Written by Fabiola Mendez-Lopez, Undergraduate Student in Social Work and President, Organización de Estudiantes Latino-Americanos
Project Dream for Tomorrow, or otherwise known as DFT, is a two-day event designed by Boise State students from Organización de Estudiantes Latino-Americanos (OELA) to inform high school juniors and seniors about the great opportunities that Boise State has to offer. Although the event does happen at Boise State University, we work on promoting higher education to participating students, whether that be a technical school, community college or a 4-year institution.
How it Works
Students from the Treasure and Magic Valley are recruited and selected to take part in a two-day event. The students learn about campus life, admissions, financial aid, housing, and other campus resources via presentations, guest speakers, and by interacting with OELA members. Student participants have the opportunity to build connections and friendships with OELA student members as well as to bond and network with current Boise State students.
On the first day of Project DFT, we focus on welcoming student participants to Boise State University and offer a presentation conducted by the Admissions Office in order to provide information regarding the application process. We do this with the intention to provide a space for students to ask any questions they may have about coming to Boise State University.
The second day we focus on financial aid and scholarships. We also have college students presenting information on budgeting, nutrition, and involvement on campus. To promote higher education, we invite various departments on campus, as well as other colleges and universities and technical schools to come and network with Project DFT participants and answer any questions they may have.
Benefits of Project Dream for Tomorrow
The benefits for the high school students are that it opens the doors to the possibility of higher education. We have had students who have participated as high school students and have continued to be a part of Project DFT as a college student. Since 2015, Project DFT has had a total of 35 students enrolled to Boise State University.
The benefits for Boise State students are just as remarkable. Boise State students have a chance to expand their leadership skills by serving as mentors and chaperons during and after the project. Team leaders are trained to handle various situations by attending workshops about risk management, involvement on campus, and group management to mention a few. These trainings are conducted to prepare Team Leaders for possible situations during the event while interacting with high school students.
Project Dream for Tomorrow Fall 2018 Session
This year, Project Dream for Tomorrow happened on October 20 and October 21, 2018 and we had one of the largest number of applicants, 145 students, with 75 students attending the event. Funds raised this year meant the committee could pay admittance into the Boise State Recreation Center (REC) to play dodgeball and students said REC night was excellent and they would have liked more time with this activity. While 40% of attendees said Boise State was in their top 3-5 college choices before attending the event, only 5% said they would not be attending Boise State after the event. One attendee noted, “It was an amazing experience!”
While this project is for high school students, quotes like the one above is what keeps OELA members’ motivation running. Project Dream for Tomorrow is an event that focus on promoting higher education among high school students in the Magic and Treasure Valley. This event allows its participants to make meaningful connections with current Boise State students who share their experiences as college students including their struggles and accomplishments. Project DFT serves a platform for students wanting to continue to higher education by expanding their knowledge and answering any questions regarding going to college.
The committee’s goal is to help high school students, expecting nothing in return. I attended the project as a high school student in 2014. Before the project I did not see myself attending college as I am the oldest child at home. I gained knowledge and motivation to apply and attend Boise State. I am now a fourth-year student in the Social Work program at Boise State and will be graduating May 2020. Just like current OELA members who attended the project as students, we are proof that this project works. Project Dream for Tomorrow can change a high schoolers life; in fact it changed mine so much I continue to participate every year it happens.
If you’d like to learn more about Project Dream for Tomorrow, or get your department or organization involved, contact dftboisestate@gmail.com.