|
STRIVE News & Updates
September 1st, 2023
| |
Image Description (ID): "We're Hiring!" flyer with position and contact information and 3 photos of staff working with STRIVE participants. | |
|
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!
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 Jennifer Boucher at jboucher@pslstrive.orgor at 207-879-0847.
| |
Here's what's happening in our programs! | |
STRIVE U students are enjoying the summer! They got the wonderful opportunity to attend Sluggers Send Off Hall of Fame Party on Hadlock field, explored different parks and beaches, and even did water balloons on campus to cool off! They have been enjoying hands-on learning groups hosted on the STRIVE U campus for the summer. Next week Southern Maine Community College classes start and all classes (SMCC & Learning Group) will be held on the SMCC Campus. The students are looking forward to being back on campus! | |
ID: A group of STRIVE U students on the baseball field (Hadlock field) with Slugger the Sea Dog. | |
ID: 3 STRIVE U students sitting in the stands at the Sea Dogs game. | |
ID: 3 STRIVE U students having a water balloon fight. There are apartment buildings and cars in the background. | |
ID: 4 STRIVE U students sitting at a wooden table and smiling at the camera. | |
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. | |
|
STRIVE WorldWIDE is always growing! To further our mission of offering high quality, online, independent living skill education to as many people as possible, we're expanding again! Have you been itching to try a course, but Tuesdays and Thursdays don't work for you? Good news! We'll be offering our first Monday-Wednesday course starting 9/18! Join us for Fact or Fiction: Critical Thinking! Critical Thinking is using reason to examine all the information before making an informed decision or opinion. We will examine media and information sources and look at how different people and websites present the same information in different ways. How do you know if you're getting the whole story? We'll also practice listening to and understanding people who we don't agree with. We'll look for common ground and ways to communicate and collaborate.
Also offered starting 9/18 on Tuesdays and Thursdays: Healthy You at 1p, Personal Safety at 5:30p, and Emotional Intelligence at 7p!
| |
ID: Information about 4 upcoming STRIVE WorldWIDE courses. | |
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.
| |
|
This month flew by as TOPS wrapped up the last few weeks of their Extended School Year (ESY) program before taking a brief break before the school year kicks off.
Our program held a nature week, practicing photography of different colors present in our community, participated in a camp-out day with tents and s’mores, took a walk on some local trails and visited the Portland Farmer’s Market. Students practiced using the METRO bus to navigate to various community locations and did an introduction to money math class get some hands on practice with coins and bills.
As the summer wraps up, our school year gets off running! This year TOPS is contracting with 11 school districts across Cumberland and York Counties, welcoming in 26 students throughout our two sessions.
| |
ID: TOPS student taking a photo of yellow flowers using their cell phone. There is another person in the photo and the flowers are against a brick building. | |
ID: TOPS student sitting at a table. They are counting dollar bills. There is a white board on the table and a tv on the wall behing them. | |
ID: 3 TOPS participants walking on a gravel trail. They are surronded by green bushes and grass. The sky is blue with large white clouds. | |
ID: TOPS students standing under a tent. They are holding sticks with marshmallows and making s'mores. There are s'more ingredients sitting on the table in front of them. | |
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 Ryanne Desjardins, rdesjardins@pslstrive.org or by phone at 207-879-0847. | |
Ahoy Mateys!!! In addition to exploring the Portland area by land, this month we have been taking on the sea! Bayside participants took a boat tour of the Portland Harbor’s islands and lighthouses. On our adventure we saw harbor seals, porpoises, a bald eagle, and a variety of seabirds. We also had the opportunity to tour the Portland Observatory which is an 86-foot-tall building that was used to spot ships coming into the city over 200 years ago! That’s not all… Participants in our afternoon group chose to explore the extraterrestrial and planned a visit to the Big Foot Museum… check out the main attraction! | |
ID: 4 Bayside participants grouped together and smiling. In the background is blue sky, the ocen and some green bushes. | |
ID: A group of Bayside participants standing outside of the Portland Observatory. The observatory is very tall and red and has a number of windows. | |
ID: 3 Bayside particpants standing with a tour guide. The guide had a microphone in one hand. In the background is blue sky with clouds and a brown awning. | |
ID: 2 Byaisde participants posing with a staute of big foot. | |
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. | |
|
ACTIVE: This month we went to the Portland Sea Dogs game in downtown Portland! Before the game we took a walk to Deering Oaks park to get some exercise, and then we had a delicious BBQ lunch at the stadium! Afterwards we settled in and got ready to watch the Portland Sea Dogs play the Hartford Yard Goats. During the game we got to enjoy delicious Sea Dog Biscuits!
WAVES: This month we spent lots of time outdoors! We visited local parks such as; Millcreek Park, Bug Light, Two Lights, Portland Head Light, Mackworth, and more! Throughout the year we have been challenging ourselves by participating in the WAVES Movement Challenge. Walking helps us to maintain healthy minds and bodies, and the Movement Challenge has been encouraging us to explore and discover new places!
| |
ID: Participant sitting in the stands at a Portland Sea Dogs game. | |
ID: Participant at the beach holding up a large piece of driftwood. | |
August has flown by here at Strive Studios! Groups have been working hard on their different projects from painting to printmaking and more. Mia came down from the Center for Maine Contemporary Art to teach a lesson in person. We made enough ceramics pieces to run the kiln twice! Looking forward to seeing what September brings! | |
ID: Participants at STRIVE Studios sitting at a table working on an art project. | |
ID: 3 Participants outside, smiling at the camera. There's blue sky, the ocean, and green plants behind them. | |
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 | |
Thanks to those students who joined us during our internet safety series in August! We had a great time learning important tips and skills!
Up next, we have a two-month series focusing on healthy relationships. In this series, students will learn all about different kinds of relationships, boundaries and consent, the human body, available resources and more! We will have guests from Planned Parenthood helping us teach this month. (as a reminder, mature material will be discussed in this series). Please use our online registration form to sign up!
| ID: white background with yellow, blue, and light pink polka dots. In the top left is an image of two figures holding hands with a heart above their heads. In the bottom left is the backs of two people with their arms around each other. In the bottom right are three people with their arms around each other | The Wednesday Night Educational Series is held every Wednesday in person 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 $30-$40, depending on the series' length. For more information or for your link to join class, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org. | | |
Camp STRIVE wrapped up 11 weeks of fun this week! We had a great time exploring local beaches and trails, watching the Sea Dogs, visiting Eartha, hanging out with the animals at Smiling Hill Farm and Maine Wildlife Park, making snacks, and more! Thanks, everyone, for a great summer! | |
ID: camper standing outside in front of trees with his hands on his hips | |
ID: Camper sitting on the ground drawing with orange chalk | |
ID: Camper standing in front of a large globe | |
ID: Camper standing in a kitchen and holding up a plate of toast with nutella, strawberries, and bananas | |
ID: Two campers sitting inside playing the game of Trouble | |
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. | |
August Tweens was so much fun! We played games, ate snacks, danced, and made our own stress balls! We're so excited for what September will bring us and we hope to see you there! | |
ID: Two tweens sitting on the ground and smiling | |
ID: Two tweens at a table playing the game Sorry | |
ID: Three tweens holding up their homemade stress balls | |
ID: white background with orange, green, and purple leaves and mushrooms around the outside. | |
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. | |
All the stars were out at STRIVE Night's Hollywood theme night! We had a celebrity costume parade, movie charades, popcorn, and STRIVE's own Walk of Fame! Thanks to all the famous faces who came and joined us! | |
ID: Two participants wearing neon yellow, pink, and green outfits | ID: Two participants standing and smiling | |
ID: Group shot of STRIVE Night participants dressed up as celebrities. | ID: Participant with his hand raised walking the red carpet | |
STRIVE Night is excited to meet every Friday in September! We will continue to provide in-person and virtual options and hope to see you there! Join us on September 22nd for a Fall Carnival themed STRIVE Night with fun games and tasty treats! | |
ID: white background with red text. There are green, red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves and acorns in the center. | |
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. | |
STRIVE 25 continues to get together on the first Thursday of every month! Join us on Thursday, September 7th for a great time with friends, a delicious meal, and a few rounds on Bingo! Join us again on October 5th for our annual STRIVE 25 Halloween Party which is always a good time! | ID: light orange background with two pumpkins in the top right and bottom left. There are three gold leaves and a small red ghost on the middle right. | 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 STRIVECast had a great August! We hung out as a STRIVECast fam and peppered each other with lightning round questions. We also got to speak to April Byron - dietician from Hannaford, and our summer intern Tasha! We hope you enjoyed listening to these conversations as much as we enjoyed having them! Do you have a guest idea for an upcoming show as we look forward to kicking off season 6? Let us know! | ID: screenshot of a STRIVECast Zoom recording. There are six boxes, 5 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!
| | |
Thank you to our August Donors! | |
- Roberta & Zachary O'Brion
- Samantha Leavitt
- Elizabeth Farr- In Memory of Michael McGovern
- Barry Dunlap- In Honor of Caleb Dunlap
- The Scribner Family
- Jennifer Stults
- David Perry- In Memory of Michael McGovern
- Catherine Whitney
...and to everyone who donated to our Beach to Beacon runners!
| |
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.
| |
Happy Birthday to our STRIVE members with a birthday in September! | |
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." | |
|
Elizabeth Langworthy
Justin Crockett
Olivia Frankl
Jessi McCalmon
Sarah Bean
Myles Frederick
Dominic Arsenault
Sierra Tuttle
Ruby Hawk
Nicholas Sutter
Sam Newcomb
Sam Keiter
Diego Brochu-Senkbeil
Kelsey King
Zach Sanborn
Mary Greslick
Jackson Bowie Haskell
Cameran Seale
Michael Johnson
Abby Pare
Dianna Oliver
| |
ID: photo of member spotlight, Zev. Zev is wearing a yellow shirt and sitting at a tabl | |
|
Meet Zev! Zev has been attending summer Camp STRIVE this year. Zev's favorite thing about camp is "bowling with friends!"
| |
|
Meet Rachel! Rachel is the STRIVE U Employment Coordinator. She says her "favorite thing about working at STRIVE U so far is the people! The staff is so passionate, and the students have been respectful and patient with my transition into this position. Everyone has made me feel very welcome!" Thanks Rachel, we're grateful to have you!
| |
ID: photo of staff spotlight, Rachel. She is smiling and standing outside. | |
ID: Information about STRIVE's 19th Annual Auction. The text is on a dark purple background with a border of leaves, pinecones, and flowers on the top and bottom of the flyer. | |
|
STRIVE is gearing up for an exciting night in the enchanted forest at the 19th annual STRIVE auction! Like last year, we will be holding the event in a hybrid format. Join us for our live auction on Thursday, November 9th at the Italian Heritage Center in Portland. The in-person event will have bidding on our live items, participant speeches, fund-a-need, fun and games and more! Bidding on our silent items will be online and will be open from Thursday, November 9th- Thursday, November 16th. More information coming soon!
It's not too early to get involved. We're currently collecting auction items! Do you, or a business you know of, have an item or experience you'd like to donate? Contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes, at wwildes@pslstrive.org or visit our auction website at www.pslstrive.org/auction to donate today! Sponsorship opportunities are available too!
| |
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!
| |
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!
| |
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!
|
Be sure to follow us on social media! | | | | |
