Notes from Susan Savell

 

Each month we have enjoyed the discovery of photos to illustrate the stories shared by our partner communities.  Now, we want to invite you to submit photographs that we might use to create the banner that runs across the top of the first page of this newsletter.  You may have noticed that our formatting has been evolving to bring us into harmony with the State of Maine’s web design requirements.  There is room across the top of the page to create a collage of photos that represent children, youth and adults relating to each other. Will you help? Thanks so much for your amazing creativity!

 

Visions of Youth Participation in Government

 

A bright yellow and orange sun rising over green hills is painted on the emblem of the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council of the City of Lewiston; designed by charter member Katie Lauze, now a freshman at the University of Maine-Orono. This council, the Portland Youth Advisory Council, and the newly forming Belfast Youth Advisory Council indicate that the voice of youth is requested and respected in their communities.

 

Lewiston
Youth Advisory Councils are the combined visions of young people and youth advocates in towns or cities.  Sometimes the idea springs forth as a result of Communities for Children and Youth membership.  The Lewiston Council, however, began with the idea of former Lewiston Mayor Kaileigh A. Tara, who encouraged the municipal staff to research other youth councils towards establishing one locally.  As a result, youth councils in Portland, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; and Torrance, California were thoroughly reviewed.  A community forum was also held with residents to brainstorm about establishing a council.  Youth leaders were Paul Brunetti, then a municipal intern from Bates College and Tim Williams, a high school student.  Now a Colby College freshman, Tim was a charter member of the youth council and recently spoke during a municipal internship with Lewiston, at the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club in regards to his positive experiences on LYAC.

 

Lewiston Youth Advisory Council

Eleven (11) 05-06 youth council members were appointed by Mayor Lionel C. Guay, Jr., at the July 19, 2005, Lewiston City Council meeting. Seven (7) who were available for a photo are shown here (left to right): Hossain Naji, Kelin Sevit, Amanda Martin, Ashley Morgan, Tim Stretton, Rachel Spilecki, and Ray Goulet. Absent from the photo were: Sarah Peters, Ally Beaucage, Kim Ouellette, and Jenni Golletti. 

 

The Lewiston Youth Advisory Council (www.ci.lewiston.me.us/lyac) was established in October of 2001 and, held its first meeting in September, of 2002. The group now has eleven enthusiastic members.  Currently touted as a state model for youth civic engagement by the Department of Education’s Citizen Education Task Force, LYAC also recently placed as a “Top 6” finalist in the organization category of the 2006 national Harris Wofford service learning awards. (More Details)

 

Vision Of Assets In Boothbay

When you listen to Andy Hamblett, Director of the Boothbay YMCA, you learn that a whole community which incorporates Asset Development for youth has been his dream for a very long time.  Andy began his career as a builder who envisioned the complete restoration and use of old buildings in Boston.  He is still a builder, only now the visions are of building the assets of young people and creating community.  The National YMCA has been studying and implementing the Search Institute's Developmental Asset Approach for much of Andy’s career.  However, it wasn’t until he moved to Boothbay, began to meet with School Superintendent Eileen King, that his vision was enthusiastically shared.  (More Details)

 

 

Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center

A Program of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Shared visions will help send about twenty boys and girls ages 9-13 from Maine communities to Tanglewood 4H Camp this summer. A vision is a clear idea of what you want to exist in the future, so clear that you would accept it if it were given to you today.  It is our visions that pull us to create clear mission statements, with goals and objectives, so we may find ourselves living what we truly desire.  What happens when the visions of three organizations join together to bring youth at risk of poverty to summer camp with full scholarships, including transportation? (More Details)

 

Children's Behavioral Health Resource Fair

 

Thursday March 16th 2006, 3:00-7:30 pm
Capital Area Technical Center, 40 Pierce Drive Augusta ME
Open to All
3-5:30 Resource Fair: All Child-Serving Behavioral Health Agencies wanted
to reserve a Providers Display Table, You must register ($15.00 per table)

To get a registration form call GEAR at 1-800-264-9224 or even better e-mail tiernan@verizon.net and one will be e-mailed to you.
Workshops:
3:30-5:00 Resiliency Workshop: Presenter, Dr. Mark Rains, PhD.
3:30-5:00 The New DHHS, Updates on Children's Behavioral Heath Services
Presenters: Ann O'Brien and Sharon Kelly...Maybe a surprise presentation on Maine's Children's Behavioral Health Systems of Care GRANT, Lead Agency Tri-County Mental Health
5:30 Multi-Systemic Therapy, Presenter, Melissa Winchester, MST Program Director at Kennebec Valley Mental Health Center

On Site Childcare with pre -registration: must call Karen Cox 626-2350 ext. 4106 to pre-register
Dinner (comfort Food) free of charge, although a donation would be appreciated to help cover cost.

 

Beyond the Basics of Suicide Prevention March 30, 2006

Bass Park Complex Auditorium “Civic Center” State Fair in Bangor

A conference sponsored by Maine Youth Suicide Prevention, featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Dennis Embry, CEO/President of Paxis Institute in Tuscon, Arizona. His work on prevention related to health, safety, substance abuse, violence, and mental illness has been featured in national media. There will be five tracks of in-depth study: Promoting Mental Health in Youth, Mean Girls: From Adversaries to Allies, Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents: Why it is Not Just Treating Younger Adults, Suicide Prevention Guidelines for Schools/Protocol Development Workshop and Understanding Loss: Helping Children to Grieve. This conference is co-sponsored by: Maine Office of Substance Abuse. Cost is $45. For information, call Kim Bittner at 622-7566 x202. To register online go to:
https://www.mcd.org/registration/basics.asp.

 

 

Family Planning Association of Maine: Training Opportunity

Under Construction: Adolescent Brain
Friday, May 5, 2006, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Senator Inn, Augusta, Maine
Presented by Cathy Gangstad, Learning Consortium, Bellevue, Washington
Cathy has worked extensively with schools in the Pacific Northwest. Her work has included extensive research and the study of substance abuse among youth. Her presentation will give us tools for both educational and clinical applications.
Learning objectives for the training:
1) Discuss the structure of the adolescent brain
2) Address risk-taking, impulse control and decision-making
3) Discuss learning and the adolescent brain
4) Review the effects of drugs and violence on the developing brain
5) Apply counseling techniques for more effective work with adolescents
$60 registration fee includes luncheon. Register by April 25, 2006 with JSI at www.famplan.org
Call the Family Planning Association of Maine (207) 622-7524 or contact Lynne Kaplowitz. lkaplowitz@fpam.org.

 

Children’s Art Festival

The Bridgton Community Center announces the 3rd annual Children's Hands on Art Festival, May 13, 10-2 pm at Steven's Brook Elementary School Cafe. It is a free event to all children in the area who want to come and have a day of fun making all kinds of arts and crafts. We are looking for artists, adults, teens, groups, and organizations who would like to participate in making crafts with the children. For more information, please contact Cinda Roy at cindasmithroy@yahoo.com or 647-3116.

 

 

Building Communities Around Families

Tuesday, April 25, 2006: An Evening for Parents with T. Berry Brazelton, MD. "Stresses and Supports for Today's Families (More Details)

Wednesday, April 26, 2006: A Professional Seminar with T. Berry Brazelton, MD. 2006 Conference Description: This seminar is an opportunity for professionals across all disciplines to take advantage of the knowledge and experience of Dr. Brazelton and his colleagues. Dr. Brazelton will introduce the Touchpoints method of using the vulnerable moments of the child's development as an opportunity for professionals to engage, enhance and sustain their working relationship with a family. In addition, his colleagues will take an in-depth look at the Touchpoints method and how it applies to professionals working with families of young children, families of adolescents and families of children with special needs. (More Details)

 

From Your Editor

The series of articles this month all include the concept of shared vision.  Everything we do in Communities of Children and Youth is the result of a group of energetic and visionary people thinking together.  The groups have all been the result of someone’s vision, shared.  Our series on Boothbay will feature the experience of vision to reality for one Maine Community.

This newsletter began as someone’s vision, and has included many people in its creation and production.  The entire staff of Communities for Children and Youth has been involved in planning, proofreading, editing, producing, and sending Getting Connected.  Each of us has a different job, and without our collaboration, and managing time and resources, there would be no newsletter.  Now you, our members are invited to be involved. Please send your feedback and your suggestions for future articles to me, Judith Simpson, your editor @  judith.simpson@maine.gov