Machias

The Machias Area Communities for Children has expanded its Children’s Leadership Council to include youth with the assistance of a Communities for Children VISTA volunteer. She developed a small but reliable, creative and enthusiastic Communities for Children Club, which meets weekly after school. She also supervises in the school computer room once a week to contact kids and promote technology. A short term AmeriCorps volunteer did a study about the interest on the University of Maine at Machias (UMM) campus in working with the Machias C4C.

A current C4C Club project is a weekly craft workshop, with volunteer crafters/instructors that will create salable items to be sold at a booth at the Blueberry Festival in August to raise funds. The group has created plans for a teen center, including a job placement center where people can call for babysitters, gardening help and other types of jobs for teens. There was a youth center for several years but they recently lost their building because it was condemned. At this center youth were active participants, both in repairing the building and setting boundaries for behavior. They sponsored an open house with an art exhibit and music performances that was attended by 350 community members. The Machias C4C is looking for a new site.

The C4C VISTA has also worked with the Fine Arts Department at UMM to develop a Mural Workshop, incorporating mentoring and leadership skills. The workshop will provide an opportunity for older teens to work with younger teens to create murals for community businesses, several of which have expressed interest. A Fine Arts student designed a brochure for the workshop as a class project and two middle school students did the photography.

The community has supported the Machias C4C in a variety of ways. The Machias C4C Council has worked on developing a relationship with the University of Maine at Machias campus for several years. Many of the professors and other university personnel are enthusiastic and ready to help when called upon. Funding was provided for youth to utilize the pool facilities at UMM and a number of summer programs are offered at UMM for community youth. A professor who teaches a film making/animation course has done workshops for teens. The MYSTI (Maine Youth Summer Theatre Institute) at UMM is currently searching for ways to fund local youth to attend its programs. In addition, community businesses have been generous with small in-kind donations. The C4C also benefits from the participation of the former Recreation Director, who supervised the Youth Center when it was open. He has volunteered to help establish a new one. A recent Machias C4C collaborator is Jobs for Maine’s Graduates. They have discussed mutual program needs.

A community couple has volunteered to teach film and dance (ballet, tap and modern) and conduct a monthly "American Bandstand" activity. She is a dance teacher at UMM and he is a drug counselor in the school system who also owns sound equipment and a cable TV station. Their plans include broadcasting some of the Bandstand activities. This will be in cooperation with the high school and one of the middle schools, both of which have well equipped, sophisticated computer labs, including video equipment and the necessary software.

Contact Machias C4C