Dream Dialogue

Date: December 21, 2011

Great Lakes Update

Through the generosity of Executive Committee Member Michael Serling, the Detroit Office is re-energizing a program called the “Dream Dialogue”, a meaningful communication and social interaction program among high school students of different ethnic, social and religious backgrounds to help to eradicate stereotypes, biases and prejudices.  The selected students will be intimately exposed to other cultures in a way that is impossible to create in a classroom setting.  They will have hands on experiences at museums, camps, recreation facilities, restaurants and other culturally significant venues and each session will be led by ADL trained facilitators.

35 students from Berkley High School and West Bloomfield High School were selected by the schools to participate in this immersion program that will include anti-bias training and field trips and hands on interactive experiences among various ethnic groups.  The selected students will learn how to be leaders in their schools and communities.  We know that the most important influence on the development of the attitudes and behaviors of young people is the attitudes and behaviors of one’s peers.  With this in mind, we have made Peer Training a central component of the Dream Dialogue.  By engaging in the Peer Training process, students learn how to lead interactive discussion for their peers and younger students.  The program begins in January and runs monthly through May of 2012 and then will continue again in September of 2012.