Addressing Community Issues

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Dreamcatcher

Nearly 1 in 3 Oakland children live in poverty (28%), increasing at three times the national average.

Our signature program, Dreamcatcher, strives to break the poverty cycle by assisting low income Bay Area K-12 and community college students achieve good grades, graduate high school, attend college, and ultimately obtain their dream jobs.

We accomplish our mission through a combination of mentoring, micro-funding opportunities and sponsorship for students to attain essential materials, such as school supplies, sports equipment, and access to relevant activities and resources.

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Scholarship Fund

In the past five years, California four-year college tuition and fees have increased 72% while two-year college tuition and fees have increased 104%. 2

Capture the Dream, Inc.’s Scholarship Fund helps new and current college students overcome financial constraints so that they can attend college. Scholarship recipients receive $1,000 college scholarships based on their financial need, leadership experience, and community involvement.

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Adopt-A-Classroom

Nationwide, high school graduates earn 38% more than those who don’t have a diploma3. Statewide, there are more than 2.5 million residents, age 25 and older, that lack more than a 9th grade education4.

Adopt-A-Classroom encourages students to be actively involved in their education and rewards academic achievement. We provide students with educational support by offering backpacks filled with school supplies, field trips, and guest speakers.

To date, we have distributed over 855 backpacks packed with the tools children need to build their future, and since 2006, our educational field trip program has provided over 1,500 students more than 40 field trips.

Sources:

The Bay Citizen, “Child Poverty in Oakland Skyrockets.” https://www.baycitizen.org/news/economy/oakland-child-poverty-skyrockets

Trends in Higher Education: Average Published Tuition and Fees by State, 2004-05 Through 2012-13 http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/state-tuition-and-fees-state-and-sector-over-time

Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013 Earning and Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

Study from The Center for the Next Generation, “Prosperity Threatened: Perspectives on Childhood Poverty in California.” Data calculated from US Census American Community Survey Data on Educational Attainment table S1501 http://thenextgeneration.org/files/Prosperity_Threatened_FIN.pdf