Healthy Acadia to Host Gateway for Opportunity Youth Project for Second Year
For immediate release
Date: April 22, 2022
Program Contact: Corrie Hunkler, corrie.hunkler@healthyacadia.org (207) 255-3741
Media Contact: Tracey Carlson, tracey@healthyacadia.org, (207) 667-7171 Ext. 112
Healthy Acadia to Host Gateway for Opportunity Youth Project for Second Year
Healthy Acadia is thrilled to partner with Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) for the second consecutive year to serve as a Gateway for Opportunity (G20) host site. Gateway to Opportunity (G2O) is a six-week, paid summer workforce program that pairs youth ages 16-18 with a local business, organization, or government agency to work on a team to design a community project that centers youth voice. Healthy Acadia is one of just four Maine organizations serving as a G20 host site this summer.
Interested youth ages 16-18 are invited to apply to join a small team of peers and partner with Healthy Acadia and the Downeast Teen Leadership Camp (DETLC) in Machias. The G20 youth team will support the visioning, designing, implementing, and debriefing of the 2022 Camp session, with a specific focus on equity and access throughout the summer. G20 offers a unique opportunity for youth to join a network of emerging leaders, receive innovative job and leadership training, build their professional network, explore career interests, gain experience, and develop critical work skills.
Team members will earn $15 per hour and must commit to working 20 hours per week for six weeks - 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday - beginning July 11, 2022, and continuing through August 18, 2022. The schedule includes two-hour career workshops every Thursday.
Interested students should apply as early as possible for this unique and competitive opportunity. Youth interested in applying to the Gateway for Opportunity (G20) program may do so online at https://maineyouthactionnetwork.formstack.com/forms/gateway_to_opportunity_summer_2022.
For questions or more information about the program or application, please call or email Alastair Lawson, Program Manager, at alastair.lawson@opportunityalliance.org, Lauren Lindenbaum, Youth Engagement Coordinator, at lauren.lindenbaum@opportunityalliance.org.
Based out of The Opportunity Alliance in Portland, Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) is a statewide network of committed adults and passionate young people who believe in the transformative power of youth leadership. MYAN works together with partners in communities throughout Maine to foster the healthy development of youth and create a thriving network of engaged leaders. Learn more at www.myan.org.
DownEast Teen Leadership Camp (DETLC) is an annual, five-day residential summer program for teens entering grades 7-9. The program aims to help teens build strong social, communication, and leadership skills, support emotional resiliency, and empower them to steer clear of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. The program offers an incredibly impactful experience and an opportunity for youth to build long-lasting relationships with peers and to connect with their communities as a whole. Many campers attend in multiple years and return as staff as high school and college students. For more information about DownEast Teen Leadership Camp, contact Sara McConnell at Sara@HealthyAcadia.org, or Corrie Hunkler at Corrie.Hunkler@HealthyAcadia.org.
Healthy Acadia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that engages in a broad range of initiatives to build healthier communities and make it easier for people to lead healthy lives across Washington and Hancock counties, Maine. Learn more at www.healthyacadia.org.
###