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STRIVE News & Updates
November 1st, 2022
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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 November, 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! | |
Happy Fall from STRIVE U! STRIVE U students have been getting in the Halloween spirit by navigating around Portland to look at all the spooky decorations. The students hosted a Halloween party on campus last week that consisted of dressing up, games, and lots of sweet treats! The students will be carving pumpkins this week to decorate the entryways to the buildings! | |
ID: eight STRIVE U students standing outside in front of a large 12 foot tall skeleton | |
STRIVE U Applications Are Available! | |
Are you or someone you know interested in STRIVE U? Applications are now available for the class of 2025! Please reach out to admissions@pslstrive.org if you have questions, want to set up a tour, or would like to request an application! | |
ID: blue flyer with the STRIVE U logo on the right | |
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. | |
ID: white background with the STRIVE WorldWIDE logo along the top. The top right says "2023 Schedule" and on the right hand are graphics of a half sun / half moon and a person sitting at a computer screen. | |
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Unwritten Rules
Hopefully, by now you know that we have a student social every 6 weeks (in between each of our courses). Our next SWW Social is on 11/1 from 7-8 PM EST and it’s a back-by-popular-demand game night (click here to register)! What if we started to play a game without telling anyone how to play or sharing any of the rules? Wouldn't that game be super hard to play, and even harder to win? Absolutely! This is how some people feel in social situations- like everyone else knows the rules and what is expected of them. In our newest course we're going to try our hardest to explain those rules and talk about what society (the people around us) expects, why they expect what they do, and how they might react if we don't meet their expectations.
But if I am acting in a way that other people expect me to, won't that make me an actor and not my real, authentic self? Good question, reader friend! It really might. But here's another unwritten rule: once you know what the rules are, it's easier to choose if you want to follow them or not! We'll pair our discussions about everyone else's expectations of us with some real self-explorations, getting to know ourselves. We'll talk about self-awareness, self-esteem and why it's important to be uniquely you!
To learn more about these unwritten rules, join our next class, Unwritten Rules: Social Skills Decoded that runs from 11/7-12/11/22. The class meets Tuesdays & Thursdays (via Zoom) from 7-8 PM EST. We are also excited to share our 2023 schedule with all of you! We hope to see you in class soon!
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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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October brings lots of change for our students in TOPS. The group is more comfortable with each other, they have worked on building relationships with peers and staff, and are confident in their routine here. TOPS hosted an Open House, welcoming in current students and their families. The students showed off the space with pride and talked about their successes in the program. Our students continue to practice skills both in the classroom and in the community, exploring topics like nutrition, health and wellness and community navigation. | |
ID: Three people sitting at a table playing Uno | |
ID: participant sitting at a table with worksheets and a calculator | |
ID: TOPS class doing chair yoga | |
ID: six people sitting on chairs using pedal exercise bikes | ID: Two participants shaking hands while other participants and staff lo | |
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. | |
This month, staff and participants welcomed three new faces to Bayside! Colin, Jakob, and Basia joined us just in time to take part in some fall-themed fun. Participants attended an Autumn Festival at Pine Ridge Acres where they were able to shoot potatoes out of a potato cannon, see farm animals at the petting zoo, navigate their way through a corn maze, and enjoy some delicious apple cider donuts. Participants also planned a spooky navigation day. They took the bus from Bayside to Evergreen Cemetery and tried to find the headstone with the oldest date. Participants also decided to research the history of Halloween at the Portland Public Library… Did you know that carving jack-o’-lanterns began in the 19th century, but originally people carved turnips instead of pumpkins? The participants are very excited about the Halloween party they have been planning. It is sure to be a day full of creative costumes, music, games, and tasty treats! | |
ID: new Bayside participant standing in front of a black wall wearing a blue Yankee shirt | |
ID: new Bayside participant standing in front of a black wall wearing a red sweatshirt | |
ID: Five participants standing outside a pig pen | |
ID: four patricipants standing outside in a corn maze | |
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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WAVES: This month we took an extended day to Pineland Farms to do their Dairy Discovery Program! Our amazing guide, Emma, showed us how they take care of their cows and the differences between the different cows on the farm. We learned all about how cows are fed, milked, de-horned, and all about the importance of dairy projects in our everyday lives. We even got to visit all of the baby cows! Afterwards we enjoyed a nice picnic and went down to their barnyard to visit the pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, and ponies.
ACTIVE: This month the ACTIVE group went on an extended day to the Fryeburg Fair! There we ate lots of delicious fair food, had a picnic, and walked around. The Fryeburg Fair has over 3,000 animals to visit! We watched horse races, saw the cows, alpacas, pigs, and more. At the Fryeburg Fair we also saw lots of arts and craft vendors such as bead makers, painters, and jewelry crafters. While we were there, we had the opportunity to listen to some live music and looked at the many rides and games.
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ID: participant standing and petting a goat | |
ID: two participants standing in front of a cow statue at the Fryeburg Fair | |
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 | |
We had a great month of October and learned all about keep our brain healthy! In November, we are looking forward to starting our new series on healthy relationships. In this series, students will learn all about different kinds of relationships, boundaries & consent, technology & relationships, and more! Classes will be taught by Planned Parenthood and The Young Adult Abuse Prevention Program. Students will continue to have the option to join virtually or in person.
*Please keep in mind that mature material will be discussed in this series*
| ID: orange flyer with an image of hands holding a heart on the right | 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. | | |
More details about school vacation camps coming soon! | |
ID: Camp STRIVE logo in front of blue sky and green grass | |
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. | | |
Happy November! We're ready for another great month of Tweens programming! Because of November holidays and STRIVE's 18th Annual Auction, Tweens will only meet twice this month. Join us on 11/4 for a fun snack craft and then again on 11/18 for fall mosaic making! We hope to see you there! There will be no Tweens on 11/11 and 11/25 as PSL / STRIVE is closed on both of those days. | ID: light orange background with a large dark orange circle in the center. There are acorns and red and orange leaves around the large orange circle. |
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. | | |
Happy November! We're ready for another fun month of STRIVE Nights! Because of November holidays and STRIVE's 18th Annual Auction, STRIVE Night will only meet twice this month. We hope you'll join us for some fun, either in person or on Zoom! On Friday, November 18th we will be hosting a Friendsgiving themed STRIVE Night! There will be no STRIVE Night on 11/11 and 11/25 as PSL / STRIVE is closed on both of those days. | ID: light gray background with orange and brown leaves around the outside |
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 every Friday on Zoom from 6-9pm, with at least one special "theme" night happening each month. For more information, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org. | | |
We had so much fun celebrating Halloween twice at STRIVE 25! This month, we will be meeting in=person on Thursday, November 4th. We hope you'll join us for some fun games, delicious food, and a great time with friends! Due to the Thanksgiving holiday and STRIVE's 18th Annual Auction, we will not be meeting on Zoom this month. | ID: white background with gold archway in the center. On the bottom are two yellow pumpkins, one orange pumpkin, and leaves. | STRIVE 25 is a social event for folks 25 and older. It currently runs on the first and third Thursday of each month from 6-8pm. The first Thursday is in person and the third Thursday is on Zoom! 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 October! We kicked off Season 5 with some new segments from our hosts and some awesome interviews with amazing guests! We talked to Katelynn Davis - Marketing and Communications Director at the Dempsey Center, Lawny Saleeby from Scapegoats, and Lisa King - Yoga Teacher with Sea Change Yoga! We hope you enjoyed listening to these episodes as much as we enjoyed recording them! Do you have a guest idea for an upcoming show? Let us know! | ID: screenshot of a Zoom recording. There are seven squares - six members of the STRIVECast team and one 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 November Donors! | |
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Barry Dunlap- In Honor of Caleb Dunlap
Paul and Linda Nicak
E.C. and Catherine Sanders
Mark Pietras
Bonita Betters-Reed & Gary Reed
June Allen- In Memory of Philip G Harnden
Peoples Choice Credit Union
Ellen McMonagle
Peter Haynes
Ellen DeCotiis
Sharon and John Rocharz
John and Carol Ann Cagle
Raymond and Cindy Stuchbury
Daniel Reardon and Bernadette Woodcock
Stephanie and William Scherr
Clyde Dyar
Colleen and William Hilton - In Honor of Susie Cloutier
Gary Reed
David Shorey - In Memory of Casey Bouchard
Charles Mercer- In Honor of friends from Lubec, Maine
Robert G Sellin
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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 November! | |
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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Dylan Aitken
Matthew Libby
George Kampstra
Amanda Thompson
Joseph Sprage
Ian Taylor
Dylan Roy
Elliot Voltz
Hunter Frechette
Hannah Foster
Ben St. Lawrence
Aiden Rost
Ella Johnston
Justice Sivonen
Eben Raszmann
Kelli Magaw
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ID: photo of member spotlight, Abby. She is wearing a blue and green top and black pants and is sitting on a bench. | |
Meet Abby! Abby attends our Friday Tweens program. She says "I like going to STRIVE because of the activities and hanging out with the other kids". Make sure to say hello to Abby the next time you see her at STRIVE!
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Meet Lindsay! Lindsay is an SMCC student who is interning with us this semester! She has been a part of Tweens, STRIVE Night, STRIVE 25, and Wednesday Night Ed. Lindsay says her favorite thing about STRIVE "is the atmosphere, from the day I first started to now I’ve always felt included and appreciated." We're grateful to have you with us, Lindsay!
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ID: A picture of Lindsay. She is smiling | |
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! | | | | | |
