The Freeport Communities for Children Partner became a Community of Promise in December 2000. A small community (7,000 people), Freeport has strengthened the efforts of many preexisting youth-focused organizations and added several new programs through its participation in C4C.

When the statewide C4C initiative began, the Drug Free Schools Committee and the Freeport Student Aspirations Partnership became the Children’s Leadership Council. Since that time students have been invited to serve, with six of the twenty people serving on the Student Aspirations Committee being students. This past year the students have made changes to the Partnership’s Visions and Goals and have begun to involve more students in the partnership’s activities.

Combining the efforts of teachers, concerned citizens, local businesses, and youth, Freeport has worked to create an environment in which youth not only feel supported and valued, but ready to assume leadership positions and effect local change. As a C4C/Community of Promise, Freeport has been able to share with other organizations statewide to take advantage of funding and collaboration opportunities.

The Drug Free Schools Committee has been working to abate substance abuse for over 10 years. With the help of C4C funding, the group has been able to provide a substance abuse counselor for high school students. The Freeport Student Aspirations Partnership has been facilitating business partnerships with the schools for the past six years. The Partnership’s Steering Committee has received grant funding from L.L. Bean for innovative school programs that raise aspirations. The process has facilitated the development of the Peer Mentoring Program, the Community Mentoring Program, a videography class and a school cable channel, several literacy programs in the elementary schools, and a Belonging Day in the High School. The Partnership has also received local funding, in-kind donations and volunteer time from businesses such as Key Bank, Bath Savings Institution, Browne Goldsmiths, Lindal Cedar Homes, and Freeport Café.

In 1998, a busload of Freeport school administrators, teachers and students attended the C4C Prevention Training Institute in Lewiston, where they heard Kris Fox talk about the National Center for Student Aspirations, housed at the University of Maine in Orono. As a result, Kris began to work with them and the Freeport Student Aspirations Partnership secured funding and provided the groundwork for two more administrations of the Aspirations Institute Survey for a total of three (1997, 1999, and 2001). The resulting data have been used to identify foci and strategies for youth programs.

The 1999 Aspirations Survey results led to the newest program, the Community Connection, a K-12 mentoring program that has expanded to include 30 adult mentors (including retirees, employees from local banks, teachers, L.L. Bean employees, lawyers, homemakers) and 60 students. Through the statewide C4C information network, the Freeport Student Aspirations Partnership was able to apply for a grant from the Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.

Freeport received $16,000 to continue and expand the mentoring program and include an after school component, a career day, community service projects and training for school coordinators. Freeport is also active in state and regional mentoring efforts. Eleanor Brown, the Aspirations Director, serves on the Maine Mentoring Partnership and the Portland Mentoring Partnership.

During 2000-2001 Freeport added a new partner, Freeport Community Education (FCE). FCE has been providing recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities to the community for over 20 years.

For the past two years FCE has been an active participant in the development of a Community Center for Freeport. This past October, with the help of a Communities for Children VISTA member, FCE coordinated a fundraiser/community building event ("The Haunted Outlet") that raised $2,000 and included over 150 volunteers and 500 customers.

The process of developing the Community Center and the energy of local youth led to the "birthing" of the MaxxSweet, a new teen center developed by local high school students (see box) and based in the Community Center. Three students and two adults founded the Maxx and 97 students helped with its development. An advisory board of 15 students has met monthly for the past nine months.

The students have been responsible for securing their own designated space in the community and for grant writing to raise funds, securing sponsorship and insurance, rallying support for the Maxx in schools, promoting the Maxx in the community, and working to set up the space.

Maxx youth received a $3,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation for the center and have also received funding from Freeport Community Education, the Bath Savings Institution, and the Drug Free Schools Committee.