Dream Board

Applies to: Critical Thinking, Self Awareness, Creative Expression   

Purpose: Exploring, identifying, experiencing types of hopes, dreams, and goals—micro to macro.

Objective:

• Differentiate types of dreams (asleep and awake)
• Visualizing and Verbalizing: using images to display meaning, verbalizing thoughts and opinions and the reverse (using words and thoughts and finding images to apply)
• Higher order thinking: idea generation, symbolic thinking, analysis, parts-to-whole thinking, drawing conclusions
• Learn to create goals aligned with one’s own needs; how to enhance one’s experiences; how to open avenues for change and opportunity (personal, interpersonal, creative, recreational, educational, work and career, independence)

Materials needed:

• Poster board of all sizes/colors/formats, depending on member’s format preferences
• Mixed media materials
  • Wet media: Craypas, watercolors, acrylic, markers, gel pens, glue, mod-podge
  • Dry media: Crayons, pencils, magazines (travel, fashion, career, animal, etc.), scissors, fabric/s, yarn/s, mirrors
  • Adhesives: Pre-printed encouraging words (ex. Hope, dream, wish/want/require, etc.), pre-printed images, stickers
• Images of member—one from years past and several from present
• Computer and printer, internet access
• Flat table top surface, slant boards, standing space (wall) or easels
• Organizational tray to arrange selected materials
• Word and image banks
• Categories (with visuals) of dreams/hopes/goals (ex. Emotional, Cognitive, Personal, Relationships, Social Life, Creative Expression, Self-Care, Responsibilities, Recreational, Academic, Career, Independence, Bucket List, Other, etc.)
• Printout of a variety of formats of timelines (short term, medium term, long term) for reference point/time discussion

Activity Steps:

1. Set the climate and establish goals: refreshing what a dream is (types of dreams) and that everyone deserves to dream big, dream small, as well as dream somewhere in between and that dreams can make people feel both hopeful and vulnerable
2. Poll members about dreams they’ve had in the past, those who are willing to share
3. Share YouTube video on dream boards
4. Title poster: My Hopes, Dreams, and Goals or My Vision Board and have a pre-printed title choices ready for those who want to cut and paste (Ex. (person’s name) DREAM BOARD!)
5. Choose ONE category of dreams/hopes/goals (listed above) and cut and paste topic/s onto the poster board (leaving ample space for creative exploration) and ask members to choose one small dream and one big dream
6. Utilize magazines, hand drawings and illustrations, and the internet for inspiring images to paste under category
7. Summarize each dream into a paragraph—dictated, typed, handwritten, and apply/attach to dream board
8. Loosely explore that dreams often require a timeline as well as other necessary resources to execute the dream (ex. Money, travel, a companion, time, etc.)
9. Encourage and support member in hanging their dream board up in an area where they will look at it as well as take a photo of it to have remotely

Carrying the Concept Forward

• Talk about dream concepts such as “unique to me” vs. “unique to other” as well as “in common”
• Share the current stage of the dream board with allies/supporters in a variety of settings (ex. ISP meetings, families, hold a “Dream Night” as one of our community nights, etc.)
• Consider exploring all categories of dreams
• Begin snapping dreams to timelines
• Consider creating a bucket list and watch bucket list videos that apply to members