OUR PROGRAM

Every athlete is part of the ALL (Academic Leadership Life Skills) Program developed in conjunction with educational community leaders and with the aim towards ensuring academic success for all involved.

ACADEMICS

Students are held to an academic standard in terms of effort while part of the Dream Canada program. Our goal is to have a 100% graduation rate at the high school level and university. As such we are providing programs in conjunction with other community leaders that serve to put the student-athletes in the most advantageous position. Athletes will have access to the following programs:

Academic Support

(Study Hall, Tutoring, academic mentorship, academic skill sessions)

ALL Middle School (Help 7-10th grade students)

Throughout the year there will be specific workshops geared towards students in the 7-9th grade around subject matters most related to them. Workshops would be in areas such as study skills, helping students understand great strategies to have in-class success, and several age-appropriate aids. Our program will work with other educational leaders to ensure that our athletes have the proper foundation for standardized testing success.

ALL High School (11-12th grade students)

During these years, the ALL high school program will offer access to SAT study materials and test preparation, financial aid/scholarship/bursary application help, and college eligibility guidance.

ALL Summer Academy

ALL is proud to present the inaugural ALL Summer Academy. This academy brings together athletes entering grades 6-7-8. The program’s main focus is to develop self-confidence academically prior to entering very important academic years. The program uses each morning to teach foundational communication, literacy, and MATH skills. This is done to prevent possible loss of learning happening during summer months. During the afternoons, athletes will be taking part in film study and understanding fine details about basketball before entering the court for on-court skill development sessions.

ALL Career Mentorship

Athletes are part of our extended family upon leaving the program as an athlete. Athletes are put with a career mentor that would give advice and help them navigate the transition into the world of work. It is our hope that athletes successful in our program will make the transition into successful careers and will provide support for those at the stages of finishing or having finished their post secondary. Individuals are helped through services such as resume building, financial literacy workshops, interview and networking skills, and several other important initiatives to help our athletes make their mark in their career.

Our mentorship program aims to ensure that our student-athletes are leaders on and off the floor. Athletes are put through leadership retreats, provided mentorship from older players in the program through the mentorship program, and are aiming to develop the following leadership traits throughout their time with Dream Canada:

LEADERSHIP

Being Self-Aware

Awareness of what those around you are thinking, knowing your own strengths and areas of improvement

Trustworthiness

Author Amy Cuddy makes the point that when individuals meet another person they ask the questions:

- Can I trust this person?

- Can I respect this person?

Our leadership section of the ALL program aims to teach the trait of trustworthiness from a young age and explain its’ importance.

Empathy and Service attitude

The leadership team will aims to develop student-athletes proud of their community and empathetic to situations and realities that exist within our complex world. As such, we will try to develop a skill of servitude within each student-athlete and the pursuit to help them be part of the growth of their community.

Effectively provide feedback to others

Teach student-athletes to both have the aptitude to recognize areas of improvement in others, but also how to relevantly provide context to what they are saying and follow up after.

Effectively receive feedback from others

The state of genius is often linked to an individual’s ability to acquire skills and knowledge from individuals in areas that they are more knowledgeable than them. Attentiveness and body language that appears engaged to take feedback is something that will be taught and fostered in the program.

Communicate Effectively

In our leadership component of our program we will try to help individuals understand the audience they are speaking to, the importance of verbal and non verbal communication, and the ability to write in a clear and concise manner. Non verbal skills will be also practiced in the program.

Be Consistent

One of the most important concepts to teach a student-athlete with respect to showing leadership skills is the skill of consistency. This will be something that will be a focal point of our program.

Passion: The program will aim to have all student-athletes show a passionate pursuit for their own and other’s betterment and reaching of their goals.

Life Skills

Student-athletes are taught important lessons with respect to how to improve their various life-skills, allowing them to have a context that their lessons are more profound than basketball.

LIFE SKILLS

Mentorship

The older athletes in the program mentor other athletes younger than them

Making Connections with others (Manners)

One of the key elements will be helping our student-athletes be aware of how they need to act around their peers, adults, and other community members and aid them in understanding how to foster a connection with others. This skill is something invaluable to them when entering the work world and the rest of their life.

Perseverance

Teach our student-athletes how to persevere through challenges and develop grit when faced with situations of uncertainty or difficulty.

Goal Setting

Help our student-athletes develop a pursuit of their respective goals by setting goals that are both short term and long term ones. Frameworks and tracking lessons are provided to help them understand the importance of their goals and how they are on their respective journeys.

Decision Making/Problem Solving

The program aims to help our community’s young leaders develop autonomy in decision making processes and give them ongoing feedback on how to best navigate challenges, unfamiliar circumstances, and problems in the best manner.