Help students in Cameroon prepare for global university opportunities

About this story

Talent can open doors, but students also need the resources and guidance to reach them.

Open Dreams works with high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds in Cameroon, helping them develop the skills needed to pursue university opportunities and full scholarships around the world.

Students go through a selective application process and summer programming that combines academic preparation with leadership and entrepreneurial development. Along the way, Open Dreams helps with practical barriers too — from SAT testing and university applications to laptops, internet access, transportation, and preparation for international study.

More than 400 students supported by Open Dreams have received full scholarships to universities including Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cambridge, McGill, and others.

The organization currently serves students across five cities in Cameroon. Continued support helps keep its learning centers running while giving more students the tools, mentorship, and practical resources to pursue opportunities beyond their immediate circumstances.

What this support covers

A student’s path to university involves much more than completing an application. Donations help Open Dreams cover both educational preparation and the practical costs that make participation possible.

Funds may support:

• SAT testing and university application costs
• Visa and travel expenses for scholars beginning university abroad
• Laptops for Open Dreams scholars
• Internet access at Open Dreams centers
• Transportation to and from learning centers
• Electricity and facilities maintenance
• Summer Academies and educational programming
• Housing support for internally displaced students
• Development of learning spaces for Open Dreams scholars

Campaign goal: $2000

Why support is needed now

For students from low-income backgrounds, relatively practical expenses can become significant barriers to an international education.

A student may be academically ready but still need a laptop to complete applications, transportation to reach an Open Dreams center, money for an SAT test, or help covering a visa and first flight after receiving a university scholarship.

At the same time, Open Dreams needs functioning centers where students can access internet, mentorship, learning programs, and a community preparing for the same opportunities.

Supporting these needs allows the organization to work with students from preparation through the transition to university — turning a scholarship opportunity into something a student can actually pursue.