DREAM: Development through Recreational Education for Athletic Minds

DREAM is DIBIA’s community outreach initiative that harnesses the preexisting motivational foundation in youth. We bridge their desire for excellence, leadership and sports to educate youth on other essential core value systems. We translate the skills that are required to win in sports into skills that are required to win at life. This allows for the development of a blueprint for success, in language young athletes understand.

The DREAM program curriculum includes instruction on:

• Health and Wellness
• Mentoring
• Education and
• Financial Literacy

Programmatic offerings will be expanded to offer comprehensive auxiliary programs designed to foster growth and academic excellence. Auxiliary programs will include:

• After-school Tutoring
• SAT/ACT Preparation
• Entrepreneurship Projects
• Career Preparation Seminars
• Computer Skills Training

In addition to training athletes on the fundamentals of any game, DIBIA is committed to building elite, well-rounded individuals who achieve excellence in all facets of life, including education, leadership and civic engagement.

Through the DREAM Program, DIBIA has:

• Added Life Skills to our enrichment sports programs including Health & Wellness with Celebrity Chef Richard L. Ingraham (Dwyane Wade’s Chef); Academic Enrichment with University of Miami Admissions Director Alain Darang; Mentoring opportunities vis-à-vis scholarships to Empowered Youth, Miami Children’s Initiative, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Miami-Dade Foster Parent & Child organizations program to attend DIBIA Skills Camps and Clinics; and Financial Literacy hosted by National Academy Foundation’s Academy of Finance students.
• Taught aspiring sports coaches for the first semester of Coaching Certification Program at the University of Miami.
• Been privileged to have DIBIA CEO/President Brandon Okpalobi serve as a Speaker at the National Academy Foundation – Academy of Finance in 2012 & 2013 and at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Healthy Schools Programs Spring Workshop
• Inspired kids during Palmetto Middle School’s Career Day and at AMI Kids, Rainbow Park Elementary, and the Leadership Academy of the 100 Black Men of South Florida.
• Partnered with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Athletic Foundation & Miami-Dade Public School Board to award two (male/female) scholarships to Scholar Athletes from Miami-Dade County at the 2013 Miami-Dade County Public Schools Scholar-Athletes Luncheon.
• Trained four athletes who received college scholarships through DIBIA’s Life Skills and Enrichment Sports programs: Sam Singer (University of California), Khambrel Roach (Trinity College), Mike Fernandez (University of Miami), and CJ Okpalobi (Nicholls State University).
• Facilitated sports activity programs for various Non-Profits included but not limited to Breakthrough Miami, Breakthrough New Orleans, Empowered Youth and Miami Children’s Initiative.
• Hosted FREE clinics for Empowered Youth USA and the athletes on the island of Bermuda.