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Dreamyard highlights 30 years of arts and social-justice programs and readies leadership transition
Summary
Dreamyard leaders described three decades of arts and social-justice programming for Bronx youth, outlined career pathway internships tied to the Summer Youth Employment Program, and said they are finalizing a search for a new executive director to lead the next phase.
Dreamyard, a Bronx-based arts and social-justice education nonprofit, told BronxNet it has spent more than 30 years creating pathways for youth success through arts education, mentorship and paid internships.
Cofounding executive director Tim Lord said Dreamyard integrates critical analysis of inequity with culture and celebration, and that the organization is expanding career pathways so students may graduate with two or three paid internships before leaving high school. "We have high school students who are graduating high school with as many as 2 or 3 paid internships by the time they leave high school," Lord said.
Tim Lord also said Dreamyard is in the final stages of a search to name a new executive director and that leadership will transition to the next generation working with current partners. Program coordinators Rose Padilla and Daniel described personal impact: Rose said she found community and acceptance in Dreamyard and felt empowered to speak about identity and social justice; Daniel said Dreamyard opened art pathways for introverted students and runs free-school programming.
Organizers described partnerships with schools, community spaces and the Summer Youth Employment Program as recruitment channels and said Dreamyard provides on-ramps from kindergarten through 12th grade and into college. For more information, hosts directed viewers to dreamyard.com.
