|
|
About Us The I Have A Dream Foundation started almost by accident in 1981
when Eugene Lang, a successful businessman and philanthropist, was invited to
return to his inner-city, elementary school, P. S. 121 in East Harlem, New
York, to give the commencement address to parents and children. As he faced
the children at this high dropout rate school, he was inspired to tell them
that he had a dream for each of them, and he spontaneously, committed to this
class that any student who graduated from high school and qualified for
college would be personally assisted by him to be assured the financial
resources to pursue his or her college education. During the ensuing six
years, seven of the students moved from the New York area. Of the remaining
54 students, 45 graduated from high school and more than half-attended
college. Mr. Langs' success received national media coverage in 1986 (Sixty
Minutes. Time, Newsweek, etc.).
The I Have A Dream Foundation has experienced enormous success with the graduation rate of
the students involved in the program. In 1993, more than 450 students adopted
in the 1987 inaugural class graduated from high school. Additionally,
several hundred students from the 1988 class graduated from high school in
1994. In May 1999, the Foundation had its first class of fourth graders
adopted in 1990, to graduate from high school with a graduation rate of 64%.
This is remarkable considering that the dropout rate in some of the community
served exceeds 70%.
The I Have A Dream Foundation has provided financial assistance to more than 750 students that enrolled in institutions of higher learning throughout Texas and the nation. Colleges and universities attended by "Dreamers" have included Southern Methodist University, Dallas Baptist University, The University of Dallas, University of North Texas, Texas Woman's University, Grambling State University, University of Houston, Prairie View A&M University, Texas Southern University, Rice University, Langston University, California School of the Arts, Julliard College, Dillard University, Texas A&M-Commerce, Navarro College, Sarah Lawrence, George Washington University, the University of Texas and many more. Many of the students from the first two classes have graduated from college and are employed in the professional world or attending graduate school, law school, or medical school. View the 6-minute I Have a
Dream Video, an introduction to
the 25th Anniversary gala program online. Check out our Myspace page! www.myspace.com/dallasdreamers) |
|