On Saturday, August 01, 2009, students, educators, and community members came together in order to raise awareness of the DREAM Act.  The event included personal testimonials by students as well as group exercises by Teatro Americano, a community organizing theater troupe that revolves around immigration issues. Participating groups included DREAM Action, Korean American Cultural Center, and Latinos Progresando, all of whom have come together before to advocate for the DREAM Act.

State Representative Rudy Lozano Jr, of the 23^rd district in Chicago, also walked alongside students and spoke some words of encouragement, saying:

“The DREAM Act […] is not only about educating young people but also about giving our  families something better and improve our quality of life. You are our future. We’re  going to depend on you to care for our communities and our country […] It’s time for  new leadership in this country […] and it’s going to take a lot of work.”

Cynthia Nambo, one of the organizers of DREAM Action, described DREAM Action as community and youth driven that hope to raise awareness as well as money for a scholarship fund which would be made available to undocumented students. Future events in the works include a multicultural celebration, a marathon, and a fundraiser for DREAM Action on behalf of a capoeira group in Chicago. “Due to a tight budget, we have been exploring different avenues of fundraising,” notes Cynthia.

The event concluded with students writing their dreams on a t- shirt which they plan to mail to Representative Luis Gutierrez, who was invited but didn’t respond and therefore did not attend.