DREAM is all in, for all kids, all the time. And we're enrolling for Fall 2022 in East Harlem and the Bronx. Join the DREAM family today.
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Schools where your child is known, seen, and loved. A community where your family becomes our family. Welcome to DREAM Charter Schools. Welcome home.
DREAM’s whole child model is all about the promises we make to our families - the things we’ll never compromise on.
DREAM’s curriculum prepares students to fulfill their vision of success, in the classroom and beyond. Across East Harlem and the South Bronx, DREAM Charter Schools serve over 1,000 students from preschool to pre-college, and our scholars consistently outperform city and state peers in ELA and Math.
We believe school should be a place to play, learn, and grow - somewhere that’s about more than just grades and testing, where students can develop both critical thinking skills and compassion. That’s all part of DREAM’s commitment to our Grow the Whole Child Model, which is rooted in social-emotional learning, a framework that teaches students to understand and respond to their own emotions and those of the people around them.
We offer free, nationally recognized afterschool and summer sports-based programs that help our scholars become confident, competent, and caring community members who know what it means to be part of a team.
DREAM knows that success starts at home, and that’s why our families are critical partners. Every summer before school starts, DREAM teachers visit every one of their scholars and families in their homes to get to know them and learn each family’s hopes and dreams for their child. Families and school staff actively work together and share decision-making to provide the best for our scholars, every step of the way.
In Fall 2022, DREAM is opening our newest campus in the Bronx's Highbridge neighborhood. Led by Principal Shannel Richardson, we're so excited to grow our Bronx community - and we're currently enrolling rising kindergarteners for our founding class. Learn more and apply today.
DREAM provides youth with opportunities to play, learn, and grow. Our mission is to level the playing field by empowering all children to recognize their potential and realize their dreams. Here’s what that looks like.
30
years of impact
2,000+
youth served annually
27%
of scholars have identified special needs
"I was struggling with my behavior and academically. Because of DREAM, my mindset was changed. Now, I want to finish school, go to college, become a doctor."
- Stephen, DREAM Student
"As a new parent, you can imagine so many fears, and one thing I am so thankful for was DREAM being able to not minimize my fears, but just hold on to the fact that we are here with you, together. That togetherness, which is one of DREAM's maxims... everyone says that, but really, DREAM is family."
- Samantha, DREAM Mott Haven mom
“DREAM graduates recognize that education is a pathway to intellectual enrichment and long-term success. But even more than that, they also know it’s a critical step toward becoming contributors to building a more just and equitable world for their communities."
- DREAM Charter High School Principal Jared R. Francis
“We found a great home at DREAM, and it felt right to be able to put a scholarship in place that would enable first-generation college students to have the same platform."
- Kevin Widmaier, DREAM supporter
Read about our high school's partnership with Dr. Steven Hahn, a Pulitzer-winning author and professor who specializes in the history of slavery, emancipation, and race.
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Nicole Espinal is used to being among the first. Learn about her journey from DCHS to becoming a first-generation college student.
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