Frequently Asked Questions
Where do ideas for a project come from? The starting point is often as simple as “I would like to work with young people.” From there we develop the project together with the Friend, according to her or his wishes and goals.
Who organizes a project? While the idea for the project goal takes shape in the discussion with the Friend, our project management team begins to organize all the details of the project from generating applications from young people from around the world (on average we receive applications from over 60 countries for each project) to arranging accommodation and designing a week by week curriculum for the entire project, including the unique DreamLab program.
Who chooses the Fellows? After the applications arrive, a selection committee will screen all applications and shortlist promising candidates for the phone interviews. The Friend can be as involved as he or she would like to be in the selection process and become part of the selection committee, which is formed for every project.
What is the typical course of a Project? Each project starts with a festive day organized by the D&F Academy to celebrate the beginning of the project and create a welcoming atmosphere during which Fellows and Friend can meet for the first time. This is followed by an induction week during which the Fellows are introduced to all aspects of the project, including information on the Project work, workshops to getting acclimatized to the local culture, down to information on every day details such as where to do laundry. Every D&F Academy project (or Project Phase in the DreamMaker Projects) ends with the final DreamLab session on Optimism during which the Fellows present their DreamPlans in front of invited guests during the day, before the project officially concludes with a evening event that highlights the achievements of the project and celebrates the bond between Friend and Fellows.
Who manages the running of the project? Once the project is running, a D&F Academy trained project coordinator will remain on location throughout the project to provide day to day organizational support and oversight functionality thus ensuring a smooth implementation of the entire project. All projects are continuously evaluated and the D&F Academy team provides additional support and is of course always available for the questions and concerns for both Friend and Fellows.
Who finances a project? All organizational and financial aspects of the project are taken care of by the D&F Academy. This includes full scholarships for the Fellows (covering flights, accommodation, meals, transport, insurances, etc.), ensuring that economic background plays no role in the selection of the Fellows and the group is as diverse as possible.
What are the tasks of the Friend? The core responsibility of a Friend is the exchange between Friend and Fellows, the time that he or she can spend with the Fellows while engaged in working towards the common project goal.