Representation Matters
It is important for youth to see people that look like them represented positively in the media, movies, careers, books, and more, because this shapes their view of the world, and impacts the way they view themselves and what they are capable of achieving.
With your donation, we would like to increase the acknowledgement of black and brown characters in the DREAM program book inventory, as well as underrepresented family structures, mental and physical abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and religions.
DREAM’s Mission
DREAM’s mission is to close the opportunity gap for children living in low income housing. The opportunity gap is a well-documented and widening phenomenon and is the root cause of why more than half of children living in low-income housing become adults living in low-income housing.
We seek a world in which all children have the opportunities, resources, and relationships necessary to achieve their dreams. DREAM works to achieve our mission by providing deeply committed college student mentors, local and regional adventures, summer enrichment, and support for post-secondary success. DREAM is a 14-year intervention, starting with children in kindergarten and growing with them through high school graduation and into college and career.
For more information, visit the DREAM website!
One of DREAM’s main goals for summer enrichment is to support youth in becoming competent and motivated readers. To serve this goal, DREAM has an inventory of books for staff to provide youth with engaging, age-appropriate reading material that the youth are permitted to keep. At this time, DREAM is lacking diverse representation of characters and authors in this book inventory.
This is where you come in!
With your donation, DREAM will purchase more diverse books for this inventory, as well as develop our own library with a comprehensive system to catalogue and organize these books. This will give our youth access to story content and characters that relate to their identities and life experiences, help them learn more about differences, and reduce bullying.
Why does DREAM need diverse books?
What youth believe about their own race & other races is shaped by what they see in books.
- Books may be one of the few places where children can meet people unlike themselves. If they see only reflections of themselves, they will grow up with an exaggerated sense of their own importance and value in the world (Rudine)
- The pervasive whiteness of children’s books contributes to racial biases and stereotypes, impedes the cultivation of compassion for others, and makes valuable goods less accessible to children of color than to white children (Welch)
There are proven benefits for youth who read multicultural literature.
- Multicultural literature can:
- Increase one’s self-concept and awareness of their own culture and heritage
- Make students aware of inequalities and prejudices and encourage them to work to eliminate them
- Teach the foundations of democracy, common good, cultural appreciation, social justice, caring and compassion, moral decision-making, and social responsibility (Conley)
Our youth are diverse.
- A significant proportion of the youth DREAM serves are children of color, who are much less likely to see themselves represented in books compared to white children:
Children of color benefit from reading books that positively depict their identities & experiences.
- “There is an incredible feeling of validation in seeing somebody who looks like you doing something that you love. Especially for children, having these role models can deeply affect goals and aspirations. This is a universal feeling for those who are able to see others of their race, faith, or economic background succeed in their passions; it encourages them to see that maybe it is possible for them to live those passions out as well” (Hooper)
- When children are interested in and can identify with what they read, more connections can be made in the area of the brain responsible for literacy and speaking
- This boosts the brain’s development and ability to learn (LaMotte)
School communities benefit when youth read books that represent LGBTQ+ youth & youth with disabilities.
- Over 1/2 of LGBTQ+ youth feel unsafe at school
- Using LGBTQ+ inclusive literature can:
- Build an understanding of LGBTQ+ youth for other kids
- Allow for visibility, which can contribute to a culture of inclusivity and respect for people in the LGBTQ+ community early on (Suzuki)
- Disability representation in children’s books:
- Allows for conversation that can dismantle stereotypes surrounding disability and create a more inclusive classroom
- Helps kids with disabilities see their disability as natural rather than something needing to be fixed (Adomat)
DREAM's diverse book initiative aims to show our youth that Representation Matters. Their stories, identities, and abilities, matter. Join us today by making a donation. Spread the word! We appreciate your support!