Notes from Susan Savell
Once again, I would like to ask for your help. On May 25, Dr. Richard Aronson and I will be presenting at the Child Abuse Action Network’s conference on “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).” I would like to include some of your wisdom about effective policy and programmatic responses.
This day will be a follow-up to last year’s conference where Dr. Vincent Fellitti presented his ground-breaking research on the lasting impact of certain childhood experiences on an adult person’s health and well being. Currently, there are 10 categories of ACEs (early studies used 8). These experiences are identified as: childhood abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual); neglect (emotional and physical); witnessing domestic violence; parental marital discord; and living with substance abusing, mentally ill, or criminal household members. (Read More)
BOOTHBAY MEETS THE ASSETS (PART 2)
On March 6, the gymnasium at the YMCA of Boothbay was filled with tables of youth and observing adults, sporting name tags, pens and buttons signifying participation in its first Youth Summit. Their work began at eight thirty and lasted until three o’clock, interrupted only by the announcement of many door prizes, energizers, and a lunch of pizzas and six foot long submarines.
Youth Summit. The teacher is Sandy Wheeler of Boothbay Region Elementary School.
The student's name is Cole Domeyer. Photo by Joe Orchulli II, Boothbay Register
Over the past three months, a group of young people in Boothbay met nearly every week to plan the Youth Summit. The purpose was to introduce the Forty Developmental Assets, giving the information participants needed to understand the concepts used in the Search Institute’s survey. The survey was administered to all students in the second through eleventh grade last Spring. (read more)
YOUTH PROMISE
OF LINCOLN COUNTY
Partnerships in C4CY begin with an assessment of a specific need in a community and then help members understand that community needs are interconnected. Some of our partners begin to address the needs of young children and then find themselves necessarily working with new mothers and fathers on their parenting skills. Others see adolescent health as a major focus and then realize that transportation, education, and affordable housing is an integral part of the equation. All of the strengths, as well as the challenges within a community, are connected in some way through the work of Youth Promise in Lincoln County (read more).
KIDS CONSORTIUM 2006
Student Summit
Congratulations to the KIDS Consortium for an exciting award! The Consortium has been named one of three recipients of the fifth annual Harris Wofford Award by Youth Service America (YSA), a national non-profit resource center based in Washington, D.C.!
KIDS Consortium is a non-profit organization that works with teachers, administrators, and students in addressing real challenges faced by their communities. Together they identify, research, and work to address local community needs. Students and teachers applying the KIDS model have made significant contributions to their communities, in many cases, saving the community thousands of dollars according to C4CY VISTA, Kerry Salvo.
The purpose of the 2006 Student Summit, to be held on March 30-31st at the University of Maine campus at Gorham is to celebrate the service-learning projects students have completed throughout the year and to learn more about other opportunities to improve their communities. Students, ranging from grades 2-12 will come from all over New England. The theme of this years’ conference is UNITE, an acronym standing for Understanding Needs Impact Today’s Efforts. For more information on the conference, go to: https://www.kidsconsortium.org
FEATURED LINKS:
Here is a website for inspiration and good news: www.forbetterlife.org/ notices and publishes asset building values and activities. This site will provide ideas for public service announcements for all C4CY partners, regardless of their individual missions.
Here are a few funding possibilities for young people who are interested in doing things for and with their communities:
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Go to the website
http://www.dosomething.org/ for information about grants of $500 each to young people who wish to do a project in their communities. This is a colorful and useful site for anyone who works with youth. There are lesson plans for teachers and leaders, though the site is directed to the young.
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The National Crime Prevention Council for Youth Service Learning Projects offers grants for special projects created by teens: http://ncpc.org/programs/tcc/grant.php
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For additional requests for proposals for Children and Youth, visit: http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat children
SAVE THE DATES
Beyond the Basics of Suicide Prevention
March 30, 2006 Bangor Civic Center
For any adult who is interested in prevention education and wishes to expand his/her ability to support youth who are dealing with difficult issues.
Registration fee or $45 includes tuition, meals, and handouts.
Call Kim Bittner at 622-7566. Registration encouraged by March 15: https://www.mcd.org/registration/basics.asp.
Co-sponsored by the Maine Youth Suicide Prevention Program and Maine Office of Substance Abuse.
Girls Unlimited: TechKNOW Conference
“To Your Health” April 8
Giving girls an educational boost—that’s what we do. And with the majority of new jobs pointing toward health care in the next two decades, we want to give girls an exciting conference that focuses on skills they can use in technology and health. Hardy Girls Healthy Women and Platform Shoes Forum creators of Zoey’s Room, are once again partnering up to give girls an amazing experience they’ll never find anywhere else.
If there’s a 5th to 8th grade girl in your life who would love to meet up with hundreds of other girls and “Fab Females” who use technology in their health professions every day, save the date for the Eighth Annual Girls Unlimited! TechKNOW Conference on Saturday, April 8th, 2006 at the Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield, Maine.
For more information or to download the brochure and registration form, visit www.hardygirlshealthywomen.org.
To a Higher Degree: Promoting the Academic Success of Boys
April 11, Colby College
This conference is sponsored by Boys to Men in collaboration with Colby and Bowdoin Colleges, the Southern Maine Partnership at the University of Southern Maine, the Great Maine Schools Project at the Mitchell Institute and Portland Public Schools. Participants will explore the complex reasons boys are falling behind in school, and will explore strategies for prevention and intervention as well as offer community and school teams the opportunity to gather together and discuss this important issue. The cost is $40 per person. To register, visit http://www.usm.maine.edu/smp/boys.html or call Gwen Merrick, Southern Maine Partnership at 207-780-5191.
T. Berry Brazelton: An Evening for Parents; A Professional Seminar
April 25-26, 2006
Remember to register for the T.Berry Brazelton, M.D. conference by April 10th! Information is in our February newsletter. Please note that all of our back issues are available on the C4CY web page.
National and Global Youth Service Day is April 21-23.
For information on how to participate, as well as information about grants to young people wanting to engage in service projects, go to http://www.ysa.org.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Please keep those great pictures coming!
Last month, the connecting theme of vision ran through our feature articles in Connections. This month another theme emerged: leadership and letting go. What happens when a group of visionaries with strong leadership capacities begins to turn over a project to others to run? We continue our Boothbay story as the youth of the peninsula begin to manage their own connection with the Developmental Assets. Next month, we will feature Bucksport, where the dreams of many and the determination and experience of one particular woman have moved to create a community responsible for its own health.
