$2 Million Grant to Drive Expansion Efforts

A two-year, $2-million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies will build the U.S. Dream Academy’s capacity and soon support a planned expansion that, by 2013, will bring 15 more Learning Centers to the 10 communities the organization currently serves nationwide. With the stated intention of providing “core support for growth,” The Atlantic Philanthropies gift, which was two years in the making, promises to build high-quality, replicable programs that are rigorously evaluated. “We are proud to support expansion of the U.S. Dream Academy’s high-quality afterschool programs, which provide at-risk students with academic enrichment and mentoring during the critical out-of-school time hours,” says Marcia A. Smith, Vice President at The Atlantic Philanthropies. This expansion and strengthening of the Dream Academy’s afterschool and mentoring models come at a time when the organization is ramping up its capabilities and working to enhance the quality and consistency of its program implementation. As part of these efforts, the Dream Academy is currently partnering with these national experts: Foundations, Inc.’s Center for Afterschool Education, to strengthen afterschool programming with supports that include a Quality Assurance System, professional development model, and Program Guide. The Bridgespan Group, to enter Phase II of planning to support strategic growth and sustainability over the next four years. NPower, to develop and roll out a new database to track student demographics, mentor matches, and student outcomes. Work with these partners and others is continuing to help shape a stronger organization.