Helping Dreamers Achieve Their Dreams
Founded in 2019 by Trevon Gross, Jr, a high school and college basketball player, Craft Your Dream is dedicated to helping ambitious individuals master their crafts and achieve their dreams. The organization stresses the importance of nurturing a fearless “I can do this” mindset that accepts failures along the path to success. Through educational classes/workshops and one-on-one coaching, Craft Your Dream seeks to guide individuals in their pursuit of prosperous and healthier lifestyles.
In applying for the HealthierJC mini-grant, Craft Your Dream sought to make entrepreneurial resources accessible to Jersey City youth and help inspire resident dreamers to live fulfilled and productive lives.
HealthierJC + Craft Your Dream
Craft Your Dream believes that building a Culture of Health means providing community resources to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle, including physical and mental health, as well as seizing opportunities to grow and thrive. These factors contribute to community wellness and a positive and sustainable cultural environment.
Like the Partnership for HealthierJC, Craft Your Dream is committed to helping individuals improve their cognitive and physical health through engaging in mental and physical activities that challenge their personal and world perspectives.
How was the Mini-Grant Used?
The HealthierJC mini-grant enabled Craft Your Dream to team up with Enosis The Leadership Network, and the 3merge organization to launch the Young Emerging Leaders (YEL) Career Day in Jersey City, open to residents across all wards.
At the YEL Career Day, Jersey City youth engaged in an array of activities to prepare them for real-world professional challenges, including:
- Motivational speakers who encouraged positive thoughts that promote growth
- Youth interaction with small business owners and successful entrepreneurs
- Resumé building, financial literacy, interview workshops and tactics to build emotional intelligence (EQ)
HealthierJC gave Craft Your Dream an opportunity to interact with and encourage the youth of Jersey City. Ten participants attended YEL Career Day on September 16, 2023. One YEL Career Day participant was awarded a certificate for two free coaching sessions to discuss life concerns, develop a strategic plan to overcome hurdles, and map out actions to achieve specific goals.
Craft Your Dream designed the YEL Career Day program to:
- Highlight common struggles faced when reaching for personal goals
- Assist with reframing mindsets to enhance well-being and refine goals
- Help advance participants to the next level along the path to success
Making a Difference…
“We wanted to get youth in one room to show them that there’s nothing that they can’t do.”
—Project Coordinator Trevon Gross
At YEL Career Day, motivational speakers encouraged positive thoughts that promote growth. “We saw the need in the community for youth to see leaders up close performing at a high level,” Gross said. “We wanted to show them that they can accomplish whatever they set their mind to with the right tools and strategies.”
“Most youth are trying to fit in and be cool, but it’s better to go for what you care about, and we’re able to provide a space for kids to do the work and take the steps toward that desire,” Gross said. “We’re grateful to partner with Healthier JC to help the community and families change society.”
When attendees were asked to give feedback, one young woman eagerly grabbed the microphone to thank sponsors for helping her break out of her shell and try something new that was going to benefit her forever.
Click here to see a recorded talk on “Crafting Your Mindset” given by founder Trevon Gross during YEL Career Day 2023 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wTRc37IbnU&t=380s).
Go to the website to learn more about the Craft Your Dream organization and upcoming programs: https://www.craftyourdream.org/course/.