The Conference Creates Community By Gabe O'Brien Growing up in rural Maine, I found that there were very few events that connected communities from around the state; the Maine Youth Leadership Conference, I ... Read More
Reflections from 2022
A Network of Possibilities The Maine Youth Action Network is designed to be a hub of connections and community. Amidst the ripple effect of COVID pandemic impacts, the MYAN team has felt the weight of this vision and recommitted our efforts to realizing it. We are grateful for the many ... Read More
Youth Take Action for Mainers in Recovery
Youth Take Action for Mainers in Recovery Over this past July, the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project brought together a community to support each other, share their stories and learn how to make legislative waves of change regarding substance use and prevention in Maine. At the heart of it, ... Read More
Youth in the Spotlight!
Katie's Making Moves at the Blueberry Harvest School Katie Francis, a seventeen-year-old high school student, has been making the yearly trek from her home of Eskasoni Mi'kmaw Nation, located in Unama'ki (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia, Canada, to the Passamaquoddy blueberry barrens in Downeast, ... Read More
Connection isn’t Complicated: Youth Perspective on Mental Health in Maine
Connection isn’t Complicated: Youth Perspective on Mental Health in Maine The Youth Health Council (or YHC) was formed in the fall of 2021 by youth members from around the state. The team gathered in an effort to create an open and understanding environment where young people could explore their ... Read More
Gateway to Opportunity is Expanding!
Gateway to Opportunity Expansion in 2022: Bringing Innovative Skill-Building Opportunities for Youth to New Communities By Nikki Williams The Gateway to Opportunity (G2O) program launched in 2016 as a pilot through a partnership between ... Read More
When Community Supports Recovery, there is Hope
When Community Supports Recovery, there is Hope by Maggie Allen As someone with a family background of substance use disorder, working with my community to educate and support others dealing with or affected by addiction is very important to me. I’m still in high school, but I’ve been ... Read More
New Leaders for the New Age
New Leaders for the New Age by Lauren Lindenbaum In a moment dominated by controversy and division, it’s easy to lose faith in the idea of a brighter future. That is certainly how I was feeling prior to stepping into the Collins Center at University of Maine’s Campus on Day 1 of Maine’s ... Read More
2021 Youth Engagement Network Success Stories
2021 Youth Engagement Network Success Stories In 2021 young people selected “We are the Now” as the Maine Youth Leadership Conference theme. Included in this report are 12 stories exemplifying the present-day leadership of Maine youth, and the myriad of ways we all benefit when young people’s ... Read More
Juneteenth and the Black Student Caucus: Our space for unity
by Christina Donato / laura iteka / Alexis Saba This Bridge Called My Back - Á la Black Student Caucus. Our space for unity. Celebrations for Juneteenth are upon us while the US government and states across the country, including Maine, declared it an official holiday. While I [laura] have been a ... Read More
