Create Your Dreams

Create Your Dreams (CYD) is a long-term youth development program dedicated to nurturing the talents and dreams of children living in underserved areas of Atlanta. We provide the resources, relationships, and opportunities necessary to break the cycle of generational poverty. Unlike traditional short-term interventions, CYD utilizes a “ Fourteen-Year Promise ” approach, supporting the same young people from elementary school through post-secondary completion and early adulthood.

CYD’s purpose is for every child to graduate high school, earn a post-secondary degree, and become a self-sufficient adult who gives back to their community. Our goals center around academic achievement, social and emotional growth to ensure students have the foundational education necessary to support our purpose.

We are proud of the success of our students who have completed our program over the past three decades:

35% of our alumni who earned their bachelor’s, earned their master’s degree

The needs we address are the root causes of generational poverty . We recognize that a student cannot focus on literacy or algebra if their basic needs – housing, nutrition, and healthcare are in jeopardy. In our target community, the average family income is just $13,500, and the area remains one of the most under-resourced in Atlanta. By providing a stable “safety net” alongside high-quality academics, we allow children to move from a mindset of survival to a mindset of achievement.