Advisory Board Elections THIS Friday!

Plans and gets involved with STRIVE outings & fundraisers.

Talks about problems related to STRIVE

Represents STRIVE members when asked to do so

Promotes respect to all STRIVE members and staff at all STRIVE related events.

Welcomes new members to STRIVE nights!
 If you think this is something you or a STRIVE member you know might enjoy, we are holding our annual elections this Friday night during STRIVE Night! Each person who would like to run will be asked to make a short speech in front of other hopeful board members about why they would like to be on the board, and why they would be a good fit.For any questions about running for the board, contact Olivia at ofraioli@pslstrive.org! Good luck!
 

STRIVE 25

STRIVE 25 is having it's April event this Thursday, May 3rd, from 6-8pm! Join us for a night of music, dinner, dancing, and LOTS of fun!

STRIVE 25 is a social event for people ages 25 and older. We run the first Thursday of every month from 6-8pm. The cost is $10 and includes dinner, and anyone 25 and older is welcome!  Please contact Caroline Cole at ccole@pslstrive.org (or at 207-774-6278) with any questions or for more information.

TOPS

With spring upon us, the Next STEPpers have been soaking up the nice weather by taking their adventures to the outdoors! Next STEP has been going hiking in various different locations and finding new places to walk and get some exercise while enjoying the beautiful scenes that the Portland area has to offer. We started off with Fort Williams, where we did a photo scavenger hunt. Several of the participants worked together on their own to create a scavenger hunt list in advance of the trip. When we got there, we got into teams and worked together to find the items on the list. This was great to watch because the participants used their team building skills by working together to get the task done and they had fun doing it!

Cooking healthy meals continues to be one of the goal areas that is ongoing for Next STEP. We continue to incorporate budgeting into the preparation of our groups meals and are reminded of how important it is to have a budget. Most recently, we have been focusing on looking at what we have in the refrigerator and pantry first to see what we have to use and then try to put a meal together with what we have before going to the store to buy any items. That has helped us to stay within our budget each week!

 

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 bmorrison@pslstrive.org 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.

This past month at Bayside, our participants learned all about fire safety. During learning group, our main focus was on how fires start, what we should do if there's a fire, and why fire drills are so important to practice. For one of their Adventure Days, our participants got a tour of Bramhall Fire Department in Portland where they learned all about the job of a fire fighter, fire safety facts, and how to avoid starting a fire. While they were there, they even got to see the fire fighters respond to a call and check out the inside of an ambulance. Some of their favorite parts about touring the fire department were: seeing the ambulance, watching the fire fighters respond to a call, asking questions, and checking out the fire trucks. This month the participants also started a unit on math and kitchen measurements that we will continue to work on twice a week! The weather is finally getting warmer and our participants can't wait to get out and practice navigating to more new places!

   

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, 9:00-1:00and 1:00- 5:00. We offer full time (Monday- Friday) and part time (Tuesday, Thursday -or- Monday, Wednesday, Friday) options. 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: Caroline Cole at 774-6278 or ccole@pslstrive.org. 

We had SO much fun during April vacation camp! We went to so many fun places, from Get Air, to Smiling Hill Farm, as well as having box seats to a Sea Dogs game (courtesy of our friends at Coca Cola of Northern New England- thank you)! 

Summer is fast approaching, and registration for Camp STRIVE is now open! You can fill out an application for your camper on our website at  https://www.pslstrive.org/campstriveform . Please contact Olivia at ofraioli@pslstrive.org if you intend to sign your camper up for summer camp. We can't wait!

 

After School

April was such a fun month for After School. We've been all over town, and spending a bit more time outside as the weather's been getting nicer. We had a really fun day this month at Fort Williams with our USM volunteer, Chelsea! We've also been spending time in few of our favorite spots- like Books A Million, Spare Time, and Get Air! We're excited for all that spring will bring...and can't believe the end of the school year is almost nearing!

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 ofraioli@pslstrive.org.