We help people discover who they are and connect them with the resources to shape their future.
We connect dreams to the people, experiences, and opportunities that make them possible.
An established nonprofit, opening more doors.
Watering Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has shown up for young people in San Diego for years. Dream Big is how that work grows: from meeting everyday needs to connecting people with mentors, experiences, and real pathways forward.
WATERING HOPE
DREAM BIG
A nonprofit connecting dreams to opportunities
DREAM BIG INSTITUTE
The flagship initiative that turns aspirations into real-world pathways
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Mentorship
Meet people who have built the life you’re imagining.
How mentorship works -
Exposure
See industries and careers firsthand, from design studios to flight decks.
See Dream Paths -
Opportunity
Find training, internships, and next steps that fit where you are.
Map your pathway -
Partnerships
Schools, employers, and communities building access together.
Partner with us
Your Dreams Shouldn’t Be Limited by Where You Were Born.
Dream Big Global Access opens the worlds of aviation, hospitality, and travel to young people who rarely get an invitation in.
Aviation Futures
Pilots, aviation engineering, and airline leadership.
Hospitality Futures
Hotels, culinary, interior design, and guest experience.
Global Experiences
Educational travel and cultural exposure.
The future of your workforce starts with someone’s dream.
Employers in hospitality, healthcare, engineering, and aviation share a challenge: the people they’ll need are in school right now, and many will never consider the field unless someone opens the door. Dream Big is designed to open it early.
The challenge
Roles that are hard to fill and keep, and too few young people who see your industry as a real career.
How Dream Big helps
Career exposure, your employees as mentors, behind-the-scenes visits, and hands-on challenges built around your work.
What you get
Meaningful employee engagement, community impact you can report, and early connections with motivated young people.
How Dream Big works
Explore your dream, experience what’s possible, and connect to real opportunity. Every journey starts with you, not a job listing, and people walk beside you the whole way.
Explore
Discover your values, interests, and curiosity.
Connect
Meet mentors and peers who’ve walked the path.
Experience
Visits, challenges, and hands-on workshops.
Grow
Build skills, confidence, and clarity.
Achieve
Reach milestones you can show and share.
Not sure where to start? Tell the Dream Explorer what you want to do and see an example pathway in seconds. Try the Dream Explorer.
Dream Paths
Pathways into the fields young people tell us they dream about. Start with one, change your mind anytime.
Choose your path in
Employers and funders
Develop future talent in hospitality, engineering, and aviation. Sponsor a cohort, lend mentors, or set a real challenge, with outcomes you can report.
Partner With Dream BigSee partnership optionsSchools and universities
A program built with your campus that connects students with mentors, real-world experiences, and measurable progress.
Bring Dream Big to Your CampusStudents
Free to explore. Tell us your dream and see what a pathway could look like, then take one small step this week.
Explore Your DreamWhat a Dream Path can look like
A student says, “I want to build things that move.” She has never met an engineer. Here’s how a pathway could unfold.
This story is fictional and shows how the model works. It does not describe a specific student or company.
- ExploreShe uses the Dream Explorer and discovers mechanical and robotics engineering.
- ConnectShe meets an engineer for a guided conversation about what the work is really like.
- ExperienceShe tries AI design tools and visits a lab on a supervised site visit.
- GrowShe joins a team design challenge and builds her first prototype.
- AchieveShe adds the project to her portfolio and applies for a summer internship.
Dream Big Institute
Our flagship program. Each offering is being shaped with students, schools, and partners before it launches.
AI Academy
Hands-on workshops that build practical, responsible AI skills for students and early-career learners.
Innovation Labs
Team challenges where students solve real problems alongside professionals.
Behind the Doors
Curated visits with architects, chefs, designers, pilots, and founders.
How we measure progress
Attendance is not impact. We track what actually changes for a young person, and publish numbers only when they are verified.
Students reached
Who took part, counted once and honestly.
Mentor connections
Conversations that actually happened with screened mentors.
Projects completed
Portfolios, prototypes, and work students can show.
Skills gained
Measured before and after each program.
Opportunity access
Internships, training, and applications submitted.
Six-month progress
Where students are half a year later.
Help build the bridge.
The future belongs to everyone. Here’s how to start a conversation with us.
We connect dreams to the people, experiences, and opportunities that make them possible.
We help people discover who they are and connect them with the resources to shape their future.
Why we exist
Talent is everywhere. Access is not. A young person can dream of becoming an engineer, a pilot, or an architect and still never meet one, never step inside the building, never learn the first step. We close that gap by bringing the people and places to them.
Watering Hope Dream Big starts with the individual, not the job opening. We are human-first, use AI as a helpful tool, and stay focused on real opportunity.
What guides every decision
- Does it improve a person’s life?
- Does it respect individuality, consent, and choice?
- Does it create real opportunity, not only inspiration?
- Can we measure progress credibly?
- Can it last without compromising the first four?
How we’re organized
Watering Hope Dream Big
The nonprofit, a 501(c)(3) organization.
Dream Big Institute
Our flagship program, built on four pillars: Mentorship, Exposure, Opportunity, and Partnerships.
Dream Paths
Focused pathways such as Design Futures and Global Access.
Dream Big Campus
How universities and schools bring Dream Big to their students.
Dream Big Frontiers
Ambitious pathways in emerging fields.
Dream Big OS
A possible software platform, built only after our programs prove demand.
Dream Big. Connect Bigger.
Five steps, with people beside you the whole way.
AI can help you see options. People help you choose. Here’s the journey.
Explore
Use the Dream Explorer to look at roles, skills, and experiences connected to what you care about. No tests that decide for you.
Connect
Meet screened mentors in supervised, structured settings. We help you prepare questions first.
Experience
Site visits, design challenges, and workshops where you see the work up close.
Grow
Build skills and confidence you can measure, with feedback from real professionals.
Achieve
Reach milestones you can show, and take your next real step.
Safety comes first
Many of the people we serve are under 18. Our safeguards are part of the program, not an add-on.
- Parent or guardian consent where required
- Screened mentors and supervised settings
- No private one-to-one messaging between adults and minors
- We collect only the information we truly need
- Accessible participation for every student
- AI informs. People decide.
Pick a direction. You can always change course.
Dream Paths group mentors, experiences, and next steps around the fields students ask about most.
Design Futures
Help design the world you’ll inherit: architecture, interiors, cities, and sustainable places.
Explore Design Futures
Global Access
Aviation, hospitality, and global experiences for students who rarely get invited in.
Explore Global Access
More paths to explore
AI and Technology
Coding, data, and responsible AI.
Map this pathEngineering
Robotics, mechanical, electrical.
Map this pathHealth and Care
Medicine, nursing, and public health.
Map this pathCreative Media
Film, music, photography, and storytelling.
Map this pathBusiness and Entrepreneurship
Start, lead, and grow something.
Map this pathClimate and Environment
Energy, oceans, and resilient communities.
Map this pathYour Dreams Shouldn’t Be Limited by Where You Were Born.
Dream Big Global Access introduces young people to careers that take them around the world, and to the people who already work there.
Aviation Futures
For students who look up every time a plane goes over.
- Pilot pathways
- Aviation engineering and maintenance
- Airline operations and leadership
- Focused support for students underrepresented in aviation
Hospitality Futures
For students who light up making people feel welcome.
- Hotel management
- Interior design for hospitality
- Culinary arts
- Hospitality technology
- Leadership
Global Experiences
For students ready to see more of the world.
- Educational travel
- Cultural exposure and exchange
- Sponsored travel only where it is safe, feasible, and approved
Our promise on travel
We never promise free flights, hotel stays, or placements. Any sponsored experience exists to serve students, with consent, supervision, and clear eligibility.
Interested in supporting Global Access?
We welcome conversations with airlines, hotel groups, and hospitality leaders who want to open doors for students.
Start a conversationDon’t just dream about the world you want to live in. Help design it.
The next generation deserves a hand in designing the world they’ll inherit.
Fields to explore
Architecture
Buildings that shape how people live and gather.
Interior design
Spaces that change how people feel.
Urban planning
Streets, parks, and neighborhoods that work for everyone.
Hospitality design
Hotels, restaurants, and places built around guests.
Sustainable design
Materials and systems that respect the planet.
Community development
Designing with neighbors, not just for them.
The journey
Discover
Site visits to studios, buildings, and public spaces.
Connect
Conversations with working designers and architects.
Create
A team design challenge on a real place.
Launch
A portfolio piece and a clear next career step.
Eight weeks, 15 to 20 students
We are designing a first Design Futures cohort with defined safety, consent, and accessibility standards, mentor feedback, and portfolio outcomes. Dates and partners will be shared once confirmed.
Dream Big: Behind the Doors
Curated, supervised visits that let students see how architects, chefs, designers, and founders actually work. Inspired by the idea that people remember how you made them feel.
Bring Dream Big to your campus.
A program built with your campus that connects students with mentors, real-world experiences, and progress you can measure.
What your students get
- Guided career exploration grounded in their interests
- Structured, supervised mentor conversations
- Site visits and a team challenge
- A portfolio of milestones and work they can show
- A concrete next step: an application, project, or introduction
What you get
- Baseline and end-of-program skills measures
- Participation and completion data, privacy-protected
- Student work samples, shared with consent
- A short outcomes report and renewal options
An example eight-week format
Scope and schedule are shaped with each campus.
Co-branded for your institution
What we need from you
- A campus lead and a regular meeting space
- Help reaching interested students
- Agreement on consent, data, and safeguarding
Explore a campus partnership
Tell us a little about your campus. We’ll follow up to schedule a call.
Build the workforce you’ll need next.
Dream Big is designed to prepare young people for careers in hospitality, engineering, and aviation, with your people as mentors and your real challenges as their training ground.
Why employers get involved
The people who will run your hotels, care for your patients, build your products, and fly your routes are in school right now. Meet them early.
Earlier connections
Get to know motivated young people years before they apply, and help them see your industry as a real option.
Skills that show up on day one
Communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and practical AI literacy, built through real projects rather than lectures.
Engagement your team will feel
Employees mentor, host visits, and share their craft, the kind of volunteering people remember.
Results you can report
Participation, before-and-after skills, work products, and mentor feedback, summarized in an outcomes report for your team.
Industries we’re building for
Each industry has its own talent challenge. Here’s how Dream Big is designed to help.
Hospitality and hotels
The challenge: Entry-level roles are hard to fill and keep, and many young people see hospitality as a stopgap instead of a career.
How we help: We show students the full career ladder, from the front desk to the general manager’s office, and build the guest-service and teamwork skills employers look for.
- Hotel operations and management
- Culinary and food and beverage
- Guest experience and events
- Hospitality design and technology
Healthcare
The challenge: Health employers need people across nursing, allied health, and support roles, yet many students know only a few health careers.
How we help: We introduce the full range of health careers, the training routes into each, and the people doing the work.
- Nursing and patient care
- Allied health and therapy
- Public health
- Health technology
Engineering and advanced manufacturing
The challenge: Too few young people, especially from underrepresented communities, consider engineering and skilled technical careers.
How we help: Early exposure, hands-on challenges, and mentors who make the work visible years before hiring.
- Mechanical and electrical engineering
- Robotics and automation
- Energy and clean technology
- Production and quality
Aviation
The challenge: Pilot and maintenance careers take years of training, and many students never learn where to start or how to pay for it.
How we help: We help students understand the routes, the scholarships, and the people in the field, early.
- Pilot pathways
- Aircraft maintenance and engineering
- Airline operations and leadership
- Support for students underrepresented in aviation
Every employer’s needs are different. We start each partnership by learning yours.
How your team can take part
Sponsor a cohort
Fund a group of students through a track, with an outcomes report at the end.
Lend mentors
Employees meet students in structured, supervised conversations. We prepare both sides.
Open your doors
Host a Behind the Doors visit so students see the work, the spaces, and the people up close.
Set a challenge
Give student teams a real problem through an Innovation Lab, with your feedback along the way.
Packages and indicative ranges are on the Partners page.
Workforce boards and public agencies
We’re exploring collaboration with workforce boards, schools, and public programs that fund youth career preparation, including WIOA-related partnerships. Eligibility and terms vary and are confirmed case by case.
Start a conversationWhat we hold ourselves to
- We prepare students. We don’t sell placements or access to young people.
- Hiring decisions stay with employers and applicants. We never promise jobs.
- Participants under 18 take part with guardian consent, screened mentors, and supervision.
- We name employers publicly only with their written permission.
Start with a conversation.
Tell us which roles you hire for and where you’d like to see more prepared candidates. We’ll suggest a program that fits.
Partner With Dream Big.
Help young people meet the future early, through sponsored learning, mentors from your team, and real challenges. Every partnership is built around student benefit and measured outcomes.
Ways to partner
Corporate Future-Ready Partnership
Sponsor a student cohort, involve employee mentors, and receive an outcomes report.
AI Academy Workshop
A hands-on session that builds practical, responsible AI skills for students.
Innovation Lab
Student teams tackle a challenge set with your team, with mentor feedback throughout.
Opportunity Fund
Gifts and grants from individuals and foundations that widen access for students who need it most.
Talk about givingPublic-sector collaboration
Working with workforce boards, schools, and public agencies on youth opportunity programs.
Start a conversationWhat we hold ourselves to
- Partnerships serve students first. We don’t sell placements or access to young people.
- We report outcomes honestly, including what didn’t work.
- We only name partners publicly with their written permission.
- Tax treatment of any sponsorship depends on its terms. Please consult your own advisor.
Dream Big Institute
Our flagship program, where career discovery, AI literacy, mentorship, and real-world experience come together.
AI Academy
Workshops that teach students to use AI tools well: asking good questions, checking answers, and building small projects. AI is a tool for their goals, not a replacement for their judgment.
Innovation Labs
Team challenges grounded in real problems, with professionals giving feedback and students leaving with work they can show.
Behind the Doors
Supervised visits to the places where dream careers happen.
Dream Big Frontiers
A future home for pathways into fields that are still being invented. This is a direction we’re exploring, not an operating lab or research institute.
Artificial intelligence
Building and governing the tools that will shape work.
Engineering
Robotics, materials, and next-generation infrastructure.
Health innovation
Careers at the edge of care and technology.
Creative technology
Where art, media, and code meet.
Climate
Energy, oceans, and resilient communities.
Stories, told with care.
Student stories will appear here as our programs grow. We share them only with permission, and with a parent or guardian’s consent for anyone under 18.
Have a story to share?
Are you a former Watering Hope participant, mentor, educator, or family member? We’d love to hear how things went.
Share your storyGet involved.
Whether you’re a student, educator, mentor, company, or donor, start here and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Other ways to connect
Anayo
Founder, Watering Hope
Watering Hope Dream Big is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in San Diego, California.
Privacy
Plain language about what this site collects, and what it doesn’t.
What we collect
When you use our contact or campus forms, we ask for your name, email, and your message. We use this only to respond to you. Submissions are processed by our website host, Netlify, and routed to our team.
The Dream Explorer
The Dream Explorer does not require an account, and nothing you type into it is sent to us. If you choose to contact us about a pathway, only the information you enter in the contact form is sent.
Young people
We don’t ask young people for their date of birth, precise location, health information, or other sensitive details. Programs involving minors require appropriate parent or guardian consent.
Sharing
We don’t sell personal information. We never share student information with companies or sponsors without consent.
Accessibility
Everyone deserves to explore their dream. This site should work for you.
We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA. This site is designed to work with keyboards and screen readers, respects reduced-motion settings, adapts to light and dark mode, and uses readable contrast and large touch targets.
If something doesn’t work for you, please tell us, and we’ll fix it or help you another way. Our programs also offer accommodations; ask us anytime.
What’s your dream?
Type what you want to do, or pick a few interests. You’ll see an example pathway you can edit and make your own.
This is a demo with example pathways, not personalized advice or live mentor matching. A real person reviews every step with students in our programs. No account needed, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.