The Youth and Community Engagement Team engages individuals and communities in identifying the challenges that face their communities and creating the solutions needed to address those challenges. Our staff bring extensive, nationally-recognized experience in building the skills, abilities, programming, and knowledge of community members, especially traditionally marginalized populations, to help them realize their own leadership potential, to work toward a shared understanding of community problems, and to develop solutions through cross-sector systems reform. We bring a broad range of experience in developing infrastructure and providing support for meaningful community engagement, primarily focused on those populations who have been historically marginalized. We also bring expertise in meeting facilitation, community organizing, leadership training, and support of youth-adult partnerships.
Youth & Community Engagement (YCE) is a program
of the Cutler Institute at the University of Southern Maine
Through its different initiatives, the YCE team is working to strengthen communities in Maine so people experience health, well-being, and belonging. We do this by working with community partners to help support youth and adults to participate fully in creating the change that works for their community and in transforming systems to be more responsive to the people they are serving.
Why we do this work!
We Believe ...
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...that individually and collectively we can do better, and that the old way of working is not working anymore
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...people most affected by social problems have the capacity to change them, and find solutions with the right partners
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...that every person at the table can learn and grow from each other
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...in reciprocity: everyone has their own expertise, and all have something to contribute and something to gain
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...that every person has a right to a happy, healthy life where they contribute and feel included