For a third consecutive year, in a testament to their shared commitment to fostering positive change in local communities, Healthy Acadia was selected to partner with The Opportunity Alliance and Maine Youth Action Network to serve as a Gateway for Opportunity host site. Through the G2O program, the nonprofit community health organization serving Maine’s Downeast region hired eleven local teens and young adults to serve in six-week paid summer internships to design and complete service projects to benefit their communities. The youth served in two teams based in Machias and Princeton.
The Gateway to Opportunity Program is a groundbreaking initiative that aims to empower young people experiencing low income, both in-school and out-of-school, by providing them with paid work-based learning projects. These projects serve as stepping stones for the youth participants, equipping them with the essential 21st-century skills required for future career success. Drawing from national best practices for youth employability, G2O represents a fresh and innovative approach to work-based learning.
Specifically tailored for young people aged 16-18, Gateway to Opportunity is a transformative six-week summer workforce development program. Its primary objective is to connect the youth with meaningful employment opportunities across Maine. Each participant is paired with a “host site” – a local business, organization, or government agency. As a team, they work to design or enhance a community project that places a strong emphasis on the voices of young people. By doing so, G2O creates an engaging and dynamic work environment that nurtures authentic pathways for the youth to develop crucial career skills.
In Princeton, a team of five youths – Christian Borden, Evan Borden, Emma Bailey, Natalie Harriman, and Haylee Scott, and their near-peer team leader, Mykalah Howard, developed a comprehensive betterment plan for their town’s recreation area. Following the successful presentation of their proposal to both the Princeton Parks and Recreation Department and the town’s Board of Selectmen and obtaining their enthusiastic approval, the G2O team eagerly put their plan into action.
Throughout the summer, the team members allocated their time between grounds maintenance and artistic creation — tidying up the minimally-maintained basketball courts and sports field and meticulously designing and creating a heartfelt, handpainted mural for their community. The overarching theme of their completed work symbolizes both the devastating effects of substance use on their families, friends, and community and the uplifting power of strong community connections to overcome such challenges.
The Machias G2O team, which included four teens and their near-peer team leader, helped to design, plan, facilitate, and debrief Healthy Acadia’s annual week-long Down East Teen Leadership Camp for the 2023 summer session. The group recently shared a collective summary of their experience.
Our G2O team worked together to contribute to DETLC (Down East Teen Leadership Camp) The team includes; Arden Luuring, Cedric Ge, Saphyre Bissonnette, and our team facilitator, Madison Fleurent.
Everyone equally helped plan and set up for the camp – there were things like setting up all the schedules and binders for campers, organizing all of the equipment, and interviewing the people who would be presenting at DETLC to share our input and make the presentations relevant for the campers. We also learned about leadership and participated in team-building exercises and facilitation. After the camp, we reflected on our experience at camp and things we felt could be changed for next year.
DETLC was not only fun but allowed space for connection and taking risks for not only us but the campers too.
Healthy Acadia extends a huge thank you to these 2023 G2O team members for their outstanding leadership and inspiring dedication to creating positive impacts in their community.
For more information about Down East Teen Camp, visit https://www.healthyacadia.org/sb-detlc or contact Sara McConnell at [email protected]. For information about Healthy Acadia’s youth engagement programs and activities, visit https://www.healthyacadia.org/sb. In Washington County, contact Corrie Hunkler at [email protected] or Camisha Norris at [email protected]. In Hancock County, contact Tara Young at [email protected] or Andrew Simon at [email protected].
For more information about the Gateway to Opportunity visit https://www.myan.org/programming/g2o/.
Healthy Acadia is a 501(C)(3) community health organization building vibrant communities and making it easier for everyone to lead healthy lives throughout Washington and Hancock counties. For more information about Healthy Acadia’s community health and wellness programs and services, visit healthyacadia.org.
