The Need for ESF Dream Camp Foundation

Philadelphia is a city known for its historical significance, connection to the arts, and the resiliency of its population. Unfortunately, this resiliency has been tested in recent years, specifically for families living in historically under-resourced neighborhoods. Children experiencing poverty face food insecurity, unstable housing, and inequitable educational opportunities. Schools, libraries, public pools, and recreation centers continue to close, leaving Philadelphia’s youth with few positive out-of-school time (OST) options. Access to equitable education and enriching summer programs is an urgent need for Philadelphia’s children.   

Dream Camp strives to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity by providing free, high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs. Our program is intentionally small, providing deep, long-term, personal support to 120 students and their families. The need for our program is clear when we consider our students’ living situations:    

• 62% live in a household in which no member has finished college, making high school and college graduation significantly more challenging. 
• 10% of our students are being raised by someone other than a biological parent.  
• 21% of Philadelphia families live in poverty, and 9.4% in deep poverty. 
• 70% of Philadelphia children qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. 

Students facing these challenges benefit from experiences designed to create opportunities with structure, consistency, and engagement while removing obstacles like transportation and cost. ESF Dream Camp Foundation provides meaningful, year-round mentoring and out-of-school time enrichment for children in grades 1-12. Over 84% of Philadelphia Dream Campers returned to camp last year, illustrating the significant and lifelong impact our programs have on campers and their families.  

With your support, we can continue providing our campers with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed and grow in ways that are impactful to them and their communities. 

Donate Today!

Statistics Sources: ESF Dream Camp annual report, The Pew Charitable Trust annual report, U.S. Census Bureau, and Pennsylvania Department of Education.