DREAM Alive NEWS
Elevation Grant recipient teaches essential life skills to middle school students
INDIANAPOLIS (November 21, 2024) - Last week, 178 DREAM Alive scholars used their free time after school to support local families needing a helping hand this holiday season. DREAM Alive, an Elevation Grant recipient, developed its yearly service project to teach scholars how to develop financial and budgeting skills while giving back to the community. The Elevation Grant program is investing $45 million in Indianapolis neighborhoods to address the root causes of violent crime through a comprehensive approach, including neighborhood empowerment and community building.
“Our whole community benefits when we invest in the organizations doing the good work to make our city a safer place for all,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “The City of Indianapolis is committed to supporting programs like the Elevation Grant which allows nonprofits like DREAM Alive to expand and strengthen their efforts that are crucial in helping put our young people on the best path.”
For the shopping portion of the service project, each DREAM scholar was paired with an adult volunteer to fulfill a wish list for a child in need at a local Meijer store. Included pictures from the November 14 shopping event show scholars from Longfellow Middle School and Northwest Middle School participating in the service project for the first time. DREAM Alive was granted $601,393 in funding in Rounds 1, 4, and 6.
"Thanks to the support of the Elevation Grant program, DREAM Alive's compelling outcomes have paved the way for us to secure additional funding and expand our reach,” said Eric Muller, DREAM Alive President & CEO. “The funding we received in Round 1 is one of the primary reasons we were able to bring our programming to the students of Longfellow and Northwest Middle Schools.”
For 20 years, DREAM Alive has worked to break the cycle of poverty by helping youth in Indianapolis discover career paths and mentoring them from 7th grade until high school graduation. Data collected during the Round 1 Elevation Grant period demonstrates how organizations like DREAM Alive are making a real impact on young people in our city:
Significant Reduction in New Court Cases: Across all Elevation grantees in Round 1 focused on youth arrests and recidivism, only 6% of the 588 youth participants had a new court case filed during the program.
Promoting Non-Violence: 95% of DREAM Alive scholars were not involved in any violence during the entire school year.
Minimizing Recidivism: Across all Elevation grantees in Round 1 focused on youth arrests and recidivism, among the 102 youth already under court orders, only 24% violated a restriction or had a new case filed.
Only one of the DREAM Alive participants who were under court-ordered restrictions violated any known restrictions during the grant period.
DREAM Alive's Impact at Paramount and Arlington: Students at Paramount and Arlington experienced a remarkable turnaround with suspensions decreasing by over 70%. This significant drop, from 58 incidents to only 17, highlights the direct impact DREAM Alive has on suspensions.
Sustained Positive Behavior: Students who completed 10 or more hours of DREAM Alive showed exceptional improvement, experiencing a 2% suspension rate compared to the IPS 2022 average of 12%. This underscores the importance of program engagement and its long-term benefits for students.
The Elevation Grant program is a partnership between the City of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Foundation. The program is a part of Mayor Hogsett’s Violence Reduction Strategy, first launched in 2021. This strategy includes:
Increased funding for staff, training, and technology at IMPD
In September 2024, IMPD announced work was underway to install 700 dash cameras into patrol vehicles.
Funding for the Indy Peace program
50 peacemakers to engage with those at risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of gun violence.
Hiring of a Chief Youth Violence Prevention Officer
Ralph Durrett Jr. was named to the position in June 2024.
Launching of the Clinician-Led Community Response (CLCR) team in July 2023
The program, a partnership between Indianapolis’ Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS) and Stepping Stones Therapy Center, now operates in both IMPD’s Downtown and East Districts.