Humble Beginnings
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. It soon became clear that out-of-school time was simply not enough. In order to have a lasting, long-term impact on kids and the community, we needed more time with our students, especially during the school day. So in 2008, we opened up DREAM Charter School to more deeply serve the community of East Harlem.