Dare to Dream is a program working in partnership with YWCA (Victoria) and Westside Circus. The aim of the program is to increase the percentage of girls completing post-compulsory schooling in the City of Casey.

It also aims to address the issues raised in the 2006 Interface Council Staying Connected: Youth Services Report that highlights the City of Casey having the third lowest level of educational outcomes of all metropolitan councils. It also indicates that The City of Casey has a higher proportion of young people who completed Year 10 as their highest level of schooling, than the State and metropolitan Melbourne average, and girls below the state average for completing Year 12.

Through the program we aim to assist girls and young women in building their self esteem and instill in them an ‘anything is possible’ attitude by breaking down the conventional female stereotypes society places on them through a comprehensive 8 week program.

The Dare to Dream program’s objective is to;

1. Educate: teach and equip schoolgirls with the necessary skills, confidence and advice to forge their own path in life.

2. Empower: give schoolgirls experiences which allows them to build self esteem, develop a Dare to Dream attitude and broaden their aspirational landscape.

3. Promote: recognise the contribution women make within the community, promoting positive role models for girls and women to emulate. 

These objectives will lead to girls and young woman involved in the program gaining a strong sense of their own identity; they will be more connected with and contribute to  their community; they will have a strong sense of their own (and others) wellbeing; they will become more effective communicators as well as confident and involved learners.