Vision and Mission Statements of
Catching the Dream Learning Center
Vision Statement
We envision on a community where families have access to early learning opportunities that utilize a two-generation approach and is rooted in the spiritual traditions of the Burmese communities in Battle Creek.
Mission Statement
Catching the Dream Learning Center exists to ensure that our children are intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally ready for kindergarten while preserving their identity, culture, and language.
OUR STRATEGIES
-
Activities that support our children to discover their identity, culture, and language from their early age.
-
Parenting and family education for the first generation of Burmese communities in Battle Creek.
-
Activities that promote our children’s spiritually growth during their early life.
Catching the Dream Learning Center's History
Catching the Dream began with a desire to help Burmese families in Battle Creek have access to education and develop a sense of belonging in their new homes. The organization was founded in 2018 by a passionate group of Burmese Americans who, as an ethnic group in their native country, were persecuted and prohibited from receiving formal education. Upon arrival to the United States, community leaders recognized the incredible new opportunity to receive education and participate in the community as equals. Therefore, they organized and created Catching the Dream Learning Center to support their Burmese American children as they began their new education in a foreign land.
Through collaboration with Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative ELNC-GR ELNC-BC, and GSRP (The Great Start Readiness Program), Catching the Dream Learning Center opened for children ages 0 to 5 years old in 2021. This program is free for children who meet the Catching the Dream scholarship qualifications. Starting in 2023, Catching the Dream is being generously funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, GSRP, Strong Beginning, and United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region.
This center is licensed by the State of Michigan to provide educational programming, staff development, sharing resources, funding, and community involvement. Catching the Dream Learning Center is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Battle Creek, Michigan.
What is Catching the Dream Learning Center Doing?
