About West Liberty ​Youth Dream Catchers

What We Do

The Dream Catchers Scholarship

• Five students are selected from a pool of third grad applicants who are on the free or reduced lunch program and who are the first generation in their family who aspire to attend college. The scholarship allows these children and their parents to prepare for a future where higher education and the possibilities it provides is a reality.
• To receive a college scholarship, the five students from each year must graduate from West Liberty High School fulfilling all graduation requirements and participate in the Dream Catchers Mentor Program from grades three through twelve. Enrollment in the University of Iowa Upward Bound program in grades 9 – 12 further prepares Dream Catchers for success in college.

The Dream Catchers Individual Mentoring Program

• This program is for students selected for the Dream Catcher scholarships. An individual mentor meets with each Dream Catcher once a week. Mentors are successful people who have a desire to work with children and a commitment to make a difference. Contact with the school and teachers enhance mentor's abilities to help Dream Catchers with their academic success.​

The Dream Catchers Group Mentoring Program

• Group mentoring is open to all West Liberty students. In group mentoring meetings, students meet with guest speakers and go on field trips which open their eyes to new opportunities.The Dream Catcher Group Mentoring Program is designed to give children a greater range of experiences and career goals that include higher education.
• In the Dream Catcher Program, we believe that early empowerment is key to making lasting difference in young people's lives. By third grade, a child's future may already be decided by their attitude, outlook and circumstances, giving many young people the idea that college may be unavailable.
• Dream Catchers provides children in the West Liberty community with the knowledge that they can indeed succeed in college. At Dream Catchers, we use three powerful methods to help West Liberty Youth reach their dreams:
  • One: The Dream Catcher Individual Mentoring Program
  • Two: The Dream Catcher Scholarship Program
  • Three: The Dream Group Mentoring Program

With this effective strategy, current Dream Catchers in our program, and their siblings, are already seeing significant improvements in their grades and are well on their way to attaining a post-secondary education!