Dream Forward Foundation
Dream Forward Foundation
The Dream Forward Foundation (DF) is a IRS 501c3 organization operating in Texas. The purpose of DF is to support initiatives that promote nonpartisan efforts which encourages youth civic engagement in South Texas.
We believe that among the most endearing gifts one generation gives the next is the gift of heritage and an opportunity to advance in life.
To this goal the DF’s premier initiatives are the South Texas Youth Congress (STYC) and the iCharla Podcast Show.
The purpose of the STYC and iCharla is to evoke a sense of place and community—to inspire the coming generation with hope and possibilities. STYC places members up close and hands on in the making and promotion of public policy initiatives.
Modeled after the Iowa Youth Congress which Armando Villarreal organized as head of the Iowa Division of Latino Affairs. 2006
The core root of STYC is to provide high school students an opportunity to experience first hand the making of public policy. Membership is limited to fifteen students per school year. Members are selected from high schools in South Texas.
STYC members are selected to represent their high school. It provides students a process to learn and do by direct experience on how produced and present a policy public proposal.
Video production and podcasts. Learn to write a script, shoot clips, sound quality, edit, and a produce a video, 8 minutes.
Subsequent group of members have developed and brought along two initiatives; iSol and Life Skills. STYC members engage a process in which they collaborate on the development of ideas to promote current initiatives and to consider new ones. Current initiatives, iSol and Life Skills.
Members are recruited from a region which includes fourteen counties from Webb, Nueces to the Valley.
Applications are reviewed and selected by STYC and the school principle. We ask that the school principal assigns a sponsor.
Armando was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. While a student at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, he attended the Universidad Veracurzana in Xalapa, México. He studied US and Latin American literature, communications and astronomy.
He worked throughout the Southwest alongside the famed Voting Rights leader, Willie Velasquez.
In the early 1980’s, while living in Palo Alto, California, he and his brother, who lived there, began to connect technology to campaigns. On his return to Texas he opened the Computer Place in Victoria—which at the time was possibly the first latino owned personal computer retailers in Texas.
Over several months he worked with the Marielito community in Miami on voting rights. He was invited to join the first group of exiles to officially visit Cuba directly from the United States.
In the mid 90’s, Armando worked in El Salvador during their political struggle. In 1994, he helped organize voter education campaigns in South Africa on Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.
He participated on election missions in Central America—In Peru he advised the renown writer Mario Vargas Lllosa’s presidential campaign.
He served as deputy political director for the Democratic National Committee in D.C. There he organized the Office of Voter Participation. He attempted to organize a “Party for the Party” to be hosted by Latinos at the Democratic National Convention.
He served as a consultant for the Texas United Farmworkers. And worked with SEIU, directed immigrant legislative campaigns, worked the Kerry Presidential Campaign in New Mexico and Colorado.
In 2005 then Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack appointed Armando to head the state’s Division of Latino Affairs. There he organized the Iowa Youth Congress, and other initiatives.
On his returned to Texas he soon began to organize the South Texas Youth Congress.
Armando Villarreal
Photo-Des Moines Register
June 2008
In the mid 1990s Gilberto began to built a network of relationships among political and business leaders. He advises and works with clients across US, Latin America ,and Spain. He works with others to collaborate and build strategies to benefit their goal.
He is a veteran of four presidential campaigns. In 2000 he led the National Latino Presidential Campaign for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). He also directed the DNC’s Office of Voter Participation.
He served as the Director of Communications for the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, working along side WIllie Velasquez.
In 1992 Gilberto turned a start-up business into a successful security printing business. This plus his commitment for a strong civic presence, was recognized as the "Hispanic Businessman of the Year" and as "Volunteer of the Year" by the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Hispanic magazine recognized Gilberto as a "Rising Entrepreneur."
Gilberto has served on the National Advisory Boards of the Resolution Trust Corporation, the US Small Business Administration, the US Secretary of Energy, and the Smithsonian Task Force on Latino Affairs.
Joe is a founding member and former chair of the Dream Forward Foundation. He is now an honorary board member.
He grew up in Corpus Christi where he attended W.B. Ray high school. Afterwards he went on to attend Texas A&M in College Station. In his freshman year he knew that the military part of A&M was not for him. He returned home and attended Del Mar College. Soon after he attended the University of Houston and graduated with a master degrees in math and philosophy.
After college, Joe worked at Baylor College of Medicine. There he helped create, manage and install software to do statistical analysis on medical research. He went on to work with the Harris County Treasurer to establish an electronic funds transfer system.
The emerging computer industry in Silicon Valley perked his interests. As did the the rise of alternative health methods used in China and India happening in the Valley. He made the decision to move to the California Bay Area, he settled in Palo Alto where he continues to live.
Before this move in the earlier 1970’s he ran for the Houston City Council promoting a progressive agenda, which included: neighborhood police stations, using of space under elevated freeways for pubic parking, dedicate freeway lanes during peak hours, signal member districts, citizens review board, televised council meetings. He received nearly 50,000 votes, an impressive number for a latino in the country.
He lead the effort to form the Barrier Free Living Coalition which lobbied to create curb cuts at street intersection to make them accessed to wheelchairs, and to lower elevator buttons in public buildings. These are now part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ACA).
Joe has provided database and computer services to a number of firms and start ups in Silicon Valley. He was at the forefront of the initiative which was key to the City of Palo Alto to create and own a fiber optic ring.
He partnered with Joaquin Avila, former MALDEF region
director, to develop software tools to assemble and present
data in gerrymandering court cases.
Joe opened JustVoters, a campaign data service provider
of voter and donor information.
Joe is now retired.
Joe A. Villareal
Retired
Palo Alto, California
New York Times photo 1976 Democratic Convention. Paul Moreno (Lt.) former Texas Legislator from El Paso and Joe Villareal delegate from Houston on the convention floor.
Mario Garcia
Mercedes, Texas
The gift one generation gives the next.
South Texas Youth Congress and the iCharla Podcast Show
are initiatives of the Dream Forward Foundation.
IRS 501(c)3 organization operating in Texas.
Copyright © 2024 Dream Forward Foundation. All rights reserved.
