During my school days, I was often labeled as a weak student and struggled to express myself. This caused me to run away from challenges and opportunities that I felt were beyond my capabilities. However, everything changed when I joined the DREAMS program.The DREAMS program has been a game-changer for me, helping me to grow in ways I never thought possible. It has given me hope and enabled me to overcome my fears, allowing me to dream bigger and achieve more in my life.One of the most valuable aspects of the program has been the ample opportunities it provides. As a DREAMS participant, I have been a mentor, leader, coordinator, and trainer, all of which have been invaluable experiences in my personal and professional development. Through these roles, I have learned important skills such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving, which have helped me succeed in the program and my career and personal life. Overall, the DREAMS program has been a transformative experience for me. It has helped me to develop into a more confident and capable individual, and given me the tools to pursue my dreams and achieve my goals. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible program, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow and achieve their full potential.

When I first came to the DREAMS, I thought it was just another summer camp. I didn’t quite understand the full concept of it, and most definitely I didn't realize the impact it would soon have not only on these kids but also on myself. Day one of my first summer program felt a little new to everyone, both to the students and to the mentors. Everyone was just getting to know one another, and even for me personally as an introvert, it was a little difficult at first to go out there and make small talk, but then I saw how some students were doing it with such ease. So they inspired me the very first day, before we even began lessons. Around the third day, it seemed as if they had been friends for quite a while. The formation of relationships between the students was such a beautiful thing to see. This program not only teaches students life values, but it also demonstrates how they can put these values into practice in their everyday lives. Normally we have all groups with a few students and two mentors, and we get to teach and pour into them how we learned these values over these years and the ways we succeeded in doing them, or how we felt and learned from it. Different speakers from the same town will come and talk about a particular value that day, and you can really see how the students relate to and listen to that person, especially because they mostly come from our own town. The very best part of teaching students these values is seeing them come back and tell you how they've used them, and even better, the parents will come back and talk about the transformation they’ve seen in their child. Perhaps my personal favorite part of this program is that we choose students who are already filled to some extent with humility; they are not necessarily the leaders or the most popular of their class, but they are students ready to listen and put into practice what they have learned, and I think thats what makes a good leader, i love that we give this type of student this opportunity. These are the kinds of future leaders we need. We teach them to always have faith in God, and through him they can do anything. So these students are not only becoming transformed into leaders, but they are transforming everyone around them as well, such as their mentors.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill If I must answer a question, why I joined Dreams, this quote explains my journey with Dreams perfectly. As we know, Dreams is an intergenerational program and inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. If I mentor students younger than me, I am also gaining knowledge from these mentors. Throughout our lives, we are always taught to listen to our elders, because they have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share - which is true. But what often goes underappreciated is what we can learn from the younger generations around us as we get older. It could be how to appreciate new technologies, be more open minded and accepting, appreciating little moments or following your dreams, no matter what. Also, to reach any significant goal in life we need to overcome challenges along the way. But all of us working with Dreams consider ourselves " A FAMILY" and together we encounter each obstacle and press ourselves forward making DREAMS our "HAPPY PLACE"!!! I have been a part of Dreams for 3 years and all I want to say to anyone who is ready to volunteer as a Community Leader, is that it's the most wholesome experience as we are giving our time in this program as TIME IS CONSIDERED THE BIGGEST GIFT you can gift anyone and what can be better than the community, we live in. So come let's join hands in this program and make a difference in the world we live in.

I was introduced to DREAMS by Mr. James Anithottam, the then head of its affairs in Changanacherry in 2018. As a retired teacher, the idea of DREAMS fascinated me as I felt it was a solution to the imbalance between the slow learners and fast movers. Completion of school syllabus is time bound and teachers normally move on with the fast, intelligent students. This prevented the slow learners from gaining enough in their academic journey. Experiencing further, I realized that the scope of DREAMS is far reaching. It benefited not only the slow learners but all its stakeholders. The key is direct involvement and practice. You are into listening, reading, writing, speaking, dancing, acting, drawing, playing, emulating and whatever....., your best is brought out!. The DREAMS curriculum is unmatched. It aims at developing personal, social and leadership qualities in a short, 28 day program. It literally makes one grow gracefully to maturity, empowering self, acquiring values, mastering skills, making socially responsible, committed and trustworthy. I am happy and feel accomplished as I see our efforts make a huge difference in society. Parents very often express their gratitude for the positive changes in their children. Mentors, the middle rung DREAMS family, through their involvement grow strong, confident and well equipped to face their future. For me, it is also a platform to make friends and to give back to the Community from the bounty of blessings I received from it.

First and foremost, I was impressed by the passion and vision with which DREAMS is now being implemented worldwide. In my opinion, the topics of empowerment, strengthening one's own resilience and dealing with one's own goals, desires and feelings are given far too little attention in our society. It's more about performance and less about the question of what talents/passions exist and how they can be lived out. DREAMS deals with all of this outside of the school and family context, so that the students can learn more freely, at their own pace, without pressure. One student said in the last workshop that DREAMS means joy to her. At that point it was clear to me that we, especially the students, had done everything right. The intensive and continuous support by the students, the trust in the group led to the fact that even difficult (biographical) topics could be discussed and endured together. The massive social and world-political conflicts and crises put a great strain on young people, but they are often alone with their worries and fears. The pressure to 'parry' and to fulfill the roles of student or son/daughter as inconspicuous as possible makes it difficult to address one's own needs with caregivers and teachers. DREAMS has helped students emerge empowered. For the future of DREAMS, I would like to see us bring the differences from the various countries and cultures closer together and see how we can profit from these different experiences.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed its the only thing that ever has"
The Let Us Dream Conference has been one of the most inspiring experiences for the students I teach at Grambling State University (GSU) and for me since 2017. Dr. Glenda Island, Chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at GSU invited me to join her in 2018 for the conference at La Tech University in Ruston, LA as a part of the GSU our partnership with Christ University and Father Lijo, Founder of the conference. Since 2017 I have engaged students in the LUD conferences domestically and abroad into my classes as an example of teaching servant and transformational leadership, social responsibility and globalization. My most memorable single moment was in 202( during the Pandemic) when the Student Panel was highlighted with student's comments and reflections on giving back to their communities and others in need. This panel awakened my inner core of what teaching and learning is all about and I continue to keep this spark today and into the future with this conference. Each time we begin to plan for the LUD Conferences in Louisiana each year, a natural disaster or worldwide or local crisis has occurred, but this has not put a damper on our ability to gather together, share insightful thoughts, research and practices and work to help us help others in the name of service to mankind. For the many persons who are Unsung Heroes, I salute Father Lijo and The Let Us Dream Conference is a master in featuring everyday great ones to give in the areas of health, education and social justice for all. I remain a LUD advocate and look forward to 2023 in India.

LUD Conference 2020 held completely Online from 20 November to 22 November was a life-changing experience indeed for me.
While the Planning Committee began planning for the in-person Conference November 2020 as early as December 2019, when i was invited to join the team....no one in their wildest dreams thought Covid would turn our world upside down....and in many ways it was literally upside down....reverse mentoring by tech-savvy young volunteers in making the conference completely digital....venue didn't matter as all of us seemed to have lost sense of time and space......logging in to meetings early in the morning while the night seemed to never end at some places....as our universe started in the bedroom and ended in the kitchen during the terrible days of lockdown across the globe, LUD opened the screens into lives of people who joined us from SouthAfrica to Australia to New York to Zurich to Kerala and Bangalore....breaking barriers and building bridges across the boundaries defined by geography with only one philosophy...to make this world a better place! LUD Triennial Conference 2020 became the beacon of hope for all of us involved, so much so that we continued with the same spirit in organising the Annual Conference in 2021 and Local Conference in 2022 with the same zeal and enthusiasm. The success of these 3 years is not defined by the 40000+ registrations or views online but by the leaders nurtured through volunteerism and lives touched that make ordinary days seem extraordinarily blessed!.

In my role, I have worked with and helped coordinate the Let Us Dream Conference at Binghamton University since 2019 and have been amazed by the impact which this organization has had across the globe. The Let Us Dream Conferences has allowed practitioners, learners and community members come together, hone their skills in a variety of disciplines, and invigorate one another to bring out and strengthen sentiments of community, empathy and care which is already ingrained in the community itself. I love recruiting students, faculty members and staff at Binghamton University to get involved with the Let Us Dream Conferences as it provides an opportunity for international, interdisciplinary collaboration where you meet others who are passionate, innovative and driven to educate others about best-practices that will better the lives of others, while learning how to translate those skills in your own work. Let Us Dream has endless opportunities for involvement and working with Dean Laura Bronstein, Michael Kaufmann, Tracy Lyman and Jeff Smith has been such an amazing experience to see the wonderful work of those in the Binghamton community get recognized on a national- and global-level. It’s been such an honor to work with such accomplished, hardworking individuals who exemplify how to be a positive agent of change and empower others to do the same. I look forward to the continued partnership and collaboration between Binghamton University and Let Us Dream and how this work will positively change the local community in the years to come.

60 years ago, on 18 August 1963, Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century. The dream was to fight racial discrimination and to treat all citizens equal before the law. The dream of a better society is more relevant than ever. In the 21st century, too, there is hope of living in a society without discrimination and gender inequality. Hope, that companies take on social responsibility, produce sustainably and protect the environment. Unique about all these dreams is, that they will only be fulfilled, if we stand up for our convictions, act on them ourselves and convince others of our dreams. At the "Let us Dream"-conferences we dream together. The cooperation supported by visionary and committed people from all over the world is not only an important source of joy and inspiration. It is also a strong motivator for specific measures for implementation and helps enduring all the obstacles and setbacks along the way. Through the international exchange I was lucky to experience creativity and the power of imagination emerge across borders, so new ideas and innovations could be developed. The "Let us Dream"-conferences are supported by a community and live from the commitment and contributions of the volunteers. This is a gift and it would be great, if, at the end of the 21st century, the project was as well known as the speech mentioned in the beginning.

DREAMS Band is a group of budding musicians coming together for one vision and mission to empower the society and holistically grow others around using music as an effective tool. The band is a balance between a professional and a college band. The freedom to express and space to grow are the two most important factors I have personally experienced being a part of the band for the last 4 years. The band really has an impact on people as the songs the band performs and the performances are very life-centric. Each performance for me was reliving the success through struggles in life, or cherishing the past memories. One of the most memorable moments of my time with the band was my first day in the band. To have got selected as a keyboardist for the band was a huge surprise in my life and a turning point to an in depth exploration in the field of music. As soon as I entered the jam room I could see a few musicians I really looked up to and the space made me feel very comfortable and I felt belonged. I found a bunch of friends who later in life turned out to be a strong support system and family away from home. The vision and mission of the band is what attracted me. Coming from a family involved in ministry I grew up understanding the importance of bringing a change in the society using my passion for music. The Band has absolutely put me in the most uncomfortable situations to mold me to become a good leader and teacher. The functioning in the band really made me capable of multiple responsibilities which includes coordination and other soft skills very essential for working under any institution.