An Achievable Dream’s History & Awards

An Achievable Dream was born in the summer of 1992 as a summer education and tennis program for 95 fourth graders. Wanting to do more for the children of Newport News, businessman Walter Segaloff joined forces with businesses, citizens, Newport News Public Schools, and the City of Newport News to bring about change in the community. Segaloff expressed it best when he said, "We must 'build a dam' to prevent children from being carried away with the flow toward failure".

1992:	An Achievable Dream is founded as a summer and after-school tennis and tutoring program for 95 rising fourth graders
1993:	Summer and after-school program continues for 200 rising fourth and fifth graders   The Rotary Club of the Virginia Peninsula sponsors first Tennis Ball fundraiser to benefit An Achievable Dream
1994:	An Achievable Dream becomes a full-time, extended day school for 400 children in grades 3-5 Soldiers from Ft. Eustis volunteer every morning for character development program
1995:	An Achievable Dream adds middle school (grades 6-8) at Dunbar-Erwin
2000:	An Achievable Dream Academy becomes a year-round school Grades kindergarten through second grade added for students zoned to Dunbar-Erwin Along with soldiers from Ft. Eustis, Newport News Sheriff's deputies volunteer every morning for character development program
2001:	An Achievable Dream's first class graduates from high school An Achievable Dream opens Tennis Center for students and surrounding community
2002:	An Achievable Dream students close the achievement gap on Standards of Learning (SOLs) and Academy earns full accreditation by Virginia Standards
2007:	Grand Opening of An Achievable Dream Middle and High School

Awards

When you change lives, people notice. An Achievable Dream has been recognized as a ground-breaking effort to turn the tide of inner-city underperformance in education. Some of the more notable awards we've received include:

1995:	Break the Mold School (Business Week and McGraw-Hill Educational Publishers)
1997:	American Heroes in Education (Reader's Digest)
1999:	National School of Character (National Association of Character Education Programs)
1999:	Excellence in Education (College of Human Resources and Education, Virginia Tech)
2000:	Virginia State Board of Education Resolution of Recognition
2001:	United States Tennis Association (USTA) President's Award
2002:	Distinguished Merit Citation Award for "humanitarian leadership which enriches the life of the community," (National Conference of Community and Justice)
2003:	Community Partnership Award (Mutual of America)
2006:	Neighborhood Builders Award (Bank of America)
2008:	United States Army soldiers at Fort Eustis received the Kathy Canham-Ross Award of Distinction (the highest award for Community Relations) for their daily work at An Achievable Dream Academy