A few nights before Miguel’s first day of college. A night of drinking and having fun with his friends led him to make an unconscious decision. He attempted to drive himself home, but before he could reach his destination, he crashed into a side railing off of the 5 freeway that led to his car being catapulted down into a ditch that left him with the inability to walk. He was only 18 years old.

“My injury has not only strengthened me as a person, it has also given me the second chance to do something positive with my life such as reaching out to adolescents throughout the community and raising awareness on various obstacles one may encounter in life.” – Miguel Rivera

We have a simple mantra as an organization and it is to “dream big.” We have put this into action by serving our local community and surrounding communities by inspiring youth to pursue their dreams through higher education. We educate, inspire, and provide academic support, financial assistance, and leadership training for our most vulnerable youth.

The Need

• California has the highest total student loan debt among resident borrowers – $120 billion. There are more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.7 trillion in student loan debt in the U.S. alone, the second highest consumer debt category.
• 94% of public school teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement. On average, teachers spend $479 a year on classroom supplies.
• 60% of U.S. parents struggle to pay for their child’s school supplies. The price of school supplies remains a challenge for low-income households.

What We Do

• We provide tuition-assistance scholarships to graduating high school seniors as they begin their journey in higher education.
• We provide public school teachers with a classroom set of supplies through our classroom sponsorship program.
• In collaboration with schools and community partners, we provide backpacks, school supplies, books, and food to students in need.

Our Mission

Our mission is to inspire youth to pursue their dreams through higher education.  Essentially, embracing the power of community and compassion, Dream Big Project provides at-promise youth with academic support, financial assistance, and leadership training.

Our Vision

We envision a day where a Dream Big Project Wellness Center exists to serve people of all ages and stages of life, with emphasis in education, healthy youth development, and a safe space to support emotional management and promote mental health awareness. Essentially, Team DBP works to:

• Provide 3 scholarships per year that will cover full-tuition to aspiring college students.
• Sponsor 3 public school teachers every academic semester with a full set of classroom supplies.
• Equip 1,000 at-promise students per year with the resources that will ensure success in and out of the classroom.