What if you had all the talent in the world, but no means to develop it?
Mitch Albom established the Dream Fund in the 1990s and then the Detroit Dream Scholars to make sure our city’s artistic talent does not wither because of lack of opportunity.
Each Detroit Dream Scholars award provides a four-year scholarship to study the arts at the nationally-renowned College for Creative Studies (CCS). Since 2011, more than $670,000 has been awarded to 23 students.
Each scholarship recipient is required to work on a public art project in the summer as a way of giving back to the City of Detroit. Some of the projects that the scholars have completed include painting public murals, launching a youth-directed radio station with children from the Brightmoor community, and volunteering with local nonprofits on youth arts programs.
A new generation of creativity blossoms in Detroit
Talent is not the issue in Detroit. The problem is access and affordability. I appeal to friends in the arts and business communities to make a similar commitment, so that we can provide a ‘Detroit Dozen’ scholarships to better our young artists’ future.
—Mitch Albom
History & Growth
In 1991, Albom founded the Dream Fund at the CCS to provide funding for under-served children to participate in the arts and to instill confidence in our youth. Since that time, CCS has utilized the Dream Fund to support visual, performing, summer “Week at a Time” youth scholarships, community art programs, and even the Detroit 300 project in 2001. It has raised over $200,000 since its inception.
Twenty years later in September 2011, in conjunction with making his own gift of $60,000 over four years to the College for Creative Studies, Albom initially challenged eleven community members to join him to make a “Detroit Dozen” providing opportunities to deserving students without financial means to go to college. Since then, SAY Detroit’s annual commitment the Dream Scholars has built pathways to meaningful careers in the arts and design for degree-seeking scholarship recipients in any major who are from the City of Detroit.
At CCS, one-third of students have significant financial need, and 98% receive some form of financial aid, with nearly half coming from households earning under $100,000. The Dream Scholars Award fills a significant funding gap for recipients, who are selected by the Director of Financial Aid based upon financial need, and an incoming GPA of 3.0 or above. Recipients must maintain good academic standing and a grade point average of at least 2.8, commit to a summer service project, and are celebrated at an annual luncheon with donors.
