It's finally March, and here at STRIVE that means one thing...STRIVE Rocks Weekend! STRIVE Rocks is our largest-scale fundraiser of the year, and this year it's Saturday, March 16th - Sunday March 17th at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Spanning th e entire weekend, STRIVE Rocks is an incredible event that connects STRIVE with the amazing community around us. During STRIVE Rocks All Day, we open the arena up to the public, and have a family-friendly festival running from 10AM-6PM! We'll have tons of bounce castles, laser tag, an Escape Room, a petting zoo, face painting, Disney Princesses, Stormtroopers, tie dye and more! Admission tickets can be purchased at the door, or in advance at www.striverocks.org  by clicking on "Buy Tickets !" Check out the STRIVE Rocks All Day facebook event, which has scheduling and activity information as well, by clicking here!

As night falls, we transition into STRIVE Rocks All Night - a fifteen year tradition of staying up all night long dancing the night away, as we raise money and awareness for STRIVE programs. Hundreds of local high schoolers, college students, and STRIVE members will fill the arena, and dance to local bands, DJs, enjoy all you can eat food, games, and more. It's never too late to sign up -- if you'd like to join us for this unforgettable evening, you can sign up at www.striverocks.org by clicking on "Get Started!" Check out the STRIVE Rocks All Night Facebook event, which has all the details of what to look forward to all night long by clicking  here! 

There is still time to get involved as a sponsor or volunteer as well! If you or your business would like to partner with us for this event, contact Whitney at [email protected]!

Thank you for your support in helping make this year's STRIVE Rocks biggest and best yet. See you at the arena!

Hannaford Helps!

3 Points for STRIVE

Remember- the 3 Points for STRIVE campaign is still happening now! Each time the Maine Red Claws score a three-pointer at a home game, Hammond Lumber Company donates $50 to STRIVE! You can be a part of the campaign, too, by pledging any amount per three-point shot! To make your pledge, contact Whitney at [email protected]. 

Go Red Claws!

Calling All Artists!

2019 marks STRIVE's 20th anniversary! To celebrate, we will be having several small-scale celebratory events to commemorate 20 years of success, before having a formal gala in January 2020. Our first event will be an Art Show, happening at the end of April, featuring creations from a number of STRIVE participants! These works will be available for purchase at the show. Interested in submitting a piece, or being involved with this event? Contact Whitney at [email protected]! We ask that all pieces be submitted by April 18th. Stay tuned for more information!

STRIVE 25

Join us Thursday, March 7th for STRIVE 25's Mardi Gras Party! STRIVE 25 is a social event for folks 25 and older, and includes a sit down meal. For more information on STRIVE 25, contact Caroline at [email protected].

The STRIVECast

The STRIVECast had such an exciting month of February, interviewing two groups of prominent radio hosts back-to-back! We sat down with Eva Matteson of Blake & Eva on Coast 93.1, as well as the morning show gang from Q97.9, Lori, Jeff and Lou! We learned a lot from these seasoned radio veterans and are ready to take what we've learned into an another exciting month of interviews. We also sat down with STRIVE receptionist Chadd Taplin, to begin our series of episodes that will be celebrating 20 years of STRIVE. Chadd has been with STRIVE since the very beginning, and we think he spoke really well about his experience with us after all this time. Earlier in the month, we sat down with Portland City Manager Jon Jennings, who chatted with us all about his career in politics AND in basketball!

The STRIVECast is still seeking sponsors to take us on the radio! If your business would like to advertise on the STRIVECast, contact us at [email protected]. Happy listening!

The STRIVECast is a podcast brought to you by the team at STRIVE in South Portland - 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 AND edited by people with disabilities! Episodes can be found on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as on our website and Facebook page. Like what you hear? Shoot us an email at  [email protected] !

Bayside

February has been an exciting month at Bayside! In learning group, we have been focusing on nutrition. We have been reviewing the food groups, discussing portion sizes, and we have even tried some new foods! So far we have tried mango, kiwi, and brussel sprouts. The kiwi is the most liked food so far! Up next we will be trying zucchini, chickpeas, and purple carrots...we can't wait to see who likes what!

At the beginning of the year, everyone made a new year's resolution and everyone has been working really hard on improving on their skills to reach the goals they have set for themselves.

An exciting new addition to our regular adventure day schedule has been the addition of scavenger hunts once a month. We had our first one at the beginning of February and it was a ton of fun! The scavenger hunt gave us clues to different locations in the community and we used our navigation skills to locate a variety of spots, ending at a café where we got a hot drink and a snack! Next month we will be doing a scavenger hunt at the grocery store to help wrap up our nutrition unit.

As always we are working on staying safe in the community and dressing appropriately for the weather. We have had a few snow days this month, as well as some very cold days. We still have to get our goals accomplished so we make sure to bundle up!

TOPS

TOPS has enjoyed a quick February with a few snow days and a relaxing February break! This month, a few of our students in the afternoon group teamed up with STRIVE's Next STEP program to participate in a healthy relationships-focused Women's and Men's Group. The Women's group included 5 participants and discussed relationships, personal image, sexual health and boundaries. The Men's group also had 5 participants and they started off getting to know each other while cooking and then learned how to play a new Wii game together. The goal is to create groups that allow our participants to build connections in a safe and supportive environment.

Next STEP is a great option offering quality curriculum for those who are on a waiting list for other services, in combination with other services or for those who may not qualify for other services. Please contact Betsy Morrison at [email protected] or 207-774-6278 if you would like more information regarding Next STEP or would like to schedule a tour. Part-time and full-time options are available.  

Tweens had so much fun this past month, and especially enjoyed a visit from our favorite service dog, Briggs! We also had a great afternoon learning all about weather from local meteorologist Jess Conley from News Center Maine. In March, we're looking forward to learning some new moves with Portland Youth Dance, our Spring Fling, and more! Check out our schedule below to see what else we'll be up to.

February's series on Emergency Preparedness was so much fun! We learned so much from our guest speakers from local emergency response agencies, like the Scarborough FIre Department, the South Portland Police Department, Maine Medical Center and more. This month we are so excited to begin our Independent Living Series! During the course of the month we'll be exploring various topics all relating to skills we need to be able to live on our own. The cost of the class is $20, and we ask that participants who sign up attend each week of the course. Check out the schedule below!

After School

After School has had such a fun month! Settling in with our two awesome new staff Mia and Sam, we've been able to really settle into 2019 together as a fun cohesive group. We've really been enjoying heading to the Animal Refuge League, working on our basketball skills at the gym, and of course just hanging here at STRIVE playing games and relaxing. Usually in March, our After Schoolers like to help in any way they can to prepare for STRIVE Rocks, so you might see us around town picking up banners from local sponsors, purchasing supplies needed for the event, and other things the team needs to be all ready to go! We're excited to help be a part of making the magic happen.

STRIVE's After School Program provides an opportunity for students to participate in an engaging extension of their typical school day that reflects their individual, family and school goals. During each afternoon, students work on skills that support self-determination and independence, as well as spending time socializing with peers in a relaxed environment. After School runs Monday through Friday from 2pm-5pm during each student's respective school district schedule. For more information on After School, contact Olivia at [email protected].