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STRIVE News & Updates
April 1st, 2023
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A big thank you to our 2023 STRIVE Rocks Sponsors!
Our event would not be possible without all of you!
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ID: Logos for our STRIVE Rocks Sponsors. | |
Image Description (ID): "We're Hiring!" flyer with position and contact information and 3 photos of staff working with STRIVE participants. | |
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Are you, or someone you know in the market for a new job?
We're hiring for a number of positions!
We have full time, part time, and per diem opportunities available- including weekdays, evenings, and weekends!
For the month of April, we are also offering a $1,750 sign on bonus (after 30 days of successful employment) plus an additional $250 bonus for those that are already DSP or MHRT certified!
Click Here to browse our open positions!
If you have questions about our current openings, contact Betsy Morrison at bmorrison@pslstrive.org or at 207-879-0847 x207.
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Here's what's happening in our programs! | |
Over the last couple of weeks STRIVE U students had the opportunity to tour the Westbrook and Forest Ave Hannaford. While the students were there they got to meet with a licensed dietitian and learn about healthier food options while eating on a budget and learn more about the guided start system! The students enjoyed seeing how things worked “behind the scenes”. The students are excited to put these new skills to use! Thank you Hannaford! | |
ID: A group of STRIVE U students touring Hannaford. They are in a warehouse with boxes and shelves around them. | |
ID: A group of STRIVE students shopping in a grocery store aisle. There is also a person standing backto the camera with a white coat that says : Hannaford Dietician". | |
ID: A group of STRIVE U studentss touring Hannaford. They are with a Hannaford staff in a white jacket. There are crates and shelves around them. | |
STRIVE U is a comprehensive two-year residential, post-secondary educational opportunity for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To learn more about the program, schedule a tour, or get an application, please contact admissions@pslstrive.org or call (207) 774.6278. | |
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What Skills Can You Learn Through Online Education?
By now you’ve probably heard about STRIVE WorldWIDE, our accessible & interactive online courses that teach independent living skills. But have you ever wondered just how much you could learn online? Can you really gain in-person skills from online learning? The answer... Yes, you can! Here are some testimonials on the real life skills our students have applied from taking our classes:
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First Aid Basics: Since my daughter has been taking the First Aid course I overheard her giving friends advice on what is a serious injury and what needs a bandaid! Before this class she would call me in a panic over a paper cut or hangnail but now she has a collection of bandaids and neosporin to take care of minor cuts and bumps! Thank you Strive! ~parent
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Money Management: It was really fun doing this class. I think the teachers were really great telling us what to do. I learned how to use a check and how to use my ATM and a cool budget app on my phone. Thank you for teaching me ~student
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Self-Advocacy & Boundaries: We've been going to person-centered planning meetings for years. For the first time after taking the Self-Advocacy class, she came to the meeting with goals in mind and really advocated for herself! ~parent
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Personal Safety: One of the most important things I learned is safe passwords. I sometimes have a hard time coming up with passwords and now I know how to make a safe one. ~student
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ID: image of a person in a wheelchair looking at a computer screen. There are course testimonials in the middle and the STRIVE WorldWIDE logo is along the top. | |
STRIVE WorldWIDE is STRIVE's online program that teaching independent living skills. For more information about STRIVE WorldWIDE, contact Dr. Anne Ryan at Aryan@pslstrive.org or at
207-879-0847.
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Our program switched gears to adopt a flexible, student-driven schedule that would more closely reflect a community support program, as opposed to a school program. We’re calling it “Mix-it-up-March”! Students are still given a schedule for the week with activities listed, just without students assigned to an activity. Each student has a $5 budget and must choose one in-class activity per week. Students decide on Monday what they will be doing each day that week and take their schedule home to share.
The results from the month have been incredible! We’ve noticed an increase in participation in activities, awareness of the intention of an activity and overall preparedness each day. Our students are gaining self-determination skill building at it’s finest!
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ID: TOPS student reaching for a shelf of bread | |
ID: TOPS student making a paper mache fish | ID: TOPS student pushing a wheelbarrow | |
ID: TOPS student standing in a bookstore holding a book open to a picture of a dog | |
ID: three TOPS students dancing | |
ID: Two TOPS student planning squash | |
Interested in TOPS? TOPS (Transition Outcomes Program for Students) provides transition programming for high school students from area school districts who are typically 18 years and older. For more information, please contact Betsy Morrison, bmorrison@pslstrive.org or by phone at 207-879-0847. | |
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SPRING is in the air, and everyone is anxious to get out and enjoy some fresh air. This month, the Bayside crew has been working on how to find different resources in our community, especially things that we as adults need to use every day. For example, how to contact your dentist, how to find out what concerts are playing in your area, and what time the Maine Mall opens and closes. Each of the participants looks up the answers to the questions and we talk about it as a group. Participants are also learning that it’s important to make sure they CAREFULLY read when, where, what time, and how much is written on a sign or advertisement.
On St. Patrick Day, the staff got together and made an Irish breakfast for the participants with eggs, sausage, bacon, and broiled tomatoes. Participants enjoyed baking a traditional Irish Soda Bread to go with it
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ID: Bayside participants sitting at a table wearing green and eating eggs, sausage, tomatoes, and bacon | |
ID: Bayside participants and staff sitting at a table wearing green and yellow and eating eggs, sausage, tomatoes, and bacon | |
Bayside also wanted to do a call out for World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 so everyone wore mis-matched socks to support the efforts to raise awareness. One of our participants also took part in a worldwide challenge to walk 3.21 miles in honor of the day. | |
ID: Bayside participants standing and kneeling outside and holding a sign for World Down Syndrome Day | |
ID: Bayside participant's feet in a circle wearing mis-matched socks with a sign for World Down Syndrome Day in the center | |
STRIVE Bayside is a unique community supports program that is dedicated to exploring and increasing independence. Some of the goals we work on are grocery shopping, budgeting, cleaning, navigating the community, cooking and social skills. We run five days a week, Monday through Friday and have two daily sessions, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm and 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. We operate out of an apartment in down town Portland to simulate actual apartment living. If you would like more information about our program, or to schedule a tour please contact Kim O'Connor at koconnor@pslstrive.org.
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ACTIVE: This month we went on an extended day to Pineland Farms! We all met at the Smokehouse and participated in their Farmyard Exploration Program. We got to learn about how to safely interact with different farmyard animals and we observed what the animal’s jobs on the farm are. We learned all about how to care for the different animals there and saw everything that goes into running a farm! We had fun meeting all of the cows, chickens, pigs, goats, and more! Afterwards, we all sat down and had a big picnic lunch. We ended our day with some bowling and our 2023 Bowling League ceremony!
WAVES: This month we attended a Building Ballets program by the Portland School of Ballet. There, we got to see the entire Act 1 of Coppelia, a story about Swanhilda and Franz and their trouble with the town’s eccentric toy maker. During the performance, we were walked through the process of creating and performing a ballet. We got to see the dancers practicing, the costume design, the set design, how lighting sets the mood of the performance, and even what different ballet hand gestures mean! This was an awesome experience, and we learned a lot!
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ID: ACTIVE participant in a blue coat. She is petting a chicken held by someone who works at Pineland Farm. | |
ID: WAVES participants sitting in a group at the ballet. There are a number of gray auditorium chairs in front and behind them. | |
Aktion Club: In Aktion club we do various community-related activities and fundraisers to support different projects! In December we decorated a tree to for the Westbrook Festival of Trees. We then used the money we raised all year to purchase holiday gifts for a family in need. In January we elected new club officers, and in February we did a Valentine’s Day Bake Sale! This month, we have been collecting pet-related items which we plan to donate to the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook. There is a big box at Foden Rd. if you have any food, toys, or other pet supplies that you would like to contribute! | |
ID: Aktion Club member decorating a Christmas Tree for the annual "Festival of Trees" this past winter. | |
For more information on PSL Services/STRIVE's Community Support Day Programs, ACTIVE & WAVES, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org. | |
Wednesday Night Educational Series | Calling all writers! In April, Wednesday Night Ed will be holding a Writer's Workshop! Students will practice all different types of writing including how to write a thank you note and how to tell their own story! Students will also get to practice writing their own fictional stories and will work together to publish a Wednesday Night Ed collection! | ID: white block in the center with class information. On the left and right sides are color blocks of black, white, and three shades of blue. | The Wednesday Night Educational Series is held every Wednesday, with a hybrid model, for participants 15-24 years old. Series are between 4 and 8 weeks and topics vary from month to month! The price per series is $20-$30, depending on the series' length. For more information or for your link to join class, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org. | | |
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Camp STRIVE is holding an April break camp this year! Camp will run Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm and we have some awesome activities planned! Space is limited and registration is first come first served, so sign up today if you are interested!
While we are still finalizing details and a schedule for Summer Camp STRIVE, Registration is open! Summer Camp will run for 11 weeks starting the week of June 19th. Click here for more information and to register for the summer!
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ID: light pink background with a white rectangle and five smaller pink rectangles with daily schedules in the middle. There are images of plants in both bottom corners and the top left corner, and a green branch on the right side. | |
Camp STRIVE is a day-camp experience for campers between the ages of 11-24. Camp STRIVE is held every school vacation (February, April, and the day before Thanksgiving) as well as for the full summer. For more information about Camp STRIVE, contact Alex Woodhouse at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org. | | |
We have another fun month of Tweens activities planned in April! Join us for some Spring crafts, an egg hunt, seed planting, and our very own Camp Tweens! It's going to be a great month and we hope to see you there! | ID: green background with green leaves in all four corners. There is an image of a tent and a tree on the right side. |
Tweens is a safe and fun environment to build new friendships and learn new skills for folks 11-14 years old. We run every Friday from 3:30-5:30pm. We have a scheduled activity each week, with free time built in to maximize socialization. For more information about STRIVE Tweens, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org. | | |
STRIVE Night will meet every Friday in April! Participants have the opportunity to join us in-person or on zoom, and both are great fun! Pay attention to our social media for more information about our April theme night...coming soon! | ID: yellow flyer with green grass and white and orange flowers along the bottom. There are blue and orange swirls and white dots along the outside and smiley face emoji in the center. | Friday Nights at STRIVE, fondly referred to as "STRIVE Night," is a relaxed but fun evening of socialization for 15-24 year olds. New members are always welcome, and your first night is free! STRIVE Night is Friday from 6-9pm, with at least one special "theme" night happening each month. For more information, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org. | | |
STRIVE 25 is excited to meet for another in-person social on Thursday, April 6th from 6-8pm! Come join us for a delicious meal, competitive bingo, and a great time with friends! We always have the best time! | ID: white background with teal, yellow, orange, and pink shapes along the right-hand side | STRIVE 25 is a social event for folks 25 and older. It currently runs in-person on the first Thursday of every month from 6-8pm For more information on STRIVE 25, contact Whitney at wwildes@pslstrive.org or Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org! | | |
The STRIVECast had a great month of March We got to talk to Annie from WEX and Bill Green from the Maine Sports Hall of Fame! We also put one of our hosts, Jeff, in the hot seat for some lightning round questions and got to hang out as a STRIVECast team for a snow day specular! We hope you enjoyed listening to these conversations as much as we enjoyed having them! Do you have a guest idea for an upcoming show? Let us know! | ID: screenshot of a zoom recording. There are 7 boxes - six members of the STRIVECast team and 1 guest. |
The STRIVECast is a podcast brought to you by the team at PSL Services/STRIVE in South Portland, Maine — bringing you engaging, hilarious, and thoughtful conversation through one interview week by week. Co-Hosted by two young men with Down Syndrome, the STRIVECast aims to change the voices we typically hear on the radio and through podcasts, as well as to provide meaningful dialogues with all sorts of public figures in our world. We are very proud to be both hosted, produced AND edited by people with disabilities! Like what you hear? Shoot us an email at strivecast@pslstrive.org!
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Thank you to our March Donors! | |
- Courtney Sinclair
- Harold & Peggy Osher
- Carole Ann Zyskowski- In Honor of Cassie Wagner
- Harry Pringle
- Alan Rowell
- Mary & Keith Malone- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Lewanne Hughes- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Linda and Christopher Boivin- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Cheryl Littlefield- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Scott Rogers- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Donald MacWhinnie- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Brenda Drummond- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Sheryl Dodge- In Memory of Peter Sanville
- Kristen Johnson- In Memory of Christopher Godin
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Image Description (ID): white background with a circle of colored flowers in the middle. Text in the middle reads "Thank You". | |
Thank you for your generous support of STRIVE!
With your support, we are able to continue our work each and every day.
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Happy Birthday to our STRIVE members with a birthday in April! | |
Image Description (ID): Black background with three cupcakes in the middle. Icing on the cupcakes is blue, yellow, and pink. On top of the cupcakes are lit candles that read "Happy Birthday." | |
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Thomas Bourdeaux
Haley Bell
Jessi Berard
Andrew Bryant
Bridget Parker
Joshua Shaughnessy
Catlyn Almodovar
Bridget Lally
Megan Pelletier
Daniel Berenson
Bill Munny Vann
Trevor Morin
Rosalie Jones
Hannah Taylor
Audrey Guillemette
Mason Dickenson
Ayla Brewster
Kerrigan Baither
Brendan Young
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Meet Will! Will attends our STRIVE Night socials and our Wednesday Night Education Series! Will is also our new STRIVE Night Advisory Board President! His favorite thing about STRIVE "is meeting people and making friendships."
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ID: photo of Will standing outside on a snowy mountain., The sky is blue | |
ID: Photo of staff spotlight, Liam. Liam is outside in front of green grass and yellow flowers. | |
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Meet Liam! Liam works in our community support program. Liam's "favorite part about working for PSL/STRIVE is being able to help people get creative. Working over at STRIVE Studios has given me the opportunity to watch participants create some incredible and diverse artwork, and I’m excited to see what kind of projects come together in the future!" Thanks, Liam, we're grateful to have you!
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Registration is now open for the 2023 STRIVE for 5K: Foden Road 5K and Block Party! This year's event will take place (Rain or Shine) Sunday, July 16th at STRIVE! A Kids Fun Run will begin at 8am with the 5K following at 8:30am. Registration is $25 until 04/16 and increases to $30 until 07/14, so register early! For more information or to register now, visit our website HERE! | |
ID: 5K runners starting the road race. They are running through an inflated blue and white arch that says "start" with the STRIVE logo. | |
ID: Participants (children) who participated in the Kids Fun Run. They are standing and smiting in a group under the inflated blue and white arch . | |
The STRIVE for Five: Foden Road 5K is hosted by the STRIVE Business to Business Networking Group, a collection of business leaders from the Foden Road/Maine Mall district of South Portland (business leaders from surrounding communities also welcome). Foden Road Networking Group members are invested in supporting the local economy and residents through business-to-business fellowship, culminating in the annual 5k/Block Party. If you would like to be involved in this year's event, contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes at wwildes@pslstrive.org! | |
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that STRIVE has a brand new website? Check us out at www.pslstrive.org!
We are excited to share the site's new, clean, design, and feel that people will be able to easily navigate our many programs and events. Let us know what you think!
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Community Members Wanted!
Did you know that STRIVE hosts a monthly, free, networking group for those in our local community? The STRIVE Business to Business Networking Group is just one way that we try to be a mutually beneficial partner, with the hope of expanding the networks of our partners and local businesses.
We are looking to grow! The group meets at noon on the last Wednesday of each month (right now we are meeting virtually). Are you or someone you know interested in joining? Contact Pete (pbrown@pslstrive.org) or Whitney (wwildes@pslstrive.org) for more information about the group and your link to join!
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Image Description (ID): gray background with a dark blue border. The STRIVE logo is in the top right. Text is in black and reads "business to business networking group." | |
STRIVE Shop
Don't forget, STRIVE has an updated store! We've launched an online store to purchase all your STRIVE swag needs! Take a look at all the shop has to offer HERE! There are so many items to choose from AND you can customize any item by choosing the color and STRIVE logo that you want. Happy shopping!
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Image Description (ID): white background with two rows of swag. Top row from left to right is a gray backpack with the STRIVE WorldWIDE logo, a black mug with the STRIVECast logo, a white t-shirt with the STRIVE logo, and a blue baseball hat with a STRIVE U logo. Bottom row from left to right is a blue tote bag with a PSL Services/STRIVE log, a gray sweatshirt with a STRIVE U logo, and a white travel mug with a STRIVE logo. | |
Has your mailing address changes recently?
Have a new mailing address to add?
Have questions or comments about any of our programs and events?
New members: You will be asked to complete an updated information form upon your arrival to Tweens, STRIVE Night or STRIVE 25. Want to get a head start? Visit https://www.pslstrive.org/membershipform to submit your membership form today!
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Be sure to follow us on social media! | | | | |
