Aisha Norris

Born and raised in the South Bronx, Executive Director Aisha Norris has spent over 20 years facilitating and implementing media-arts programs to improve the lives of vulnerable youth throughout NYC. Prior to co-founding DREAM! in 2009, Ms. Norris’ thrived at the Harlem Children’s Zone where she served at the award-winning arts and media literacy program “TRUCE” – first as a student, video production Teaching Artist, then as the Program Coordinator, managing arts programming. Wanting to offer a TRUCE-like experience to as many youth communities as possible, in 2009 Aisha partnered with other CBO’s. Norris later became trained and certified in Conflict Resolution by the Alternatives to Violence Project; Peer Mediation by Creative Response to Conflict; and in Restorative Practices by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. By 2015, DREAM!’s original media & arts program model evolved; now using the arts as a vehicle for teaching peer mediation and restorative practices.