Talent Show Wrap Party Experience
On Wednesday, June 22, our Garden of Dreams young people returned to Radio City Music Hall to celebrate their performances in the 2022 Talent Show. At the Wrap Party, participants from the Talent Show enjoyed an evening of laughs, community, and music.
Upon arriving, the young people mingled with their fellow peers while enjoying food and refreshments. However, it wasn't long before their artistic talents took over as they turned the Radio City lobby into a dance floor. It is safe to say that the DJ catered to the strengths of the crowd, as the whole room danced in unison to... Read More
2022 Summer Scholarship Event Recap
On Tuesday, June 7, Garden of Dreams hosted our 2022 Inspire Scholarship summer event at the FISHBOWL at Dream Midtown Hotel to honor this year's recipients of the Garden of Dreams Inspire Scholarship.
Typically held on an annual basis, this year’s event had a special twist. Due to the pandemic, this was the first in-person meetup for our Inspire Scholars since 2019. Therefore, the event celebrated college graduates from 2020, 2021, and 2022 along with the 25 new recipients of the award. The new recipients included 13 high school seniors (who... Read More
Garden of Dreams Young People Celebrate Exclusive Access to Rangers Fan Zone
As the New York Rangers made their exciting playoff push this spring, 50 Garden of Dreams young people from our partners New York Edge and NYC Department of Homeless Services attended a private hour-long experience at the Rangers Fan Zone prior to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the exciting Fan Zone, our young fans and families were able to experience a range of activities which included face painting, spray-on temporary tattoos, slap shot shooting games, table hockey, NHL 22 video games, and photo opportunities! Throughout the hour, the young people were heard laughing, cheering, and yelling in excitement... Read More
Garden of Dreams Young People Get In the Ring with Amanda Serrano
This March, Garden of Dreams rang in Women's History Month in the ring.
Young women from foundation partner SCO Family of Services were invited to the media workout for Puerto Rico's Amanda Serrano, one of the world's top female boxers. The youth and Amanda shared at least one big commonality: they all grew up in Brooklyn, and that's exactly where the workout took place.
The young people arrived at a local Brooklyn gym where they had front row seats to watch Amanda practice in the ring. Following the workout, Amanda and her team spoke to the young... Read More
MSG Classroom Spring ’22 Recap
In our first full in-person semester since the pandemic, Garden of Dreams hosted the Emmy-Award winning educational program MSG Classroom in its traditional setting at MSG Networks.
During the Spring 2022 semester, in partnership with MSG Networks, 12 high school students from Garden of Dreams partner WHEDco had the opportunity to learn about the production side of the sports and entertainment industry. Throughout the 8-week program, the young people connected with professionals from MSG Networks – including industry leaders in production, editing, marketing, public relations, and more – to learn about their career paths, ask advice, and receive tips on creating... Read More
MSG4Me Mentorship Program Visits the New York Knicks Training Center
The Garden of Dreams MSG4Me program provides New York City students with invaluable exposure to industry professionals working across all areas of sports and entertainment. Each semester, a cohort of students from a Garden of Dreams community partner meet on a weekly basis with MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment employees to learn about their personal and professional journeys, absorb their wisdom through Q&A sessions, and make connections that lead to long-term relationships. These students also benefit from special hands-on experiences throughout the semester, such as the visit to the MSG Training Center described below.
Garden of Dreams Talent Show 2022 Dazzles Radio City After Two-Year Hiatus
On Wednesday, April 13th, Garden of Dreams young people took to the Great Stage at Radio City Music Hall to perform in the 2022 Garden of Dreams Talent Show, themed "Beyond A Dream."
While the Talent Show is an annual event, the program had been on hiatus for two years due to the pandemic. Some performers had been waiting to showcase their talents since originally auditioning and earning a spot in the 2020 show.
Every young person on stage and every guest in the audience will agree: it was an evening worth waiting for. Over 100 young people from Garden of Dreams partners wowed the crowd of 2,500... Read More
GARDEN OF DREAMS FOUNDATION NAMES MAGGIE JACOBS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We are pleased to announce that Maggie Jacobs will be joining the Garden of Dreams Foundation as Executive Director. With over 20 years of experience providing quality opportunities to under-resourced children, including most recently, nine years at the New York Public Library, where she served as Director of Youth Services, Maggie will bring her expertise in leadership and youth development to our Garden of Dreams team.
During her tenure at the New York Public Library, Maggie successfully built the library's Youth Education Department from the ground up, providing programming from Early... Read More
From Student to Staff: A Q&A with Terry Fontanillas, our Foundation’s Newest Coordinator who Grew Up with Garden of Dreams
Sometimes, life comes full circle! Terry Fontanillas first learned about Garden of Dreams when he was just 6 years old. Growing up in the Bronx, Terry was affiliated with Garden of Dreams partner WHEDco, and quickly became involved with various events and programming hosted by the foundation. He never imagined he would one day be involved in the planning process of those same programs as a member of staff!
Read below to see what Terry has to say about life on the other side of the desk.
How old were you when you first became involved with... Read More
Knicks Spread Holiday Cheer with Shopping Spree
Last December, two young people and their families from Garden of Dreams partner Harlem Dowling received a special holiday gift: a shopping spree with Knicks legend John Starks.
Current Knicks player RJ Barrett recorded a video message for the two young people welcoming them to their shopping spree at Grandma's Place, a local Black-owned toy store in Harlem, where Knicks alumnus John Starks was on site to help the girls pick out holiday gifts. To cap off the event, the families were invited to Garden of Dreams Night at the New York Knicks game on December 21st. It was a day... Read More
Child Spotlight
Since 2006, Garden of Dreams has impacted the lives of more than 400,000 young people and families in need. Read about some of the amazing young people who have become part of our Garden of Dreams family.