Rapport Selected as the I Have A Dream Foundation's Dream Builder of the Year
Rapport Chief Operating Officer Bryan Lindsey and Dreamers after shooting some hoops at the annual I Have A Dream Foundation Mentor/Dreamer basketball game.
Leadership doesn’t consist of persuasive tactics and a position of power; leadership requires relationships and a commitment to constant improvement in every aspect of life. The I Have a Dream Foundation has been built by leaders who take time to mentor Dreamers by building a relationship with them – with the knowledge that every Dreamer makes a difference. Rapport Leadership International shares the vision of creating a better world through the power of leadership with IHAD.
One of our core understandings about leadership has always been the principle of Givers Gain™ - that what we give out comes back to us. It may not be wrapped in pretty paper, and it may come back to us in an unexpected format; however, it always comes back, as every mentor who serves the I Have a Dream Foundation can attest to. Our commitment to Givers Gain, as well as our Chief Operating Officer Bryan Lindsey, led us into partnership with The I Have a Dream Foundation. He knew that because of Rapport’s dedication to Givers Gain, we would jump at the chance to make an impact on the foundation and on as many individual Dreamers as possible.
Since we began working with IHAD, we have offered scholarships to our Teen Leadership Breakthrough class to Dreamers who have overcome significant hurdles as well as those who have achieved academic excellence. Teen Leadership Breakthrough builds confidence and self-esteem by allowing teens to be leaders and identify both their potential and their power to effect change in their lives. To date, we have had eight graduates of the program, and four have completed the follow up program of Teen Eagle Quest. We look forward to the opportunity to send many more Dreamers through both programs. We have also provided scholarships to all of The I Have a Dream Foundation’s board members with the expectation that the personal performance improvement each individual received while attending our courses would be reflected in the level of dedication given to all of the Dreamers.
Additionally, we worked with our National Teen Spokesperson, up and coming race car driver Jace Meier, to raise money for the I Have a Dream Foundation. A teen himself, Jace has been committed to the cause from the moment we introduced him to it, and any recognition of Rapport’s involvement must include Jace. When we made the decision to get involved, we never thought that we would be receiving an honor as high as “Dream Builder of the Year.” We thought it was a great opportunity to do some good in the Las Vegas community while working with a team of dedicated volunteers who practiced real leadership by taking the time to work with teens and giving them a role-model, but it turns out that we got more than we bargained for – rewarding relationships, the chance to make a difference and the opportunity to stretch ourselves in creating new ways to work with and for the Dreamers. We remain as committed as ever to working with IHAD because it helped prove to us once again that Givers really do Gain!
