Reflections on Pride Month: Supporting LGBTQ+ youth is suicide prevention, and it doesn’t end after June By Cora Kircher There’s been this tweet circulating this past month that reads: “for pride month this year can straight people focus less on ‘love is love’ and more on ‘queer and trans people ... Read More
Social Capital in Youth Programs
Social Capital in Youth Programs By Sam Pearl Social capital refers to the resources that come from connections with other people. A rich network of authentic connections can help you to find that next job or opportunity. In the age of information overload and paid algorithms, strong social ... Read More
The Conference Creates Community
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
