NOTE FROM SUSAN

            On April 12, the Communities for Children and Youth Advisory Council met to discuss two of the current priorities of the Children’s Cabinet:  early childhood and adverse childhood experiences. We explored ways our partner communities might respond to these priorities by developing public awareness, policies and programs that address the needs of young children and their families, as well as the possibility of preventing some of the “ACEs.” 

            Sheryl Peavy, staff to the Task Force on Early Childhood, presented the state’s strategic plan for the development of “humane systems of support” for children age 0-5. This report calls for an “expansion of the Communities for Children and Youth initiative to include increased community-based projects focusing on young children.”  We have also been named as a partner in the development of Family Resource Centers and public-private partnerships for local child and family services infrastructure via “HUBS” or co-located quality supports and services. During the meeting we explored with Sheryl the possibility of offering some small grants that would help our partner communities begin to work on these goals.  Do any of you have ideas about particular projects we might support?

            This is an important challenge, and one way we are beginning to address the early childhood priority is through the expansion of our Americorps*VISTA placements.  If you have any ideas about some ways our VISTA members could serve in the field of early childhood systems development, please let us know.  The VISTA applications are due, and we are hoping to receive some additional proposals in this area!

 

                

BOOTHBAY PROJECT UPDATE

The next focus of the Boothbay project of growing assets began on March 22 when thirty or more young people came together to discuss and set short and long term goals.  After observing the asset building strengths which came out of the Youth Summit in April, they needed to set some priorities and focus their leadership.  The priorities chosen were: How the Community Might Come to Value Youth and How the Community Might Seek the Advice and Assistance From Youth  Future meetings are to be scheduled.

 

 

THE BUCKSPORT BAY HEALTHY COMMUNITIES COALITION

After speaking with Mary Jane Bush, Health Planning Director of Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities, I left energized and impressed. Mary Jane came into the coalition in 1998 as a C4CY Americorps*VISTA member, and served for three years in that capacity. Before this time, she made a transition from a thirty year career in substance abuse, beginning as a counselor at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and closing as Director of Wellspring, Incorporated, a residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment center in Bangor. Wellspring also operates halfway houses in the Bangor area. She made her career transition by owning and operating The Boathouse Grill, in Bucksport, which she refers to as a “hot dog stand.” Many people in a community come together to talk, eat, catch up on community news, and to share ideas at such places. Witnessing and participating in these interchanges created for Mary Jane a great deal of learning about the surrounding community needs and attitudes.

Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2005. Deeply rooted in the Bucksport, Orlando, Verona Island and Prospect area, the members and volunteers come from many fields, including education, business, clergy, health, and municipal offices. In 1995, they were brought together by the Bucksport Regional Health Center and the Maine Bureau of Health. During Mary Jane’s VISTA service, the coalition members and volunteers developed The Bucksport Health Plan, established the Bucksport Youth Council, expanded recreation programs for 300 area youth, and launched two fitness programs. Through these activities, the resources were created to sustain and implement the plan, and she became the Health Planning Director of Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities. (Read More)

 

THE ELLSWORTH AREA COMMUNITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

It takes a community to give a child a healthy start.

                     

Candy Eaton, Director of C4CY in Ellsworth, has worked with many volunteers to concentrate upon early childhood support and education.  This begins with support for healthy mothers and fathers, and continues on to school readiness.  Ellsworth joined C4CY in 1998 to assess community resources and needs for children of all ages.  Community members created task forces to address the five promises of America’s Promise.  From those early efforts, all of Hancock County now enjoys Parents Are Teachers Too home visiting services (a healthy start), Big Brothers Big Sisters (caring adults), Ellsworth Community Center (safe places), and Keeping Kids on Track (marketable skills and opportunities to serve).  Most sectors of the community are now involved in C4CY. (Read More)

 

NEWS TO USE

The Family Planning Association announces the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project, a grant initiative to address teen pregnancy in towns where rates are high. Priority Communities include: 1) Augusta, 2) Gardiner, 3) Skowhegan, 4) Norway/Paris, 5) Westbrook, and 6) Rockland. Community organizations or coalitions working with youth in these communities are invited to apply for an initial one-year planning grant, with the possibility of continued funding for an additional two years.

The Request for Applications is now available on-line, at www.mainefamilyplanning.org.

Please go to our web site and down load the application materials or pass them along to someone who you think would be interested in applying.

Applications are due May 15, 2006 for $10,000 planning grants with a start date of July 1, 2006. For more information contact: Lynette Johnson at ljohnson@fpam.org.

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS . . .

 

The Maine Alliance for Arts Education invites you to come and celebrate the seventh year of LINC-Arts, Learning in Community Arts Mentor Program, Sunday, April 30, 2006  at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ellsworth, Bucksport Road - 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Community Celebration – Public is Welcome

Meet this year’s students and artist mentors who will display, discuss, demonstrate, and perform their work in music, visual art, theater, and creative writing.  Help us to honor these outstanding student and artists mentors. Refreshments will be served. 

Learning in Community – Arts (LINC-Arts) is an arts mentoring program for students in all six Hancock County High Schools who are talented in any of the arts. LINC-Arts matches these students with professional artists for one-on-one mentoring. For more information about LINC-Arts, contact Program Coordinator, David Cadigan at luders@aol.com or 422-3000, or go to www.maineallforartsed.org.

The Maine Alliance for Arts Education, a non-profit organization with more than a 30-year history, works to strengthen educational excellence in visual art, music, drama, dance and creative writing in all Maine schools and communities.  MAAE is an extended network of experienced arts educators, artists, teachers, arts organizations, and public policy workers. MAAE has the tools to help you continue to grow and improve your arts education programs. For more information, please contact Executive Director, Carol Trimble at 667-7707 or email, artseveryday@adelphia.net.

 

Boys to Men Conference May 12, 2006

A note from Layne Gregory, LCSW.Executive Director
Boys to Men:

In this issue we will focus on the theme of "athletics and masculinity". The intention is in part to prepare for and support our annual Boys to Men Conference coming up on May 12, 2006 which will focus upon this theme. (Check out www.boysconference.org) But, we are also putting time and attention in this area because of the increasing amount of pathology associated with boys and sports. I want to be clear that it is not the boys causing all the trouble. It is the adults. As reported on the Sports Done Right website:

"Even in Maine... schools and communities struggle with issues so often reflected in the national media such as fans harassing officials, coaches and student-athletes, coaches' thoughtless handling of their young charges, and the spectacle of out-of-control parents and fans. Most superintendents and school boards find themselves embroiled in a sports-related controversy each year, requiring tremendous amounts of time to resolve and taking a high toll on relationships and the public trust."

While the majority of people who participate in sports or function as spectators do so because of the love of the game and those playing it, investment in fitness and health and for the joy of a team-centered activity, the few adults who emphasize winning over everything else can ruin the experience for the children who are involved, for some of the coaches and the fans in the stands.

When my youngest son, Micah (now in the 11th grade), was in the sixth grade, he spent most of the baseball season alone in his team's dugout because his coach prioritized winning over all else- even over Micah's experience of and interest in baseball, which thanks to the coach, no longer exists. Up until that point in time, Micah loved baseball, but he has not played a game since.

If you would like to know more about the core values of Boys to Men, check out our web site at www.boystomen.info.

 

 

JUDITH’S LAST NOTE

This newsletter has been created as a web based message for the purpose of serving all of our members and friends. It is sent to our sponsors, our lead agencies, our funders, and other friends. Lead agencies then forward the newsletter to all of their members and friends of Communities for Children and Youth. Please be sure that everyone is served by forwarding this newsletter!

We do not keep a mailing list of each organization represented by your C4CY, so we depend upon you to cast the net. You might consider combining the newsletter with special news of your own.

I am finishing my VISTA service on April 30th. The newsletter will continue to grow and thrive as you continue to add to it and offer your suggestions. It has been a joy interviewing some of you and writing stories about the good work you are doing. Thank you so much for your generosity and creativity!