Operation: Dream: The Non-Profit
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Operation: Dream is a non-profit organization located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the goal of helping young males develop into responsible individuals through a program utilizing military drill techniques. The group meets every Saturday to participate in varying activities designed to aid the young males in their development.
While the organization does not have designated vision, and mission statements, they do have a list of core values on which the organization bases its operations.
DISCIPLINE: The organization is structured like a military boot camp. It is designed this way to instill notions of self-discipline in the young men who otherwise would not learn these lessons.
RESPECT: The military style design is also utilized to help the young males develop respect toward their leaders, as well as their companions within the program.
EDUCATION: The organization also participates in assistance in education, providing tutoring to those young males that need it. This helps the student learn not only the material in school, but also teaches them the importance of education in their lives.
APPRECIATION: In addition to the boot camp sessions, the young males are also petitioned to occasionally work. They often perform local jobs, cleaning churches or doing yard work, for which they are rewarded points that they can use to buy items. This teaches the young males to appreciate themselves, their work, and their jobs.
MENTORING: Within the program, the young males are not only mentored by adults that run the program, but also older males within the program. This is essential to the success of the program. Peer mentoring gives the younger members role models that exemplify all of the values the organization emphasizes.
While the organization does not have designated vision, and mission statements, they do have a list of core values on which the organization bases its operations.
DISCIPLINE: The organization is structured like a military boot camp. It is designed this way to instill notions of self-discipline in the young men who otherwise would not learn these lessons.
RESPECT: The military style design is also utilized to help the young males develop respect toward their leaders, as well as their companions within the program.
EDUCATION: The organization also participates in assistance in education, providing tutoring to those young males that need it. This helps the student learn not only the material in school, but also teaches them the importance of education in their lives.
APPRECIATION: In addition to the boot camp sessions, the young males are also petitioned to occasionally work. They often perform local jobs, cleaning churches or doing yard work, for which they are rewarded points that they can use to buy items. This teaches the young males to appreciate themselves, their work, and their jobs.
MENTORING: Within the program, the young males are not only mentored by adults that run the program, but also older males within the program. This is essential to the success of the program. Peer mentoring gives the younger members role models that exemplify all of the values the organization emphasizes.
Operation: Dream: History
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Operation: Dream began as weekend experiment by current executive director, Rodney Bourrage (pictured right). When a local mother approached Rodney about her children and their lack of discipline, he told her to drop the kids off with him on Saturday and he would try to help. That Saturday, Rodney put the kids through a military style boot camp. This is how Operation: Dream began. From then on, every Saturday, Rodney would take a handful of young males from local Milwaukee neighborhoods and put them through his boot camp in order to instill in them characteristics of self discipline. As word spread about Rodney's program, the organization began to take shape. In 2006, Operation: Dream was officially born. Currently, Operation: Dream is designated as a program designed to build leadership, academic, and social skills among at-risk youth through an innovative peer-mentoring program that fosters growth and development. The organization serves young males whose environment puts them at particular risk and for whom existing organizations are out of reach due to poverty and lack of access to transportation. The staff instills discipline, promotes education, and engages children in the possibilities of the future. The organization meets every Saturday and participates in a range of activities including military drills, tutoring, and work programs. A Milwaukee Radio station did a piece on the organization in 2010. Visit the site and listen to the segment here. This structured environment is designed to support three major initiatives: health and fitness, academic achievement. The Operation: Dream is comprised of a small number of employees, as well as some volunteers from local organizations, including Marquette University. The group receives monetary donations from many Milwaukee area organizations. The list of donors can be found here. The organization has been largely successful and plans to continue growing in the coming years. Visit the organizations home page!
Operation: Dream: Dealing With Change
While the Operation: Dream has only officially been in existence for 6 years, the organization has undergone a number of changes. Due to the continual growth of the organization, they have been forced to expand, implementing a number of changes designed to help the group accommodate more young males. In my comparison, I address what Operation: Dream has done in terms of change in the organization. I will contrast this with those methods implemented by a for profit, specifically the Harley-Davidson corporation. Take a look at the page here.