What actually shifts the dial for young people?

I Have a Dream CEO Shane Gorst and Dreamer Awatea Poutai shared a conversation with Kathryn Ryan on what actually shifts the dial for young people.

I Have A Dream works alongside schools, whānau and communities to support young people over the long term, helping them engage with education and realise their potential.

I Have a Dream started in Aotearoa in 2003 with a pilot programme of 53 Dreamers in Mt Roskill. 80% of the Dreamers in that programme went on to enter post-secondary education including apprenticeships, diplomas, degrees. Founder Scott Gilmour scoured the country looking for the right community in which to roll out I Have a Dream, partnering with four schools in Whangārei in 2016.

Now, after more than a decade operating in Whangārei. what we’ve learnt is that educational success isn’t driven by curriculum alone. Confidence, belonging, trusted relationships, exposure to opportunity and long-term wrap around support all play a critical role in helping our rangitahi thrive.

Awatea’s story is a great example of the transformative benefits of long term investment in rangatahi. Awatea joined I Have A Dream in Year 6 as a quiet and reserved student. Through long-term support from Navigators, a dedicated community mentor as well as his wider community and whānau, he developed the confidence to become Head Boy of Tikipunga High School, secured a First Foundation Scholarship and is now studying at AUT.

We’re incredibly proud that we’re now seeing our earliest Whangārei Dreamers progress into tertiary education, scholarships, employment and leadership opportunities. These are the outcomes we’ve been working towards since the programme began.

Importantly, we don’t replace schools. Schools do an extraordinary job. Our role is to complement that work by providing additional support around each young person, helping create the conditions that allow them to engage and succeed.

I Have A Dream is 100% philanthropically funded. That support has enabled us to develop and refine the model over many years and we’re now entering an exciting growth phase, recently launching in Hawke’s Bay and working towards supporting 5,000 Dreamers by 2030.