DreamLarge Invites Students, Mentors, and Nonprofits to Participate in New Initiative

DreamLarge, local changemaking organization and the first benefit corporation in the Gulf Coast, will host the inaugural DreamLarge Weekends. A new initiative consisting of a weekend-long experience that empowers the next generation to ideate and prototype solutions to meaningful challenges Sarasota’s nonprofit community is facing, DreamLarge is recruiting interested students grades 8-11, mentors, and nonprofits to sign up and participate in this transformative initiative. Presented by Ringling College of Art + Design, the weekend will be held at the campus’ Academic Center on October 11-13.

Sponsored by Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the DreamLarge Weekends is a hands-on program that connects students with mentors, and encourages them to work together to dissect community challenges and form actionable solutions. This collaborative experience is designed to spark imagination, problem-solving, critical thinking, and divergent thinking practices to the younger generation while allowing them to help the community they live in.
 
“The DreamLarge Weekends is an opportunity to educate and inspire tomorrow’s generation about community challenges, creative application, and philanthropy through a hands-on, immersive experience. The goal is to empower their imagination to create innovative solutions and, ultimately, make our community a brighter place,” said Anand Pallegar, founder of DreamLarge. “We wanted to create a platform that connects young minds to local professionals across a range of industries, cultivating an interactive learning experience for students as they look into their future and transition into a career focus.”

Over the course of the weekend, teams of students and mentors will have spent time analyzing and exploring a chosen issue through a creative lens, honed in to a single solution and prototyped into a plan that creates social impact. At the end of the weekend, students will be pitching their ideas to a panel of judges comprised of local community leaders, including executives, business professionals, and philanthropic influencers.

The DreamLarge Weekends houses an array of opportunities for the community to get involved, creating a platform for students to make meaningful connections with community organizations and influencers while flexing their creative muscles to solve community challenges. It also allows local nonprofits to utilize the creativity, innovation, and imagination of local students to better achieve their goals and gives mentors the opportunity to guide and impact the life of a student.

This weekend was born from the Education Foundation of Sarasota County’s Hackathon initiative. Catalyzed in 2016, the Hackathon sought to establish coding skills and technology-based solutions into early-age youth over the course of a weekend. Acquired by DreamLarge at the start of 2019, it has evolved into an elevated push to reignite creativity and innovation in Sarasota County students. Known for like the PINC Experience and BLVD Bike Rides, DreamLarge is an organization that aims to empower and inspire the community through innovation, activation, and social impact.
 
DreamLarge is currently recruiting students from grades 8 to 11, mentors, and nonprofits to participate in the DreamLarge Weekends. Potential students, mentors, or nonprofits interested in being a part of this collaborative and innovative weekend can register online at www.DreamLargeWeekends.org.
 
DreamLarge Weekends will take place in the Larry Thompson Academic Center at Ringling College of Art + Design, located at 2700 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234. It will kick-off Friday, October 11 and run through Sunday, October 13. For more information, contact hello@dreamlarge.org.