TIMELINE

June 25, 1981 
The "I Have A Dream" program is born when Eugene M. Lang promises the sixth graders of P.S. 121 in East Harlem that he will guarantee their college tuition if they graduate from high school. He then sets about creating a comprehensive program to ensure that his Dreamers get there.

October 1985 
While being interviewed by The New York Times, Eugene M. Lang mentions his work with the Dreamers. The direction of the article changes and the first major story about "I Have A Dream" is published.

February 1986
Harry Reasoner interviews Eugene M. Lang and features the P.S. 121 Dreamers on 60 Minutes. As a result, eight New York City philanthropists approach Lang about replicating his idea, and the national "I Have A Dream" Foundation is created.

1987 
The first "I Have A Dream" programs to launch outside of New York City get their start in Los Angeles, CA; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; St. Louis, MO; Cleveland, OH; and Dallas, TX.

June 1987
The original P.S. 121 Dreamers graduate from high school; 90% of the Dreamers earn a high school diploma or GED.

September 1987
Sponsors and program staff, hailing from all parts of the country, come together in New York City for the first "I Have A Dream" convention.
 
August 1988
New York State Governor Mario Cuomo signs into law the Liberty Scholarship Program, which provides New York students from low-income communities with the financial means to attend college.  Governor Cuomo says the concept was inspired by "I Have A Dream" and founder Eugene M. Lang.

May 1991 
The first P.S. 121 Dreamers graduate from college.  Alma maters include Bard College, Barnard College, Swarthmore College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

June 1991 
"I Have A Dream" celebrates its 10th Anniversary at P.S. 121.  More than 150 Dreamers from across the country attend the celebration.

June 1992
First Lady Barbara Bush addresses 300 Dreamers, Sponsors, and staff at an "I Have A Dream" conference held in the Delegates Assembly auditorium at the United Nations. The following year, Mrs. Bush invites all attendees to a White House reception to encourage and recognize the Dreamers and their pursuit of higher education.

1993 
"I Have A Dream" expands to inner-city public housing developments with the support of President Bill Clinton and Education Secretary Richard Riley.  The first housing-based "I Have A Dream" program is formed at the Chelsea-Elliott Houses in New York City.

September 1994
"I Have A Dream" partners with AmeriCorps, the national network of programs that engages Americans in intensive service to meet critical needs in communities throughout the nation. 115 AmeriCorps members serve as mentors to Dreamers in "I Have A Dream" affiliates across the country.

Spring 1995
AmeriCorps names its partnership with "I Have A Dream" as one of the 10 best AmeriCorps partnerships in the country. During the program's first six months, AmeriCorps members devote 60,000 hours of work towards local "I Have A Dream" programs.

1995 
The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), a housing and community development advocate, honors the "I Have A Dream" housing-based model. NAHRO presents the "I Have A Dream" - Chelsea-Elliott I program with an Award of Merit for its leadership in developing cost-effective and comprehensive services for public housing residents.
 
1996 
"I Have A Dream" celebrates its 15th Anniversary.  Former President George H.W. Bush and New Jersey Senators Bill Bradley and Frank Lautenberg serve as Honorary Chairmen.

September 1996
Eugene M. Lang receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton.

1998
The success of "I Have A Dream" prompts the U.S. Congress to adopt elements of the "I Have A Dream" model as the basis for a new program. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is administered by the U.S. Department of Education, and has already awarded more than 250 grants to state agencies, universities, school districts, and other consortia to help thousands of low-income students prepare for and succeed in college.

November 2001
"I Have A Dream" celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a gala and national conference in Washington, DC. In attendance are Secretary of Education Rodney Paige, Eugene M. Lang, and Cokie Roberts.

November 2003
Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, addresses Sponsors at the "I Have A Dream" annual conference in Chicago, IL, and discusses how he drew on his experiences with "I Have A Dream" to design Chicago's new "community schools". Duncan previously served as Executive Director of the "I Have A Dream" Chicago/Ariel program.

April 2003
The first national Dreamer Service Day is organized to rally Dreamers across the nation in a day of giving back, and focuses on the theme, "Community Revitalization."

May 2004
60 Minutes revisits the "I Have A Dream" Foundation to examine the growth of the program since 1986.

April 2006
"I Have A Dream" celebrates its 25th Anniversary at The Rainbow Room in New York City, where Eugene M. Lang receives an award for Lifetime Achievement. Mario Cuomo, Bob Kerrey, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, Donna Shalala, and Harris Wofford are Honorary Chairs, and Mike Wallace is the host. The celebration also includes a national conference at Teachers College, Columbia University, attended by over 125 Sponsors, Executive Directors, Program Directors, and other staff.
 
2008
"I Have A Dream" prepares to launch an ambitious new plan to reach significantly more youth and communities across the nation.