“I can be the change. I can make a difference in this world. I can make this world a better place with my gifts, my talents, and my vision.”
The why
“I want to reach all children, youth, and adults with this because I firmly have a big why in my heart: everybody needs to learn how to dream big and have vision for their lives. How wonderful it would be if we can not only teach and empower kids to dream big for their lives, but also teach them how to nurture those dreams as parents, teachers, community leaders, and adults who are mentoring and raising the children. Adults who are mentoring and raising the children also need to be big dreamers themselves, to be models that the children and youth can observe.
That’s why the Dream Big Journal is for all ages, and we all need to become families, churches, and communities that support each other’s dreams.
This is the big why: we need to make the world a better place and to make a difference in how much we empower and instill that sense of ‘I can be the change. I can make a difference in this world. I can make this world a better place with my gifts, my talents, and my vision.’ These are the things that I believe we need to not only equip people with, but also nurture and foster.”
In Michele’s words.
The golden thread
“There is a golden thread of bringing restoration, healing, and encouragement to the heart. If you don’t believe that you are valuable, you will not believe that the dreams in your heart are valuable. I make a case for knowing your value, and throughout pretty much everything that I do, there is that golden thread of bringing restoration, healing, and encouragement to people’s hearts.”
If you don’t believe your dreams are valuable, you won’t build them. Michele built the Dream Big Journals to teach every reader, from age four to a grandparent, that their vision matters.
What is inside
4
Age editions, from preschool through adult
2
Versions of each: faith and non-faith
4
Companion teacher guides, one per age bracket
Age 4+
The youngest reader it is written for
How the curriculum is built
- Preschool and Kindergarten, Younger Elementary (grades 1-2), Older Elementary (grades 3-5), and Youth and Adults, titled “Keys to Unlock Your Dreams.”
- Every age edition ships in a faith version and a non-faith version, so a public classroom and a church small group can run the same curriculum.
- Companion teacher guides support classroom and small-group use across all four age brackets.
- As children work through the pages, parents and teachers discover what is alive in their kids’ hearts and gain the language to nurture those dreams.
The four journal editions
Preschool & Kindergarten 
Younger Elementary, grades 1-2 
Older Elementary, grades 3-5 
Youth & Adults
Companion teacher guides
Preschool & Kindergarten 
Younger Elementary, grades 1-2 
Older Elementary, grades 3-5 
Youth & Adults
In classrooms
Where it has been used
- Piloted with fourth-grade students at Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiʻi.
- Used by the leadership team at Island Pacific Academy to revisit their own dreams and aspirations.
- Seniors in their twilight years have used the adult edition to reignite vision for their season of life.
Voices from the classroom
“I dream bigger. It helped change my fixed mindset, and now I can be more creative and grow my confidence.”
“It helped me to grow and find myself and my interests by reflecting on the past and planning for the future.”
“The teacher guide was gold. Love the extensions.”
“The Dream Big Journal booklet provided an excellent resource to allow our Leadership Team to revisit our ‘dreams and aspirations’ in a safe and nurturing environment through the guidance and support of Michele Okimura.”
“Let’s become a community of dreamers where we don’t compete but instead celebrate and support one another.”
Where the thread leads
“The golden thread is like the spine. It runs through everything I do and teach and coach and speak on. And it culminates in embracing your brave purpose. And living it out.”
If you are ready to walk this out yourself, Michele coaches authors through the Brave Purpose Author Method.
Bring the Dream Big Journals to your classroom.
Schools, churches, and families are running these across every age bracket. Tell Michele who you are working with and she will point you to the right edition.
- Based in
- Honolulu, HI