Our History
“An impulsive move on the part of one visionary man sparked a national movement to positively impact the lives of children in low-income communities from coast to coast…”
A whole-child education approach has been the legacy built from the very first “I Have a Dream” Foundation program established over 35 years ago.
New York businessman Eugene Lang founded the original “I Have a Dream” Foundation in 1981 when, prior to giving a speech at his middle school alma mater in Harlem, he was told that 75% of the students in attendance would drop out before graduating from high school. This figure so alarmed him that he changed his speech on the spot and offered to pay the college tuition of every student in the room who graduated.
Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the “I Have a Dream” Foundation movement began—expanding to over 16 independently run affiliates in 11 states and New Zealand. Over 200 programs have operated in cities across the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. To date, the “I Have A Dream” Foundation has served over 18,000 sponsored students (“Dreamers”).
“I Have a Dream” Foundation – Los Angeles (IHADLA) was founded in 1987 by the Whittier Family Foundations, which funded the early programs across Los Angeles. Over 30 years later, IHADLA has served over 1,000 underprivileged youth in Los Angeles County. In total, we have supported over 11,400 community individuals—including our students, their parents and families—in 19 programs and counting. We continue to inspire Dreamer alumni to return and give back to their communities.
IHADLA is the only educational organization in Los Angeles that works with elementary school children through their high school graduation and transition into college, and guarantees them tuition and support through their post-secondary education. IHADLA students continue to receive our full services of in-school, after-school and year-round academic, social and emotional support—all designed to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Visit our list of current programs to see how the IHADLA is fulfilling the legacy begun by Eugene Lang.