How The Future Project Started Up Dreams

Inside the dance theater at Rutgers-Newark’s Paul Robeson Campus Center, approximately 30 people – 14 of them being middle-high school students – were asked to list five things told to them by others, or themselves, that held them back from succeeding in life. Each person filled the list out, then were asked to stand up, hold the papers up high, rip them in half, and throw them in the trash bag.

For the facilitators –  directors and deputy directors from The Future Project—-this was a symbolic and literal leaving behind of negativity to focus on, as the workshop’s title suggested, “Why We are Here.” By “here,” they meant the purpose every individual has which correlates into dreams, which can become realty for the students.

In early November, The Future Project, in collaboration with Rutgers- Newark and the Rutgers School of Public Administration (SPAA) presented a space to realize such dreams in a #Dreamstarter. According to the press release from Rutgers-Newark, “A Dream Starter is a large-scale full day of inspiration that calls students and community members to believe in their personal power and guides them to realize their passion and purpose.” Newark was one of six cities all over the country to host this campaign.

In addition to other workshops that focused on resource building and networking, the day included guest speakers such as Madeline Boughton, Founder of Traveling Mad, Steven Gonzalez- Martin , creative director of Urban Natured, Twinkle Morgan, Executive Director of Cooperman College Scholars, Lawrese Brown, and the Hip Hop Preneur, Dr. JahJah Shakur. 
The event closed out with a talent show that featured students who were given space to express themselves through testimonies on the day or through song, dance, hip hop, and poetry. They shared the stage with music duo Ubuntu Theory, who are also co-founders of  the college student-ran non-profit, Them Cloud Kids,  and the writer of this article, who was honored to share his poetry to the future movers and shakers of Newark.

For more on The Future Project, visit http://www.thefutureproject.org.

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