"DARE TO DREAM, DARE TO DO”
School Assembly Program by Dennis & Carol McBride

The priority of our "Dare to Dream, Dare to Do" assembly program is the message we deliver to the young people. It’s a positive but powerful appeal to make wise choices, set positive and worthwhile goals, work hard at achieving those goals, and beware of dangers along the way (such as drugs, alcohol, violence, dropping out of school, and negative peer pressure). Our theme song summarizes our message in this way:

You’ve only begun, to be all you can be,
So look at your dreams, tell me what do you see?
If they’re good and they’re right, if they’re really worthwhile,
You have nothing to fear, go ahead with a smile.
You can do it, so do it. Go on, get to it!

Dare to dream, dare to do.
Put feet to your dreams; help your dreams come true.
Give it your best, the best you can do.
When you give it your best, the winner is you!

But what if you try, and what if you fall?
Or what if you’re weary from giving your all?
Well, don’t you give up, and don’t you give in.
Just pick yourself up and then try it again.
You can do it, so do it. Go on, get to it!

Dare to dream, dare to do.
Put feet to your dreams; help your dreams come true.
Give it your best, the best you can do.
When you give it your best, the winner is you!

We use yo-yos and other visual aids to capture and hold the young peoples’ attention, and to illustrate the key principles we’re teaching. For example, yo-yos are like young people in that both are bundles of enormous potential. In the hands of a yo-yo master this simple toy can do amazing things. Similarly, young people can accomplish amazing things if they will set worthwhile goals and work hard at achieving them.

We stress that even when they fail to achieve a particular goal, they’re still winners if they’ve done their best. In fact, they will often learn more from their failures than from their successes. That’s an important point because they need to understand how failures help to strengthen their character.

We emphasize positive character traits as well as proper conduct because we believe that to a large extent a person’s character determines his or her conduct. Also, we encourage the young people to focus on being the best they can be rather than trying always to be better than someone else. We don’t discourage competition, but we want them to understand that for them to win doesn’t necessarily require someone else to lose.

Finally, we realize that assembly programs require the sacrifice of valuable classroom time. Therefore we work hard to make this program a significant time for students and teachers alike. We are grateful for the way it has been received in schools across our nation, as reflected in these representative comments:

"Thank you for your excellent presentation. The comments by students were all very positive. The comment I heard the most was, "AWESOME!" Teachers commented that the positive message given along with the engaging demonstration of the Yo-Yos supported positive values including the benefits of working hard, planning ahead and resisting negative peer pressure. Thank you once again for giving our school the opportunity to experience this worthwhile assembly!" Chris Toy, Freeport Middle School, Freeport, Maine

"Mr. McBride has completely validated and confirmed our message of staying drug-free, making wise choices, and setting goals. The McBrides have captured our students’ attention and brought the message home, loud and clear! Mahalo!!!" Randy Molina, Vice Principal, Waianae Elementary School, Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii

"The program was powerful! Such a positive anti drug message presented in a low-key way will help students to think about their own dreams and the influences of those around them. Students and teachers alike were in awe of the Yo-Yo tricks. Carol’s voice and songs were terrific. Of the many programs we have had in my three years at Reiche, "Dare to Dream, Dare to Do" brought the most positive response." Marguerite MacDonald, Principal, Howard C. Reiche Community School, Portland, Maine

For more information please advance to:

Return to Title Page

Introduction to "Dare to Dream - Dare to Do"

What Educators Are Saying About Our Program

Advance to Detailed Website Tour Map

Email us: