Midcoast Youth Center to become new home for Chewonki Waypoint
Midcoast Youth Center, in collaboration with Chewonki Foundation, is excited to announce that beginning September 1, Waypoint, a six-year mentoring program for RSU 1 middle and high school students, will relocate from Chewonki to Midcoast Youth Center, located next to Morse High and Bath Middle schools. This new location at MYC will bring strengthened community connections and experiences for the young people served by the program, while keeping the best of the outdoor experiences at Chewonki that Waypoint groups have come to love.
A six-year youth mentoring program for middle and high school students in the greater Bath area, Waypoint focuses on increasing resiliency and raising aspirations. It serves cohorts of up to 20 students in each grade level from grade 7 to 12. Currently, more than 70 RSU 1 students are enrolled in Waypoint.
“Waypoint has been extremely beneficial for RSU 1 students. It has increased students’ self-confidence through opportunities for self-discovery, leadership development, and community-building skills. Waypoint provides students with positive role models and support systems to assist them with exploring their options after high school. RSU 1 strongly supports Waypoint’s mission, and we look forward to this continued partnership.” says Patrick Manuel, RSU 1 Superintendent.
Waypoint is part of the Aspirations Incubator, a six-year pilot initiative launched in 2017 by the Rural Futures Fund that provides long-term, comprehensive mentoring programs in rural Maine communities to increase resiliency, build aspirations, and introduce young people to new opportunities. Program funding for the upcoming school year will be generously provided by the Rural Futures Fund, which will allow a group of MYC staff and volunteers time to determine how to sustain the program beyond summer of 2024.
“We are very grateful for the support and leadership of Rural Futures Fund, and its Executive Director Don Carpenter, who have proven over the past six-years that Waypoint and the Aspirations Incubator works.” says Jamie Dorr, Executive Director and Founder of Midcoast Youth Center. “The mission of this program aligns perfectly with our mission of fostering connection and a sense of belonging among youth, to ensure every young person knows that they matter.”
Long-time Waypoint program manager, Tim Wylie, will continue to lead the program at MYC, “Chewonki Foundation has been a wonderful host for the pilot phase, the first six years of the Waypoint program. Tremendous thanks go out to both Chewonki and RSU1 for their leadership and support. We are thrilled to continue the collaboration between Midcoast Youth Center, Chewonki, and RSU1 for the future.”
CONTACT INFO FOR MEDIA:
Jamie Dorr, Executive Director and Founder, MYC (207) 443-8750
Since established in 2016, MYC has become a thriving youth hub that serves 600 youth and families a year, with a commitment to providing programming that is inclusive for all, regardless of income. Our core team members are long-time community leaders with a wealth of knowledge and connections throughout our city, county, and state, who are committed to children’s emotional health as a priority for building on the future of our communities. MYC’s mission is to empower Midcoast youth to be healthy, engaged, and resilient, by offering recreation, education & enrichment, leadership & life skills, referrals to mental health support & substance use treatment, and support to youth experiencing housing insecurity. Our vision is a suicide-free Midcoast community where the physical and emotional needs of youth are met through comprehensive programming and social services; where youth are inspired and equipped to realize a promising future.