Vermont "DREAM Team" Kids
Meet President Bush

Pictured in front of the White House from left to right are, 3rd Row: Caitlin Day, Nedra Keenan, Sandra Paquin, James Descoteau, Felicia Lewis, Wayne Miller, Courtney Salls, Nikki Salls, Amber Redmond, Britney Hayman, Allen Thibodeau; 2nd Row: Tiffany Hayman, Terra Hadcock, Dakota Salls, Tashia Salls, Shayanne Becker, Bianca Pelligrino, Chris Hicks, Thomas Gokey, Casey Hadcock; and Kneeling: Timmy Hopper.

President Bush welcomed several select groups of students from across the nation at the White House that day, all representing exemplary classes and outstanding programs. This included 22 Vermont DREAM Team kids between 12-18 years old. The DREAM Team was pleased to present the President with his own DREAM t-shirt.

It was the chance of a lifetime for 22 Vermont youths - they got to meet the President of the United States at a White House celebration. The students live in a 36-unit family housing development owned by the Vermont State Housing Authority and subsidized with HUD project-based Housing Choice Vouchers.

The children, from Templeton Court Apartments in White River Junction, Vermont are part of the "DREAM Team." The DREAM program - which stands for "Directing through Recreation, Education and Mentoring" - is a mentoring program for lower-income youth started by two Dartmouth College students in 1999. Since then, Dartmouth students have been working with local Vermont youth.

The kids live in a Section 8 project-based facility in White River Junction, Vermont, about 8 miles from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The Dartmouth mentors meet with their young friends for at least 3 hours a week for fellowship, activities and instructions. The college students have raised more than $9,000 for the Templeton Court DREAM Team program through grant writing, local solicitations, an contributions, providing access and training on computers, field trips, sports activities, and helping create a library at Templeton Court. To make the Washington, DC trip possible, an additional $4,000 was raised, including $2,300 from the Vermont State Housing Authority.

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