Sponsors: Underwrite-a-Class

It has been said that one's life approaches fulfillment when three elements are present: a person feels loved, bestows love, and is committed to a purpose greater than themselves. The DreamsWork Underwrite-a-Class program is designed to address these primary needs for both individuals and organizations. An organization or individual that underwrite a class almost without fail goes through an amazing transformation rooted in the seemingly paradoxical biblical insight: it is more gratifying to give than to receive. Joy and happiness are the unintended benefits that accrue to the life committed to giving.

Profound and often unexpected results appear when an organization, and, more importantly, an individual or group of individuals, underwrite a class. Those who have financially partnered with teams of volunteers have, collectively, breathed life into the dream that has touched hundreds of lives-DreamsWork. Individuals struggling to define themselves soon discover the life-changing impact of committing their resources to a fundamental cause that is so foundational in nature: "As you do onto the least of Mine, so you do onto Me."

As one DreamsWork financial partner ('investor') observed, "In the course of my long life I have never committed resources to a cause in which I've received a greater return. The psyche intangible dividends from my investment in DreamsWork make the monetary returns from all my other investments seem pale by comparison. Moreover, I came to understand that this investment will pay dividends to me, my children, and their children in perpetuity. Its impact will multiply time and again as the students who I sponsored return as role models for the next generation. I realized the power of compounding my dollars because of the enormous human leverage provided by the DreamsWork volunteers and the children themselves, who I enabled to pursue their ambitions and dreams."

Financial partners' funds are combined with other DreamsWork assets held by the Elkhart County Community Foundation. While the funds are invested immediately, money is drawn down as needed for two primary purposes: student enrichment activities and the DreamsWork scholarship endowment. Frequent programmatic activities occur each year ranging from trips that allow DreamsWork students to experience every conceivable natural, scientific, and humanitarian activity in which they otherwise might not have had the opportunity to participate, to week-long off-site camps targeted to build self-confidence and teach independence and interdependence. Many of the DreamsWorkers will be exposed to character-building adventures similar to those offered by the nationally known Outward Bound program. Activities include rock climbing, spelunking, and wilderness trekking. We estimate that approximately 50% of your investment will be applied toward these activities.

The remainder of your investment becomes part of the DreamsWork scholarship endowment. DreamsWork volunteers work with students during their senior high school years in an effort to secure all grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial aid other than student loans. DreamsWork commits to funding the difference between the actual costs incurred, less the outlays for food which are the responsibility of the student, and the above funding.

Actuarial calculations for DreamsWork-provided "last dollar" financial assistance are far from precise; there are simply too many unknown variables. For example, it's difficult to predict how many students will qualify for 21st-Century Scholarship need-based tuition assistance, how many will matriculate from high school to complete a four-year secondary education at a college or university, what future tuition costs will be, etc. Based on actuarial work done to date, we believe each class will cost approximately $200,000.

As for how the program is administered, each incoming DreamsWork fourth-grade class is composed of up to 20 students. These students are selected from a pool of candidates recommended by Hawthorne teachers and/or other school administrative officials using criterion such as grades, attitude, aptitude, and anticipated level of parental/guardian involvement. Each selected student is assigned a mentor who, ideally, will work with them throughout the remainder of their primary and secondary school experience.

Selected students competitively vie to place in the top ten of their class which will qualify them to receive a DreamsWork "Last-Dollar" Scholarship, provision for post-secondary education of all types, including four-year college or university bachelor degrees. This top ten status will be determined by a review panel (Class of 2016 forward) consisting of DreamsWork administrative officials and/or board members who will make their determination after the close of the eighth grade. Each student's attitude, aptitude, overall character, and the degree to which they have made use of program opportunities will be taken into consideration. Students not selected will remain in the program and enjoy all other benefits associated with it.

The Underwrite-a-Class partner can be as active or as inactive as he, she, or they choose. We request that the partner(s) be photographed with the incoming DreamsWork students for stories in the local papers and, if willing, be interviewed as to why they chose to make the investment. The dollar amounts are typically not mentioned. DreamsWork will regularly provide progress reports on the students, current photographs, and so on. When and if they choose, a partner may meet with the DreamsWork students for whom they have opened countless doors. Dependent on the degree of involvement, lifetime relationships are often established. Underwriting a class for DreamsWork is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

DreamsWork provides mentors for each child throughout their public school experience. Although mentors are encouraged to serve a minimum of three years, should a mentor only be able to serve for a limited amount of time organizations are free to replace mentors as necessary. Continuity in mentoring is critical. Additionally, the intensity of the mentoring commitment varies with the educational stage for which the student is progressing. For example, mentoring DreamsWorkers in fourth- through sixth-grade requires a thirty-minute weekly commitment at Hawthorne from October through April. Because of the difficulties encountered in middle school resulting from frequent changing of classes and increased extra-curricular activities, periodic group meetings at times take the place of individual mentoring sessions. The time commitment for mentors is reduced accordingly. In high school, the relationship between student and mentor takes on a life of its own. By this time, students are often more independent and mobile, thus providing greater flexibility in keeping the relationship alive. Finally, a metamorphosis occurs. The emphasis that was once placed on tutoring transforms into a relationship that can be properly defined as mentoring. For more information, see the Tutor vs. Mentor page.

While a mentor's time commitment may be minimal, the effect on a child's life is far from insignificant. The nature of the relationship between a DreamsWork mentor and his or her student is unique because it's reflective of a journey made by a caring adult voluntarily entering the life of an unknown child as an expression of love . In many important aspects the relationship reflects the theological ideal, the gift of grace.