At AT&T, we believe every student deserves an opportunity to make their dreams a reality. We’re seeing that unfold in Queens at DREAMchasers, where creative and compassionate students have put their talents to good use on behalf of younger kids.
DREAMChasers is a nonprofit that provides free tutoring and mentoring to help students from underrepresented backgrounds prepare for the NYC Specialized High Schools Admission Test (SHSAT).
On November 9, middle school students attending public schools throughout Southeast Queens hosted an outreach event for seventh grade students interested in taking the SHSAT in 2024. Most NYC students had taken the exam on November 8, 2023. On November 9th, these same students who just took the SHSAT the day before, helped students in their community learn more about resources available to help them prepare for the future exam.
Students not only shared their experiences, but also shared information about a website/mobile app these same students helped design, to help other students obtain a better education. The app provides academic resources for students looking for additional scholastic enrichment opportunities. This was all made possible by a grant provided by AT&T to ensure that DREAMChasers students were not only working on their math, English and reading comprehension skills, but also their digital learning skills. DREAMChasers students used the coding basic skills they learned over the summer to create their own mobile apps and help younger students prepare for the exam.
School districts such as District 29 in Southeast Queens, have historically been under-resourced, contributing to a history of low regents performance.
By paying it forward, the students at DREAMchasers are giving other kids in Queens a new exam prep tool and improving high school prospects. AT&T was proud to collaborate with DREAMchasers to address digital inequity and put connected technology into the hands of those who need it most.
