Chris Twiss

I Have a Dream is a charity focused on inspiring dreams and enabling futures for Tamariki (children) and Rangatahi (youth). Program participants (Dreamers) are supported and mentored by Navigators across their time at school and beyond to year 15, helping connect them to ongoing education and employment opportunities. Navigators come from all walks of life and backgrounds and work in partnership with schools, whānau and other people in the support networks of Dreamers to help see each child reach their full potential. A 2023 report by Impact Lab quantified that Every year, I Have a Dream delivers $5,804,908 of measurable good to society in New Zealand. I Have a Dream’s real-world value is even greater than this, as some outcomes such as increased resilience and self-efficacy cannot yet be directly quantified with available data. I Have a Dream provides consistent, holistic, practical, and educational support to Dreamers with the aim of breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequity, enabling positive life outcomes for Dreamers and their whānau beyond school walls. By offering the presence of consistent caring adults and working in partnership with schools and whānau, I Have a Dream helps to ensure that each child develops academic and life skills to successfully transition to a career or further study. This will ensure that they become positive role-models who add value to their communities, increasing economic and social outcomes for our country.