About Hoop Dreams
The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund (HDSF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding the academic and career horizons of inner city DC public school students. The Hoop Dreams effort was founded in 1996 by Susie Kay, an American Government teacher at the Academy of Business & Finance at H.D. Woodson High School, located east of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. Frustrated by seeing many of her outstanding students being denied the opportunity to pursue their dreams of a college education due to a lack of financial resources and other obstacles, she decided to do something about it! Inspired by the hope and perseverance of these students and with the support of friends and volunteers drawn from the local business and professional community led by Steve Boyd, Kay??s partner in building Hoop Dreams, a community event was organized to raise academic scholarship funds and to build bridges between communities that are too often divided.
Hoop Dreams began as a one-day event, a 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament with two goals: to bring together DC public high school students with the Washington business and professional community; and to raise money for academic college scholarships for these students. The first tournament raised $3,000 in scholarships. Six years and more than 700 scholarships later, The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund has become much more than scholarships. Through the commitment of faithful volunteers, supporters and a small dedicated staff, Hoop Dreams has grown into a year-round organization that provides a core program of college preparation mentoring, internships, and Princeton Review SAT prep courses. Since its inception, Hoop Dreams has awarded over 700 scholarships and renewals totaling $2 million to deserving and hardworking inner city DC public high school students. The vast majority of these students are the first in their family to attend college and come from a single parent household. Since 1999, Hoop Dreams has delivered more than $1.6 million to the mentoring, internship, and other programs directly serving students. 23 of the first Hoop Dreams scholarship recipients have now graduated from college. Several have returned to serve as mentors in the HDSF mentoring program.
Building Community Through Mentor Relationships
Hoop Dreams offers a unique opportunity for the Washington business and professional community to come together with local, inner-city high school students, to prepare these young people for college and to help build bridges between the two communities. At the beginning of each school year, approximately 65 to 75 DC students are paired with local professionals to participate in an intensive curriculum of special activities, speaking programs, college entrance preparation and counseling. The Hoop Dreams Mentoring effort began in 1998 and since that time nearly 400 students and mentors have been connected in a mutually enriching partnership. Mentoring workshops are now held on the campus of George Washington University as a result of an outstanding partnership with this institution. In addition to the personal connections, the program is paying big academic dividends: in 2001 Hoop Dreams Mentoring Program students had a college acceptance rate of 95% compared to the average of 33% for DC public school students.
College and SAT Preparation
As part of the expanding efforts of Hoop Dreams, an invaluable partnership with the Princeton Review was formed in 1999. The program provides free SAT preparation courses to participating students. Over 200 DC public high school students have participated in the Princeton Review-Hoop Dreams Partnership Program with excellent results ?? students have increased their scores by as much as 200 points. Sallie Mae, another Hoop Dreams sponsor, generously provides students and mentors with valuable information on college selection, navigating the financial aid process and ways to seek additional sources of college funding.
Internships and Job Connections
More than 100 students have served internships in businesses and government agencies throughout the city learning valuable life skills. Among the prestigious Washington, DC organizations which have offered Hoop Dreams internships are: USAirways; Congressional offices; NASA; NBC 4; MCI Center and Washington Sports & Entertainment; the State Department; KPMG; Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Company; BET, Allen & Shariff; APCO; Janus-Merritt Strategies; National Association of Manufacturers; Ventana Productions; and Hogan & Hartson.
Dramatic Growth and Expanded Reach
Through the efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers and an inspired group of financial supporters, Hoop Dreams has grown dramatically since 1996. Led by ??founding sponsor?? EDS, Hoop Dreams was able in its third year to gain free office space and bring on small but dedicated staff. Despite its growth, Hoop Dreams remains committed to the value of volunteer driven efforts.. The tireless work of key volunteers and a network of friends throughout the city continue to be essential to the success and style of this grassroots organization.
The Hoop Dreams family of sponsors includes such strong supporters as: AND 1, EDS, Freddie Mac Foundation, Hogan & Hartson LLP, Ledecky Foundation, The Leonsis Foundation, McGettigan Foundation, Princeton Review, Telepresence, Citigroup Foundation, Coca-Cola, Daimler/Chrysler, The William H. Donner Foundation, The Mark David Ein Foundation, Fannie Mae Foundation, Fight for Children, Phillip L. Graham Fund, Infinity Radio Group, Kimsey Foundation, KPMG LLP, Jay Markley, Phyllis McClure, NBC-4, The Sallie Mae Fund, William E. Simon Foundation. Starting in 1999, these sponsors were also joined by a new group of individual multi-year supporters who call themselves ??Susie??s Silent Friends.?
The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund is led by its founder and President, Susie Kay, who continues to serve part-time as a DC public school teacher while leading the organization full time, and by her partner in building the organization, Steve Boyd who is currently on leave from the HDSF Board of Directors to serve as Vice President. Hoop Dreams continues to enlist the efforts of volunteers and supporters from across the entire District, Maryland, and Virginia region all working to invest in the future of the nation??s capitol and its youth.
