. named 1 of 40 winners of the Ford Global Test Drive video contest. in Madrid. Become a fan and follow this great organization as they “start more than a car in Washington, DC’s underserved communities”

3. Follow us on Twitter and dedicate a Tweet:
“Check out @doldc one of 40 winners of the Ford Global Test Drive. Follow how they start more than a car from #Ward 7 #DC to #Madrid, Spain.”

AYA: An East of the River Health and Wellness Market

DOL to participate in Promise Neighborhood at Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter High School.

On Wednesday September 22nd, Dreaming Out Loud and partner organization Groundwork Anacostia River DC were notified of the award of a Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant to Cesar Chavez Public Policy Charter High School, whose application they are included in as collaborative community based organizations through Project Dream Green.

Join us September 18th from 9am-1pm.

Come join Dreaming Out Loud for a relaxing and rejuvenating day of yoga classes and spa treatments! There will be two yoga classes taught by instructor Courtney Bailey. Classes are open to all levels of experience ($15 per class).

First class: 9:30am
Second class: 11:00am

You will also be pampered with a series of relaxing, soothing and high quality manicures, pedicures and facials provided by certified estheticians. Be reminded how important it is to make time for yourself! ($10 per treatment).

Complimentary healthy snacks will be provided by Aziza Wholistic Wellness.

We are going to continue the success of the summer edition of Project Dream Green and keep the momentum rolling into the fall. During the summer 72 young people helped maintain and improve miles and miles of trail in our national parks, distribute CFL bulbs and more. Working with four public charter high schools in Ward 7 we will continue to help young people improve the environment, the community and themselves!

Click the link to order tickets in advance: http://dolyoga.eventbrite.com

DOL submits grant to Ashoka's Changemakers

On August 11th, Dreaming Out Loud submitted a project proposal called “What do We Reflect?: A Community Conversation” to Ashoka’s Changemakers program. The competition — called Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change — has the aim to identify innovative projects and ideas that engage citizens to steer change and build strong communities.

Our project would take place within the context of Project Dream Green’s school year program with our charter school partners.  In this project we will use the placement of interactive public art to initiate a community dialogue regarding ethics, character development and community-building. Our young people will help to plan, create and place interactive public art in six locations throughout Washington, DC. These six works of public art will be large (approx.4ft X 4ft) plaster castings of the symbols.

Each symbol asks a set of essential questions related to building sustainable, healthy and ethical communities. The public will be encouraged to contribute to a dialog generated by the Adinkra symbols using email messages, photos, drawings and other submissions. In addition, the youth participants will use MiniFlip video-cameras to conduct interviews. Leading the youth will be Intergenerational Leadership Partners consisting of a college intern and a retired professional/teacher.

A panel of independent judges selected by Ashoka or CommunityMatters will select eight finalists from all of the entries submitted in the competition. From among these 8 finalists, the Changemakers’ online community will vote for three winners. In the event of a tie, the tie will be broken by a vote of the independent judges. Any person may sign into and register with Changemakers at: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us to vote.

Following our progress and Click here to read and comment on the project.

Project Dream Green featured in Afro American newspaper.

Recently, Project Dream Green was featured in the Afro American newspaper and New America Media. The article highlights the successful launch of the program with 72 young people from the Mayor’s Green Summer Jobs Corps.

Among our accomplishments for the summer were the distribution of 1,000 compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs; handing out over 3,000 pieces of energy efficiency and green-living literature; and the improvement and maintenance of over 15 miles of trail in our national parks. In addition, the young people were able to engage with various presenters from across the environmental spectrum including activists, entrepreneurs and educators.

Located on Benning Road,  just blocks from the Project Dream Green work sites, the Afro-American was founded in 1892 by former slave John H. Murphy, Sr.  As one of the largest African-American newspapers in the United States the paper has a proud legacy covering major issues affecting their constituents. During World War II, The Afro-American stationed several of its reporters in Europe, the Aleutians, Africa, Japan, and other parts of the South Pacific, and provided its readers with first hand coverage of the war. ” We hope to continue to our relationship with the Afro-American as we move forward with our fall programs.

Dennis Chestnut gives reporters a tour of the Center for Green Urbanism.

In the May issue of the East of the River Magazine, Groundwork Anacostia River DC’s Center for Green Urbanism was featured as one of the Ward 7 community’s newest additions. Executive Director Dennis Chestnut gave the magazine an exclusive tour of the Center in its opening phases.

Located at 3938 Benning Road NE, the Center for Green Urbanism (CGU) is positioned primely between both Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road Metro Stations. In addition, it sits directly across from the recently completed Benning Neighborhood Library.

This summer the Center has played a central role in the implementation of Project Dream Green – the program collaboration between Groundwork and Dreaming Out Loud. With 72 youth participants reporting and working from the Ophelia Egypt Center, Ward Memorial AME Church and SEED Public Charter School the CGU provides a central meeting point.

Important program activities such as training the Team Leaders responsible for supervising the youth participants; communications and video-camera training for youth media teams; and tool-safety training have been hosted at this historic building. In the coming months, the CGU will also play a key role in hosting high-school green teams from local charter schools as Project Dream Green enters a new phase.

A view from the front.

Join us at Marvin from 5-9pm on 6/28!

Come join us for a Happy Hour Fundraiser on Monday June 28th at Marvin (2007 14th Street NW) from 5-9 pm.

• Enjoy one of DC’s best rooftop locations, one of the City’s hottest DJs and a great cause!
• Empower young people to improve the environment, the community and themselves!

We need your help! We have set a goal of raising $1,000.00 to provide supplies for group-projects such as markers, paint and more. Come out and support our summer program from 5-9pm and then party at Marvin (2007 14th Street NW) on their legendary Monday nights!

This summer Dreaming Out Loud will host 72 young people (ages 14-21) with the launch of a new program called Project Dream Green. Working from three different sites in Ward 7, we will be working to improve the environment through river clean-ups, caring for trees and trails in our National Parks and doing community outreach to promote energy efficiency.

$10 suggested donation (but more if you can!)

www.facebook.com/DOLDC
www.twittter.com/DOLDC
http://supportdreamgreen.eventbrite.com/

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