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Patricia Estabrook from Belfast is co-founder of The Game Loft and I Know ME.
Of all the natural resources we treasure in Maine, none are more important than our young people. Today’s youth will be our future doctors, teachers, lawyers, convention leaders, business people, and visionaries.
Maine residents are known for their common sense, perseverance, and character. I hope that one of our young people will become the world leader who will lead us out of today’s struggles and conflicts. Who will that expert be when our youth are not up to the challenges of employees and society in Maine? If our youth do not face the challenges of Maine’s future, who will be there for us?
Ask any preschooler what they’d like to be when they grow up and they’ll all say they want to become teachers, doctors, nurses, or astronauts, all worthy careers, all of which require higher education, dedication, and perseverance. Yet too few of Maine’s rural high school students seek post-secondary education and training, and fewer than 32 percent of Maine residents 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree.
So how do we help young people develop the skills and attitudes necessary to achieve their goals? Numerous studies show that young people who are consistently cared for over the long term are more successful than those without mentor support.
Mentors provide structure and insight to help young people develop and instill ambitions and find the resources to help them achieve those goals. While planting the seeds for success is important, it is not enough. Mentoring promotes young people and helps them find orientation and resilience. In addition, nearly 121,000 Maine adults – approximately 11 percent of the adult population – began post-secondary education but did not complete a degree or certification.
Preserving and enriching the natural resources of our youth is the challenge the Lerner Foundation faced in 2016. The Lerner Foundation donated more than $ 8 million to support the aspirations of Maine students.
Game Loft launched the I Know ME program, which works with students in Grades 7-12 to create aspirations through healthy relationships, mentoring, field trips, and six years of exploring the state of Maine. Over a period of six years, the students get to know the people, places, geography, geology, economy, history, challenges and potential of their country. They also focus on self-awareness, which will help them set high goals and achieve high standards for academic and behavioral success.
The Data Innovation Project at the University of Southern Maine has assessed the six Aspirations Incubators programs since its inception. Here are some of their findings from the first three years and a sample of 250 students: 93 percent said the program helped them feel connected to their community. More than 70 percent showed positive growth in learning and school engagement, 95 percent said the program helped them discover new places and accept people who were different from them, and 70 percent reported greater resilience. The project also found that 99 percent of eighth graders in the programs believe they will graduate from high school and 88 percent believe they will achieve a post-secondary degree, while 93 percent said the program helped them get along with to feel connected to the community.
When “Timmy” joined the I Know ME program three years ago, he was afraid of traveling away from home or speaking to adults. Recently he said, “I love to travel and meet new people. If I become a meteorologist, I could be stationed anywhere in the world, but I always want to come home to Maine. ”
Our lives and our future depend on the young Maine folks like “Timmy”. Promoting and supporting your endeavors will pay off for the future of our country.
More articles from the BDN
source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/for-maines-future-we-must-raise-the-aspirations-of-our-young-people/
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