DREAM ensures that all young people recognize their potential and realize their dreams. We're a network of free, public charter schools in East Harlem and the Bronx, investing in the whole child from early childhood to early adulthood.
DREAM's mission fuels our "why," serving as the overarching purpose of our work. Our maxims build on it — they're the core beliefs that guide everyday practice, from the kindergarten cafeteria to the senior portfolio defense.
We hold confidence in every child's capacity — especially when broader society limits opportunity. We tailor support to meet individual needs, equipping students with the resources to turn aspirations into achievements.
Beyond our roles as students, educators, or staff, we form a unified community. We care for one another, especially during hardship, knowing that student success requires comprehensive support systems.
Collaboration and mutual inspiration drive progress. We value collective accomplishment, understanding that sustained advancement comes through coordinated effort.
Work combines dedication with enjoyment. Our roots in youth recreation keep us celebrating achievements of all sizes — and sustaining the joy in our efforts.
We embrace ambitious vision and corresponding belief. From a small community initiative to a network serving thousands, our story shows what dreaming big can do.
Excellence is a continuous journey. Drawing from baseball, we teach resilience through setbacks, learning from failures, and progressively raising performance standards.
From kindergarten on East Harlem's 2nd Avenue to high-school portfolio defenses on Bruckner Boulevard — DREAM's schools serve more than 3,000 students across East Harlem and the Bronx, with free afterschool and summer programming at every campus.
Free afterschool and summer programming.
Critically conscious curriculum and SEL.
Founded 2017. AP, internships, portfolio defense.
Growing one grade per year.
Academic rigor + sports-based wellness.
Founded 2019. Whole-child approach.
Built for early adolescence.
DREAM graduates leave with both the academic muscle and the social-emotional intelligence to lead. Every student defends a capstone portfolio, completes at least two AP classes, and has access to mentorship, internships, and college coaching long after graduation.
During my formative years, DREAM shaped my character, informed my values, and changed my life. The mission influenced my desire to study education and be active in community and youth development.
DREAM graduates recognize education as a pathway to intellectual enrichment and long-term success — plus a critical step toward building a more just and equitable world.
DREAM alumni are called Legends. The Legends Fellows program — established in 2011 — provides graduates six guaranteed years of post-secondary support, with college coaching, near-peer mentorship, and summer bridge built in. By 2030, we'll serve nearly 1,000 Legends.
Each Legend gets a dedicated Program Coordinator, a 4-week summer bridge before freshman year, plus career workshops, networking events, internships, and mentorship throughout college.
For graduates pursuing careers without a Bachelor's degree — training, certification, mentorship, case management, and job placement support.
Recently established to represent program participants and graduates across three decades — Council members shape organizational strategy and engage the broader Legends network.
aiEDU is partnering with DREAM Charter Schools to integrate AI literacy into middle-school social studies classrooms in East Harlem and the Bronx — embedding AI concepts within history rather than as a stand-alone subject. The collaboration was sparked by Dionna Rogers, a DREAM Lead Teacher and AI Champion, with a focus on critical thinking and reaching students often left out of tech conversations.
Read the announcement →We're currently accepting applications for grades PreK–12 at all of our East Harlem and Bronx campuses. The application is free, and there are no testing requirements.