iCan Dream Center — 2025 Impact Statement
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iCan Dream Center — 2025 Impact Statement

A year of dreaming, restoring, and amplifying potential

Dream·Restore·Empower·Amplify·Mobilize

711 scholars and families, one year of dreaming bigger.

The 2025 Impact Statement is iCan Dream Center's annual look back at who we served and what changed because of it — from therapeutic early childhood classrooms to high school completion and the transition into adulthood. See the people, the programs, and the outcomes behind the numbers.

Opens as a PDF (reporting period: January 1 – December 1, 2025).

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About this report

What the Impact Statement is

As a non-profit, iCan Dream Center connects youth to holistic, innovative special education services. Responding to the urgent need to slow the school-to-prison pipeline in suburban Chicago, we build settings where neurodiverse youth gain the skills, resources, and opportunities to thrive beyond their labels. This annual statement gathers a single year of that work — the scholars and families served, the programs that served them, and the measurable outcomes — into one shareable document for partners, funders, and families.

"The support, patience, and guidance my child receives at iCan Dream Center have made a life-changing impact on his growth and confidence."

— Carly Hope, iCan Dream Center parent
Faces of the year

The people behind the numbers

Every statistic in this report begins with a scholar, a family, and a team showing up for one another.

Impact at a glance

2025 by the numbers

Highlights from a full reporting year across southern Cook and Will counties.

711
Individuals and families served across southern Cook and Will counties
100%
Of seniors in Accelerated High School Completion earned a diploma from their home district
90%
Of Little Dreamers scholars who exited or aged out moved to their least restrictive environment
62
Scholars placed in paid community internships at 16 area businesses
71
Scholars served in the Transition Program, referred by 22 high school districts
12
Professional development workshops delivered to schools, agencies, and partners
Programs

Where the impact happened

Four programs carried the year's work, each meeting scholars at a different stage.

Ages 3–10

Therapeutic Early Childhood — Little Dreamers

An Illinois State Board of Education–approved program supporting young children who need more time and individualized attention to thrive in the general education setting.

  • 39 children served, with a 3:1 teacher-to-pupil ratio
  • 90% of those who exited moved to their least restrictive environment
  • Compulsory 1:1 parent coaching and a monthly parent support group

Credit recovery

Accelerated High School Completion

For scholars who have made insufficient progress toward graduation in a traditional setting — a path to a diploma alongside post-secondary and vocational supports.

  • 66 scholars referred by 23 high school districts
  • 100% of seniors earned their diploma from their home district
  • Credits and post-secondary services earned simultaneously

Ages 18–22

Transition Program

Post-secondary training, functional skill-building, and therapeutic wraparound supports for scholars stepping into adulthood, college, and careers.

  • 71 scholars served, referred by 22 districts
  • 62 placed in community internships at 16 businesses
  • 27+ community partners that grow with scholar interest

Field leadership

Professional Development

A trusted training provider for special education teams, administrators, law enforcement, medical practitioners, and community-based agencies.

  • 12 workshops delivered across the year
  • Topics from functional behavior planning to restorative justice
  • Extending iCan's reach well beyond its own classrooms
The team behind the work

A staff that reflects the community

85%
of professional staff identify as BIPOC
45%
hold a Master's degree or above
19%
self-reported as neurodiverse

Read the full 2025 Impact Statement

Every number here has a scholar, a family, and a team behind it. The complete report carries the stories, outcomes, and program detail in full.

Open the 2025 Impact Statement