Are you, or someone you know in the market for a new job? We're hiring! We have full time, part time, and per diem opportunities available! During the month of July, we are also offering a $500 sign on bonus 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.

June was a busy and exciting month for Strive U! We said congratulations to the class of 2021 and the very next day welcomed the class of 2023.

We celebrated the accomplishments of Lucas, Matt, Kevin, Siobhan and Taylor. Students shared speeches talking about their time at Strive U, favorite memories and words of advice for the remaining students. the students worked incredibly hard these past three years, we are so proud of all they’ve accomplished and wish them the best of luck in all future endeavors.

The next day we welcomed Matt, Von, Isaac, Hassen, Andy, Hannah and Lynn to campus. Move in day can be hot and hectic but staff and students alike did a fantastic job of quickly and flawlessly moving everyone into their new apartments. We followed move in with the infamous staff vs students basketball game and then had a BBQ to cap off the day. For the next two weeks the new students will be participating in orientation where they’ll learn about their SU schedules, goals, navigating Portland, each other and much much more.

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 virtual tour, or get an application, please contact Olivia Fraioli, STRIVE U Admissions Coordinator at ofraioli@pslstrive.org or call (207) 774-6278.

Are you struggling to adjust to the new pace of your calendar as the world slowly opens back up? Or do you find yourself missing appointments and procrastinating? If you or someone you know wants to be better at managing their time, register now for our online Time Management & Organization class which starts August 2, 2021! Or for more information, reach out to Anne Ryan at ARyan@PSLSTRIVE.org.

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

After Graduation, TOPS wrapped up their 6th school year with just a few returning students. The TOPS Program follows a typical school-year calendar, breaking for a few weeks in the summer before offering a 6-week Extended School Year (ESY) Program. This summer, TOPS will be welcoming in 20 students for ESY; 12 new and 8 returning, joining us from 8 different school districts!  TOPS relocated last school year to our Central office on Darling Ave where they will continue to be for this school year.

Interested in TOPS? TOPS (Transition Outcomes Program for Students) provides transition programming for high school students from area school districts who are typically in their 13th & 14th school year. For more information, please contact Betsy Morrison, bmorrison@pslstrive.org or by phone at 207-879-0847.

What a great month this has turned out to be! First, what a start to the summer with all this warm weather we are having. Second, we received the news we have been hoping for. On July 19^th, we will be returning to Bayside Towers on Cumberland Ave for our program. We are very excited to be resuming the pre-COVID activities and resources.

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.

For more information on PSL Services/STRIVE's Community Support Day Programs, Active & Waves, please contact Emily at ewright@pslstrive.org.

Meet Ayla! Ayla attends our Camp STRIVE program, and we have been so excited to see her in person again as Camp STRIVE re-opened a few weeks ago! Ayla says her favorite parts of coming to STRIVE are "hanging out with her friends" and "seeing the camp counselors." Ayla is incredibly knowledgeable about dogs, and all things Jonas Brothers! We love having Ayla in Camp STRIVE and are honored to play a role in her life!

Our July Staff Spotlight is Conner Cherniak! Conner has been at PSL/STRIVE for 3 years. Conner has held many different roles in the organization and has most recently started an Ed Tech position in our TOPS program. This month, Conner will also be joining our Tweens and STRIVE Night programs as our new Lead DSP! We're so excited to welcome Conner into our fun Friday Nights. Conner says, "my favorite part about working at STRIVE is that I get to work with individuals to learn about, grow into, and explore their best selves. There is never a dull moment because I get to make everything I do fun!" 

Thanks for all you do, Conner! We are grateful to have you on the PSL/STRIVE Team!

We are excited to announce that the Beach to Beacon is back this year! This year’s race will be virtual, meaning you will be able to run your very own 10K course anytime between July 23^rd and August 8^th. STRIVE has very limited amount of available bibs! Bibs will also come with an official B2B race shirt and finisher’s medal that will be mailed to you directly from the TD B2B organization. You can find out all information about this year’s race at: https://www.beach2beacon.org/ . This year, we are asking all that run on behalf of STRIVE fundraise or donate a suggested minimum of $50. We use an easy, online platform to collect donations.

If you would like a bib, please contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes, at wwildes@pslstrive.org. Bibs will be given on a first come, first serve basis. If you know of others that would be interested in running on behalf of STRIVE, please send them our way. Since we have such a limited number of bibs, we are asking all that are interested to contact Whitney by Tuesday, July 6^th.

Are you interested in donating an item or experience to this year's auction? Is your business or another business you know of interested in becoming a sponsor of the event? For all things auction, contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney, at wwildes@pslstrive.org.

Our auction website- www.pslstrive.org/auction - will be kept up to date with more auction details as we get closer to the event.

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!

Don't forget, STRIVE has a new 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!