About Dream A World Education, Inc.
Our Mission
Supporting children's social and emotional well-being.
Dream A World Education provides social-emotional learning and
an understanding of cultural diversity through an early childhood, arts-based education.
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Our Vision
We envision a world where every child discovers the power of their own creativity, and understands how we are connected as a human family.
Dream A World Education, Inc. (DAWE) was founded in 2008 by Grammy® Award-winning songwriter Bunny Hull to focus on the importance of arts and social-emotional learning in early childhood education. DAWE has grown from serving 120 students in one inner-city school to providing on-campus and web-based programs to over 60,000 students and families in the Los Angeles Unified, Hawthorne, Torrance, Inglewood and Ventura School Districts in California, and in Montessori Schools across the United States. DAWE also reaches children in the pueblos of New Mexico, and schools in Zambia, South Africa and Nigeria.
We believe one unforgettable exchange or experience can change a life. Meeting the essential needs of children in their most formative years includes giving them the tools they need to lead happy, hopeful and successful lives. Arts education is essential to promoting children’s well-being, supporting their social-emotional development, helping them envision pathways to their future success, and preparing them for the workforce.
The arts keep children engaged and motivated to stay in school, and help change the way children feel about themselves.
Students with an arts education are:
less likely to drop out of school.
more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
more likely to receive a bachelor’s degree.
more inclined to start a professional career.
“A substantial increase in arts educational experiences has remarkable impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes.” Brookings Institute
DAWE makes a meaningful difference in school-based arts education through delivering Secrets of the Heart® on-campus and web-based programs. Secrets of the Heart® uses the universal languages of visual arts, music, dance, theater, language arts, American Sign Language, and multi-sensory learning aids to promote academic success and engage all learners in understanding core values and developing positive social and emotional skills.
Who We Serve:
- 96% of children live below the poverty line
- 90%+ are non-English speaking/recent immigrant
- 12% are homeless/housing insecure
- 50% are from single parent homes
- 14% are students with disability
- 8%-12% are unassessed or remain undiagnosed due to cultural stigma
DAWE’s programs offer instructional adaptation and accommodation to meet the needs of all students to ensure that each child receives the best possible opportunity to learn and succeed.
How We Do It
Secrets of the Heart® on-campus programs are delivered during school hours for grades UTK–5, and Secrets of the Heart® TV web-based programs are available on demand for UTK, TK, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades wherever children are learning.
DAWE’s culturally diverse Teaching Artists are a highly qualified team of dedicated professionals with an extensive list of performing achievements, awards, leadership, and teaching experiences in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. Their language fluency includes Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili, German, French, Thai and Italian. All artists have completed DAWE’s Teaching Artist training in elementary arts education.
DAWE curriculum is aligned with the VAPA/California Arts Standards, National Core Arts Standards, Common Core Standards for language, CASEL Core Competencies and the Social Justice Standards of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Outcomes
- Self-acceptance and awareness
- Acceptance of others
- Recognizing individual differences
- Developing positive relationships
- Identifying and acknowledging feelings
- Respecting diversity and cultural traditions
- Recognizing that they they are somebody important
- Understanding the power the creativity
- Enhancing academic skills including literacy, math, history and geography
- Improving family connection and interaction
DAWE is dedicated to ensuring that all children have equal access to quality arts education whether they live in areas of need or in more affluent neighborhoods. DAWE’s Heart to Heart program provides an opportunity for schools that purchase programs to provide scholarships for Secrets of the Heart® programs in areas where need is great but arts education resources are limited.
As we expand into schools, homes, and community organizations across the nation and around the globe, we are teaching children that they are all part of the human family. It is our children who will heal divisions and make the world better.
Creating a world where every child discovers the power of their own creativity and understands how we are connected as a human family.