Empowering Baltimore’s Youth: How Dream Bigger Community Institute and Baltimore Children & Youth Fund are Shaping the Next Generation

One of the greatest voices of our time once said, “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” This phrase perfectly captures the mission of Dream Bigger Community Institute (DBCI), which works every day to uplift and empower the youth of Baltimore, Maryland

DBCI is a nonprofit providing extracurricular and enrichment programs that empower at-risk individuals to reach their full potential in fine arts, technology, health education, career development, and mental health awareness.

Their flagship initiative is Beats Not Bullets, a program teaching youth the ins and outs of the music industry—how to create and record music using instruments, industry-standard computer software, and audio equipment. “Oh my God! Who is this child? He’s doing better already,” are just some of the text messages DBCI Program Director Kevin Beasley receives from grateful parents.

Around 1,000 youth, aged 12-24, have gone through this program, with some securing production placements, obtaining internships at recording studios, and independently producing their own musical projects.

“That program is well known around the city. We also have a program called Musical Expression with Friends, which is kind of a duplicate of Beats Not Bullets, but it’s for children with autism and high-functioning disabilities. So, we bring the equipment into a safe setting. They’re there with their parents, they practice on equipment, they practice on handheld instruments and things of that nature,” said Beasley.

Other DBCI programs and services include:

Baltimore Ballet Boys
Write For My Soul
Do More HeART Work
Mentorship & Tutoring
Community Engagement & Events
Food & Back To School Drives
Workforce Development Training
Life Skills Training
Entrepreneur Seminars
Computer Literacy
Thanksgiving & Christmas Giveaways

As one could imagine, it takes significant funding to support these programs and services. That’s where Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF) steps in. BCYF is a nonprofit stewarding public funds to ensure children and youth are healthy, ready to succeed in school and live in stable, safe and supportive families and communities. This year alone, they awarded $9 million in grant funding to 91 youth programs.

Beasley and DBCI have been directly impacted by this funding. “I’ve never seen an operation like this. It has made us, just more accountable when it just comes to every dime. Just getting your accounting systems together, getting your budgeting together, just understanding the grant cycles. It’s been a phenomenal relationship. I can’t put it in any other words. I mean, they are there every step, every step,” said Beasley.

“We not only give financial support, but we also supply technical assistance and capacity building. We have sessions one-on-one with the program officer and the grantee. We have learning lab sessions where people can learn how to tell their story through their data, where they can learn about fundraising and how to go out and ask funders for money,” said Sheree Miller, Senior Program Officer for BCYF.

Another special component that BCYF provides is trips. Recently, they flew 100 people to Alabama to explore the Legacy Sites.

Organizations that focus on serving the children of Baltimore can apply for a BCYF grant in 2025 from January 8 to February 14. Donations can be made by visiting bcyfund.org.

To sign up for a DBCI program, simply email info@dreambigger.org or call 443-739-0152. Donations can be made at dreambigger.org.