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STRIVE News & Updates
June 1st, 2023
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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 June, 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! | |
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Second Year STRIVE U Student’s participated in the 76th SMCC Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 21, 2023. These 4 students have worked incredibly hard over the last two years and should be very proud of all of their accomplishments.
On campus, the students worked together to plant a vegetable garden and are taking turns making sure the garden is getting watered regularly! The students are excited to try the vegetables when they are ready. The basketball hoop has also made its return from winter storage and students are staff are loving it! They have been shooting around and playing games almost daily!
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ID: 4 STRIVE U students in black graduation caps and gowns. They are grouped together and smiling in front of one of a STRIVE U apartment building. | |
ID: STRIVE U students standing outside around 2 raised garden beds. You can see a fence and other apartment buildings in the background. | |
ID: 2 STRIVE U students playing basketball. One student is holding a basketball and looks like they are getting ready to throw the ball in the hoop at the other end of the photo. There is also a cream colored apartment building in the photo. | |
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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Get Cookin’ Replay
Last month we told you we were hosting free Cooking & Meal Planning webinars on 5/9. Now we want to tell you how it went! And boy did it go well! We had 372 registrants from 42 states and 6 countries! If you are interested, you can check out the recording from one of the sessions here.
We had a blast sharing our program, and here’s what some of our attendees had to say:
· Your energy and games make this a lot of fun for all ages and abilities!
· This is such a great idea. Courses like this would help my son.
· We loved it! It was nicely put together.
· I am so happy I came across this on Disability Scoop and signed up. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised and hopefully I can figure out how to get my son to take part in this program.
· It was an excellent and great experience for me.
We hope to see you at our next event!
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ID: Photo of someone cutting vegetables. On top of the image are quotes about the past webinar. | |
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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TOPS has had a busy month preparing 11 of our students for graduation! Each student completed a final project along with writing their graduation speech. On the 30th, our students all spoke at graduation, speaking to the audience with confidence! We welcomed over 100 guests to our Foden Road location, our biggest crowd yet!
Our returning students worked hard throughout the month to identify goals for the next year, practiced self-advocacy with a guest speaker from Disability Rights Maine and spent most days outdoors enjoying the beautiful spring weather.
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ID: photo of 11 graduating TOPS students standing up and holding their certificates | ID: TOPS student standing and smiling in front of purple flowers | |
ID: photo of the TOPS graduation attendees | ID:TOPS student standing in front of Portland HEad Light | |
ID: TOPS student playing cornhole outside in the parking lot | |
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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This month we have really worked on getting out and about in the community. Participants at Bayside have enjoyed tours of places like Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections in Freeport and the Portland International Jetport. We have been interested in learning about what these businesses do for our community and the different job opportunities available. In addition to the Ronald McDonald House, we have also started a new volunteer opportunity at Maine Needs in Portland.
This month we also had a new participant join our afternoon crew- Jaden! He has been a great addition to the group, impressing us all with his amazing art skills!
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ID: 8 Bayside participants inside the airport. They are grouped together, standing in front of a life-sized moose. There are also a number of windows and paintings on the wall. | |
ID: 11 Bayside students standing outside at the airport. They all have yellow safety vests on and are standing in front of and airport gate. | |
ID: Bayside participants and staff together at an indoor volunteer site. They are all looking at the camera and are smiling. | |
ID: 3 Bayside participants around a small table with a green trash bag on top of it. There are file cabinets and bookshelves behind them. | |
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’ve been spending lots of time outdoors! We’ve been checking out local trails, and even helping out with trail clean-up. To get outdoors more, we have been hiking, going for walks, playing basketball, and volunteer gardening. Getting outside more has helped us to have healthier minds and bodies! | ID Two ACTIVE participants standing outside on rocks in front of the ocean | WAVES: This month we cooked up lots of fun recipes in the new Foden Rd. kitchens! We’ve made soup, burgers, and other fun and delicious meals! We’ve tried lots of new things, and have even added some original recipes to our recipe books. Cooking is a good way to practice mindfulness, improve concentration, reduce stress, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. | ID Two WAVES participants putting together burgers in the kitchen | |
STRIVE Studios has been busy creating and exploring art outside and in our community. Groups have been learning how to make clay maracas, use paint markers, are wrapping up the yearbook, and going outside to take photographs and find materials to incorporate into their projects. We started off the month with an in person visit from Mia at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, where we created fabric collages. And later, our Art in the Community group visited the UNE Art Gallery at their Portland Campus, and had a tour with Gallery Director, Hilary. We have also been gearing up for our exhibition at the Riverton Public Library, which will be on view from June 2-30. This will be a showcase of a wide range projects our groups have created over the last several weeks such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sewing, and paper mâché sculpture. We're excited to share our artwork with the community! | |
ID: Participants at STRIVE studios sitting at a large table doing artwork. | |
ID: Participant painting glaze on ceramic pieces. | |
ID: STRIVE participants and staff standing outside in a group smiling. There are trees and a large building in the background. | |
For more information on PSL Services/STRIVE's Community Support Day Programs, ACTIVE, WAVES, and STRIVE Studios, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org. | |
Wednesday Night Educational Series | |
We just wrapped a great Writer's Workshop series! Our students enjoyed the class so much that we made it last two months! Students explored the basics of writing, practiced using prompts, tried their hand at writing thank you cards, and more. The class ended with students creating a group book! Everyone did a great job.
In June, we will be starting our 4 week Employment Skills series. We'll explore how to find the right job, how to create a resume and complete a job application, interviewing techniques, and on the job skills!
| ID: White flyer with a bullhorn and speech bubble at the top and two illustrated people in the bottom corner. The flyer has information about the June Wednesday Night Educational Series in the middle. | 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. | | |
Registration for Summer Camp STRIVE is OPEN! While we are still finalizing the schedule and daily activities, we are happy to share the theme weeks with you! This summer, Camp STRIVE will run from Tuesday, June 20th - Friday, September 1st! Camp runs from 9-5 with full day and half day options. Please check out our website for more information and to register your camper today! | |
ID: image of weekly camp themes | |
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. | | |
The month of May was so much fun for our tweens! We welcomed the start of spring by making a spring themed snack (dirt and worms) and birdhouses out of recycled bottles. We also did a fun scavenger hunt around the STRIVE building! We are excited that Tweens is growing, which gives our participants the perfect opportunity to socialize and make new friends! We hope you'll spend your Friday afternoons with us in June! | ID: Pink flyer with illustrated watermelons around the edges. The middle of the flyer has the June Tweens schedule. |
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. | | |
We've had a great month of STRIVE Nights full of karaoke, bingo, games and more! We're excited to host our first STRIVE Night prom in June. Come dressed to impress June 23rd! The night will be one to remember with music, snacks, and some fun surprises! We will be meeting all others Fridays in June too! | ID: Black flyer with disco balls at the top and the outline of people dancing at the bottom. The flyer includes information about our June theme night. | 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. | | |
Kick off the month of June with STRIVE 25! STRIVE 25 will meet today (Thursday, June 1st) from 6-8pm. Don't forget, dinner is included! | ID: light orange and yellow background. there is a circle with different colored stripes (shades of yellow, orange, and blue) with the information about STRIVE 25. | 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 month of May was a busy one for the STRIVECast! We had great guests join us during the month, including C.J. Opperthauser, Executive Director of Friends of Congress Square Park, Alicia Heyburn, Executive Director of Teens to Trails, and our Cheverus High School volunteer, Madi! We're excited for more exciting episodes during the month of June! Do you have a guest idea for an upcoming show? Let us know! | ID: screenshor the STRIVECast zoom recording. There are 5 boxes - 4 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 May Donors! | |
- Barry Dunlap- In Honor of Caleb Dunlap
- Donald and Barbara Groves
- Alison and Jeffrey Skillings- In Memory of John "Jack" Maller
- Charles Bassett
- Mary Woodman
- Gail Cinelli- In Honor of Noel Thompson
- Lisa Gorman
...and a huge thank you to all of our generous STRIVE Rocks donors!
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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 June! | |
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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Morgan Adams
Alexander Doyer
Greta Anderson
Courtney Houde
Roberta Anderson
Danielle Doherty
Charlie Saffian
Andy Le
Mary Leahy
Joshua Small
Stephanie Elsman
Samantha Gauthier
Kyle Sargent
Hannah Holland
Niko Gagne
Colby Schmid
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This month, we wanted to congratulate our TOPS students who celebrated their graduation on May 30th! They've all worked extremely hard this year, and we are so proud of all they have accomplished! We can't wait to see what the future holds for them! Congratulations, gratuates!
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ID: photo of the 11 graduating TOPS students, standing up and holding their certificates | |
ID: photo of staff spotlight, Amy. Amy is sitting outside on a boat. | |
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Meet Amy! Amy is one of our summer Camp STRIVE counselors and is currently working in our Wednesday Night Education Series and at STRIVE Night! Amy's favorite part about STRIVE is "spending every Wednesday evening supporting participants with STRIVE's Wednesday Night Educational Series. It is heartwarming to see participants thrive and develop their writing and creativity skills. I get to end my week at STRIVE Night listening to amazing karaoke and witness participants engaging socially with one another. I am happy to work for such a caring organization." Thanks, Amy, we're grateful to have you!
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Beach to Beacon bibs available! | |
STRIVE has Beach to Beacon bibs available for this year's race! All we ask is that runners fundraise a minimum of $350 on behalf of STRIVE. For more information, or to claim your bib, contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes, at wwildes@pslstrive.org or 207-774-6278! | |
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! | | | | |
