Results
From the very first class of Dreamers who began in 1981, the success of the IHDF mission and the impacts the program has had on its participants are evident. Independent evaluation and the passage of time show the IHDF model is effective at fostering academic achievement in at-risk youth, as well as serving as a successful buffer against peer pressure, drugs, crime and violence.
- School attendance rates and high school graduation rates are consistently higher among Dreamers than those of other comparable student groups. Nearly 90% of Dreamers completed high school (87% graduated from high school; 4% received a GED). Almost 100% of Dreamers are from minority populations.
- Dreamers have an exceptionally high rate of attendance in higher education. 87% of high school graduates went on to post-secondary school.
- Academic performance is consistently higher for Dreamers than comparable student groups.
- Dreamers have fewer referrals to the juvenile justice system than comparable student groups.
- Dreamers are better able to resist negative peer pressure, to support one another, and to serve as role models.
- Dreamers show higher educational aspirations and more positive attitudes about school, life, and the future. On a scale from “very negative” (1) to “very positive” (7), surveys show that Dreamers rate IHDF-NY influence in their decision to obtain post secondary education as a 6.5 on average.
- Colleges and Universities attended by IHDF-NY Dreamers include Lehman College, Marist College, Hofstra University, Stony Brook University, Pace University, Pratt Art Institute, University of Hartford and University of Maryland.
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