“I Have a Dream” Foundation – Oregon was founded in 1990 to help low income kids reach success in school and college.

We deliver a proven combination of core services to students: long-term relationships with caring adults, academic and personal/social support services, and creating a “culture of college” within schools and the students’ families.

Since 1990, ten entire 3rd grade classes have been “adopted” with supportive services to help student dreamers succeed through college. Our organization has been able to more than double graduation rates for these students and impact the community through reduced discipline problems and juvenile delinquency. Nearly 900 students have benefited from “I Have a Dream” Foundation programs in Oregon through this model.

In 2010, we established the first “Dreamer School” in the nation. This bold new initiative will expand the impact from 300 to 3,000 kids per year, all within this decade. Our first Dreamer School, Alder Elementary, is one of the most poverty-stricken schools in the state and serves as a beacon of light for the community with its programs and services. “I Have a Dream” is partnering with over a dozen other non-profit organizations to transform the lives of every student in this school. Within the next several years, additional Dreamer Schools will be added throughout Oregon.