Message From The Founder/Executive Director

Twenty-four years!

That is how long I spent developing young people in Essex County before I founded WE DREAM Academy. For over two decades, I served as a music and entertainment production instructor at the Essex County Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology — one of the most respected career and technical education institutions in our region. I watched hundreds of young people walk through those doors with raw talent, big dreams, and no clear path forward.

And I kept asking myself the same question: What happens to them after this?

The skills were there. The passion was there. What was missing was a dedicated, permanent space where that talent could be developed fully — from the first lesson all the way to a sustainable career.

WE DREAM Academy was my answer to that question.

Founded in March 2019, WE DREAM Academy was built on a simple belief: that every young person — regardless of background, zip code, or circumstance — deserves access to the kind of training that leads to real careers.

We offer hands-on, industry-relevant programs in Live Event & AV Technology, Digital Media and Broadcast Production, Hospitality & Events Operations, and our WE DREAM Academy Creative Wealth Lab. Our graduates leave with industry-recognized certifications and the skills to enter the workforce earning $17 per hour and above.

But more than credentials, we give our students something harder to measure: confidence, community, and a clear sense of where they are going.

The last three years have been transformative. Through our Summer Youth Employment Programs — delivered in partnership with three of Essex County’s most trusted institutions — we have taken our mission to a new level.

Our anchor partners have made this possible:

• Essex County Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology — providing AV technology, staging, equipment, and co-delivering our Summer Youth Employment Program
• Essex County Workforce Development Board — connecting our training to county-wide workforce pipelines
• City of Newark Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) — extending our reach and impact across the broader Essex County youth community

Together, we have delivered paid, hands-on entertainment production training to youth ages 16–24, culminating in full live productions that showcase real-world skills. The results speak for themselves.

Now we are ready for the next chapter.

We are building a 25,000+ square foot permanent home for WE DREAM Academy right here in East Orange — a state-of-the-art training center by day and a 550-seat live entertainment venue by night. A place where our students train in a live event environment, where the community comes to celebrate, and where East Orange’s rich artistic heritage is honored and amplified.

This facility will serve 250+ participants annually, create local jobs, and become an economic engine for our entire community.

Twenty-four years of youth development brought us here. This facility is where it all comes together.

Right now, we are building the foundation for our $1 million crowdfunding campaign — and we need 5,000 community supporters to stand with us first.

Not a donation. Just your name. Your belief. Your voice added to a movement that says             East Orange is ready.

Add your name at wedreamacademy.org/wedream5000.

When you invest in our community, you are not just signing a form — you are opening doors for the next generation of East Orange creators, technicians, and entrepreneurs.

I am grateful for every single person who has believed in this mission. And I am more hopeful about what comes next than I have ever been.

Let’s build this together.

Yours truly,

Mark A. Beckett Founder / Executive Director WE DREAM Academy