Miss Wisconsin Outstanding Teen

Dream Academy Mentor Club

A partnership exists between Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Inc. and the U.S. Dream Academy, Inc. (www.usdreamacademy.org) that promotes achieving positive outcomes for at-risk youth through mentoring.  To advance this idea the Dream Academy Mentor Club has been formulated.

The purpose of a Dream Academy Mentor Club is to help a young child to develop healthy self-esteem, positive social interactions and a focus on strengthening reading skills – making reading fun. . This teen led program has a unique mission to target children in grades 1 – 3 who are struggling in reading or falling behind in school, as this encompasses a group of children who more than ever need the support of a caring, positive teenager.  Teens are matched with an elementary student where they will meet together once a week in one-to-one mentoring session to engage in positive relationship building activities.

My Dream Academy Mentor Club
by Allie Rick, Miss Wisconsin Outstanding Teen 2006


I am so excited to have the opportunity to form Wisconsin's first Dream Academy Mentoring Club. This program is important to me and I would like to share the steps I took in forming the club so that future titleholders can
learn from my experience.

Upon returning from the National program I was determined to establish a Dream Academy program in my school district. The first step I had to take was to contact the School Superintendent to see if this was a program they would support within the district. Once I had the opportunity to explain the program, everyone was excited to see it put into place. After speaking with the Superintendent I then had to decide which school would be best to host the program. In determining this step I had to consider location of the host school, availability of meeting space and need for a mentoring program. Since my mentors would be from my high school I looked for a school within walking distance so transportation would not be an issue for the mentors.
After selecting the site, I then spoke with the prinicipal at the school to explain the purpose of the program and the targeted grade levels for the participants. The principal was very excited about the program and worked with the teachers to determine which students would benefit most from mentoring in reading. Once the selection process of the children had begun I began recruiting the program mentors. Mentoring for this program requires a love of children and reading. Since the children selected are struggling with reading the focus of the weekly meetings is to help students develop their reading skills. Mentors for the program must commit to weekly meetings for the entire school year. I was very fortunate to find 10 dedicated student members willing to commit one hour per week for the balance of the school year. Each mentor had to be interviewed by the program sponsor (an adult member who oversees the adminstration of the club) and once interviewed they watched a training on what it means to be a mentor with a Dream Academy Club. Once all mentors were trained and students were selected, the program kick off took place.

At our kick off party we designed book marks which the students could then use for reading books during the upcoming school year. At each meeting we take time for reading or an activity and a snack-- so needless to say our hour together goes by very fast. It has been great watching the relationships grow between the mentors and their students. One of my goals this year as Miss Wisconsin Outstanding Teen was to spread the message of the importance of literacy. The Dream Academy Mentor Club has provided me an avenue to help change a child's life and spark their interest in reading.