Posted on Thursday January 19
Join The Community Schools at Opportunity Farm and Camden for a fabulous spaghetti dinner and cupcake sale this Saturday, January 21, from 5-6:30 at The Masonic Lodge in Rockport!
This fun, family-friendly event will include The Masonic Lodge’s famous spaghetti, scrumptious Community Schools’ salad, and best of all, our students’ very own homemade bread!
This year, students at both our campuses are baking their own bread daily, as part of our culinary arts program, which helps students learn to plan and prepare meals on a budget. For the past two years, our culinary program has focused on the local foods movement, and students have learned to plant, harvest, can and freeze their own food.
This year, they have made their own pickles, jam and applesauce, and they have invested in a community supported fisheries share. They have also become members of The Belfast Food Co-op, visited local farms, and consulted with local localvore chefs. With the guidance of our culinary instructors, each student is responsible for creating weekly meal plans, and preparing weekly meals for the entire school community. Students often incorporate dishes from their own family traditions, and by the end of the year, they have a broad range of culinary skills to take with them into their young adult lives.
Saturday’s dinner will help raise funds to support each of these students as they work toward high school completion. The dinner is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for children and $20.00 for families.
Dinner will be followed by a cupcake sale (the cupcakes will also be made by our students), and musical entertainment will be provided by our talented Americorps intern, Tim Anderson.
This event is a great way to meet our students and staff, and to show support for these exceptional young people as they work toward their dream of high school graduation. For more information, call 236-3000.
Posted on Wednesday November 30
On November 17, hearststudios in Camden was hopping with music, disco lights and fabulous food as more than 60 community members gathered to dance the night away in the name of a good cause. The occasion was the first ever Mamas for Mamas Ladies’ Night Out, a fundraiser for the Community Schools’ Passages Program for teen parents.
Passages, founded in 1994, helps 45 young parents throughout seven counties in Maine work toward their high school diploma. Each student receives individualized instruction in their own homes, thereby eliminating the need to secure daily transportation and childcare in order to attend school. Students complete course work in 24 core skill areas related to academics, parenting and life skills. They focus on everything from math, science, social studies and language arts to child development, budgeting and nutrition. Students also participate in group workshops and community service projects, and complete an intensive “passage”, or graduation project that addresses a particular challenge or goal for each student.
Earlier this year, Heather Hearst, board member of The Community Schools at Opportunity Farm and Camden, started brainstorming new ways to support the Passages Program. Knowing that many program participants are in need of baby supplies, she conceived of Mamas for Mamas, a combination baby shower/ ladies night out, to which each guest would bring a baby gift for a young family.
The result was spectacular. Weeks before the event, donations started coming in, and as more and more guests arrived on the big night, the newly renovated hearststudios began filling with baby clothes, diapers, Sippy cups, baby books, strollers, car seats and more. One guest brought a child-sized table and chairs, others brought toys, diaper bags and much needed winter gear.
Watching the guests arrive, Passages Program Director, Martha Kempe said, “This is amazing! To see so many people come out in support of these young families, it reminds you what an incredible community we live in.”
In the coming weeks, Kempe and the Passages teachers will distribute the gifts to their students, spreading holiday cheer as they go. Meanwhile, Hearst and The Community Schools’ staff and board members had high praise for the many volunteers and supporters who made this event possible. Hearst’s mothers group, the Hot Mamas, took the lead on organizing the event, and one of the Hot Mamas organized a diaper drive through her place of work. Each of the Mamas brought food for the potluck, including soups, salad, bread and wine. Hearst’s husband, Jason, set up the sound system and disco lights, while Heather took the lead in organizing food, decorations and other event details.
Anneli Skaar of Skaar Design designed a delightful invitation and guest book, Chocolatier Blue donated gorgeous chocolates, and Beauty Mark Spa donated a luxurious spa package as a raffle item. Amy Wilton took photographs, and each participant donated to the Passages scholarship and technology funds.
The whole event raised more than $3,000 for the Passages Program, and hundreds of baby gifts. The Community Schools at Opportunity Farm and Camden extend their sincere thanks to all who participated in making the night such an overwhelming success. Head of Schools Dr. Dorothy Foote said, “We simply couldn’t do it without the support of our community and we are so grateful to everyone who supported this wonderful event.”
Posted on Wednesday November 16
There’s only one place to be this Thursday night: Hearst Studios in Camden. The occasion is the first ever Mamas for Mamas Ladies’ Night Out, to support The Community Schools’ Passages Program for teen parents. On tap are the music of DJ Carly, fabulous food and libations, the delectable chocolates of Chocolatier Blue, and even the chance to win a full spa package from Beauty Mark Spa.
This is a “don’t miss” event, and best of all, it will support young mothers in our community who are working toward their high school diplomas. The Passages Program was founded in 1994, and serves 45 young parents throughout the Midcoast (and beyond) who are working toward high school completion while raising their young children. Many of these parents are in need of baby supplies, and each guest is asked to bring a new, unwrapped baby item for young families in our community.
Suggested donations include new blankets, hats, mittens, sippy cups, push toys, children’s books, diaper wipes, burp cloths, strollers, infant car seats, high chairs and more. Cash donations are also encouraged, and will be used for additional supplies, and scholarship funds.
Mamas for Mamas is a production of Heather Hearst, Diana Castle, The Hot Mamas, and Hearst Studios, with additional support from Chocolatier Blue, DJ Carly, Beauty Mark Spa, and Anneli Skaar of Skaar Design. Mamas for Mamas will be held from 6-9 pm, and guests are asked to make a $10 donation at the door. For more information about this event call 236-3000, ex. 110.
Posted on Monday August 22
Life Lessons
Written by Joy Hollowell
BangorMetro
An alternative high school in Maine is offering young parents a second chance at an education. Amanda Cates was 14 years old when her mother left. “My mom met a guy online in Scotland. She went over there in July, married him in August, and didn’t come back,” Cates says. The teenager describes the pain from that as “damaging” and admits she turned to alcohol and drugs. She also dropped out of school. Soon after, Cates left her home in Waldoboro and joined a traveling fair as a game booth operator. “That was my life,” says Cates, “And as strange as it sounds, [the fair workers] were my family.”
At 19, Cates found out she was pregnant. The father of her unborn child was abusive, claims Cates, and she was still heavily into drugs and drinking. “I had no intention of keeping this baby,” she says. But then, the mother-to-be heard her baby’s heartbeat. “Something changed that day,” says Cates, “and I just knew I couldn’t do to my little girl what my own mom did to me. I knew I had to work hard to be the best mom possible for her.” Cates says she stopped using drugs and alcohol that very day and has remained sober since. She also moved in with an aunt and uncle and cut off ties to her boyfriend. “I was starting over; learning how to live my life again on the outside, so to speak,” she says.
At Rockland high school, senior Jenna Arsenault had her future mapped out. After graduation, she would enroll in college to become a special education teacher. But halfway through the school year, that perfectly laid out plan changed completely. She got pregnant.
During her third trimester, Arsenault dropped out of school. “It just got to be too much,” she says.
After her son, Bradley, was born, Arsenault contemplated going back to public school. But the new mom couldn’t bear the thought of being away from her son for one second. And there were practical problems too, like who would watch her baby while she was in class?
For Arsenault, as well as Cates, the Passages Program was her solution to getting an education. Instead of going to school, the teachers travel to their students’ homes. And rather than a Maine High School Equivalency Diploma (GED), students graduate with a diploma from an actual high school. “I liked that a lot,” Arsenault says.
Passages is run through The Community School in Camden, Maine’s first alternative high school. The private facility was founded in 1973 by Dora Lievow and Emanuel Pariser. The couple, both teachers, saw that the traditional classroom setting didn’t work for everyone. They came up with a teaching practice called relational education. “It’s based on the idea that the most fundamental part of a successful educational experience revolves around the relationship teachers and students can establish with one another,” explains Pariser, who, along with Lievow, retired from the school in 2006. “Helpful relationships are characterized by high levels of trust, respect, and accountability between teachers and students and within the whole learning community.”
The learning is self-directed and custom-tailored. Teachers typically meet one-on-one with students, and coursework is project-based, such as essays and demonstrations. In addition to their academics, the students are also responsible for chores around the campus and cooking meals. And they are required to intern or apprentice at local businesses.
When it first started, The Community School was a residential program where students lived on campus for the school year. In the early 1990s, a student enrolled in The Community School became pregnant. “We searched for educational models that would work for students for whom we couldn’t provide a residence,” explains Pariser.
He and Lievow identified three main obstacles for teen moms and dads: transportation, childcare, and housing. In 1994, the duo started the Passages Program. The idea is to allow young parents the opportunity to learn academics, as well as life skills, at their own pace and in their own setting. “It’s based on an individualized learning plan, because every student comes in with different levels of education, different levels of need,” says Martha Kempe, director of the Passages Program.
The program is for pregnant and parenting teens and can accept up to 20 students in Waldo, Knox, and parts of Lincoln County. About three years ago, a satellite Passages Program started up at the Cobscook Community Learning Center (CCLC) in Trescott Township. “I always love to share that our very first two graduates went on to college,” says Charley Martin-Berry, coordinator of the Passages Program at CCLC and one of two teachers there. Up to 15 students can be served at the Washington County school, and they graduate with a diploma from The Community School. And when school starts up again next month, so will a third Passages Program at Opportunity Farm in New Gloucester. The nonprofit, social service organization helps at-risk teenagers in Southern Maine.
Prospective students must apply to attend the Passages Program. “There are four steps,” says Martin-Berry. Once the application is received, a home visit is scheduled to explain the program in detail. If the prospective student still seems interested, they go in for an interview. “We look at their education history, family background, relationships, if they’ve had any problems with substance abuse, things like that. It’s a really lengthy process.” The fourth and final step is a challenge, set forth by the school. It can be in the form of questions or small projects that the teenagers have to complete within a month. “It shows us how self-motivated they can be,” Martin-Berry says. “Can they work at home, without a classroom setting? We need to know if they will be able to succeed with self-directed learning.”
Colby Richardson joined the program with his girlfriend, after they found out she was pregnant. Both had already dropped out of high school. “The program has taught me a lot about life itself,” says the 19-year-old from East Machias. “It has helped me grow as a parent. I learned new things about my daughter. It helped me connect more with her and heightened the fathering experience.”
The Passages curriculum is much different than other schools. Students must complete 24 core skills, as they are called, in order to graduate. These subjects cover academics, as well as parenting and life skills. There are courses on math, reading, and writing, along with home safety and organization, job hunting, and conflict resolution. In many cases, the students also earn their driver’s license during the school year.
“Each core skill consists of various tasks or objectives that the students must complete,” explains Martin-Berry. “The approach is different for every student. Some core skills take awhile for the students, like self-care and critical thinking, while others, like pregnancy, are tackled pretty quickly. Everybody’s final paper will look different, but they all have to demonstrate that the student understands that skill.”
There are also monthly workshops related to the core skills, and the students must complete at least six hours of community service.
The average age of students in the Passages Program is 18. The school will accept someone who is 14, although the youngest student they’ve ever had was 15. The cutoff is 20, but once they are in the program, they try to help them stay. “We have a student right now that’s 24,” Kempe says.
Twenty-year-old Amanda Coley is hoping to finish the program by December. The Rockland woman started with Passages last year. She quit public school at the age of 16, soon after giving birth to her daughter. “I really didn’t want to [quit school],” Coley says, “but I had started the 11th grade two weeks late and just couldn’t keep up.”
Coley now has an infant son. She knows it will be tougher to stay on course with two young kids in the house. Still, she’s encouraged by the confidence she’s gained through the Passages Program. “I actually passed the math test,” Coley says and smiles. “I did it. I passed with a 95. Shocked myself. I wasn’t expecting to do so well because I was struggling with it so bad. Made me feel really good.”
Coley also gives kudos to her teacher. “I have trust issues,” admits the young mom, revealing that her own mother is in and out of jail. “I don’t open up to a lot of people. Heather [King] has helped me regain that.”
“It’s definitely not just teaching,” says Heather King, who teaches at the Camden school. “This week, I was on a mission to find baby items for two of the girls. One of them is due in two weeks. I went to several second-hand shops looking for a crib and a car seat.” The week before, King drove one of her students to a doctor’s appointment, and another to the hospital for a tour of the delivery and maternity rooms.
Her colleague, Andrea Itkin, whose background includes 10 years working in a domestic violence center, remembers dealing with a homeless crisis not too long ago. “I was on the phone for weeks,” says Itkin, “trying to find this student a place to live.”
Both women agree that for many of the students, their role is more of surrogate mom. “That’s it in a nutshell,” King says. “That’s a missing piece for a lot of these girls—it’s very rare if they have one.” King adds that a lot of the students parent their own parents. “It makes me emotional just to think about it,” she says, her voice catching a bit.
“Some of our students have loving, concerned parents and extended family members,” Itkin chimes in. “However, all of our students benefit from our close attention to their academic and emotional needs. It is one of the reasons our program is successful. The nurture and care that we give them really makes a difference. We’re actually listening to what they have to say, and we’re respecting them as adults and as parents. That would work well for anyone, right?”
“The real challenge is finding a balance between nurturing them and upping their standards,” adds King. “You’re giving them all the things they need emotionally from you. They start to trust you, and a relationship develops. And then, you can push them a little bit.”
Teachers meet with students at least once a week in the students’ homes. It translates to a lot of travel. “Our students are living on the edge, literally and figuratively,” says Martin-Berry. She and the other teacher in Washington County rack up more than 1,500 miles a month driving to meet their students.
The students all work on a laptop that is assigned to them, and grading is based on a pass/fail system. Those that want to go on to college can request grades instead. Students graduate from Passages with a private high school diploma, approved by the Maine Department of Education.
Once the students have passed their core skills, they must complete a final project, known as a “Passage.” The goal is to find one challenge, fear, or passion in life and turn it into a learning experience. A team made up of the student, a teacher, staff member, past graduate, someone in the student’s “support system”, and an expert in the area they chose for their project all help in the planning and presentation of it.
Leana Hendrickson remembers her “Passage” like it was yesterday. The 2006 graduate put on a dance show. “I love to dance but had always had a fear of perform-ing in front of people,” says the Waldoboro woman. “I wanted to get over that.”
Hendrickson says in addition to getting over her stage fright, she also got to work with a professional dance instructor. The mother of two says Passages gave her so much, including the necessary tools to survive being a young parent. “Me and my husband were just learning how to live on our own,” she says. “The program taught us how to budget, how to shop for the best prices for groceries, all kinds of stuff that you really need to know in the real world. I didn’t need to know how to go on to college; I needed to know how to raise a family.”
Kim Taliadouros graduated from the Passages Program 10 years ago. “I don’t even dare to imagine the person I would be without the school,” says the Camden woman. “When I started the program, I saw myself as a statistic, a teen parent who would never achieve. I felt eyes on me everywhere I went and was nervous to approach those I considered adults for fear of being judged,” Taliadouros says. “The Community School staff never judged me—they made me feel like an equal, someone who could achieve anything I set my heart on.” Taliadouros now sits on her town’s budget committee. Kempe and the teachers from The Community School still check up on her all these years later. “Passages molded me from the wary, frightened teen to the responsible, hardworking parent I am today,” Taliadouros says proudly.
There is no cost for students to attend the school. The Passages program gets a majority of its funding from subsidies provided by the public school districts where the students live. “These are students that might otherwise drop out,” says Kempe, “so it’s a benefit to the school.” Other funding comes from grants from organizations like The Maine Women’s Fund, which recently awarded the program $10,000. The Maine Children’s Trust and Maine Family Literacy Program also contribute. There are also private foundations and donors.
Kempe admits it’s a challenge to balance the budget each year. She says much of the money they used to receive dried up with recent state and federal budget cuts. “We used to be year-round, but last year, we moved to a 10-month academic year,” Kempe says.
Amanda Yates is doing her part to pay back the school. For the past four years, the Passages alum has come back to the Camden school to teach the first aid core skill workshop. The 2006 graduate credits Passages for getting her life on track. “The direction I was headed wasn’t good,” says Yates. “I was married at 17 because I thought I had to. You get to a certain point where you’re depressed, and your confidence level is down because you’re always doing the wrong steps. I really wanted to do something for myself and my kids.”
After graduation, Yates joined the Maine Army National Guard, where she excelled to the rank of Specialist. “I wouldn’t have the life I have right now if it weren’t for the Passages Program. They’re awesome. I just can’t say enough good stuff about them,” says Yates.
Kempe was recently honored at the Blaine House with the Commissioner of Education Recognition Award for her work on behalf of “at-risk” youth. “I think the main goal for our students is to recognize that this is their life,” says Kempe. “And yeah, they’ve become parents at a young age, but they can still have a sense of responsibility and accountability for their lives.”
Like most of the students, Jenna Arsenault credits her child with keeping her motivated. The teenager graduated from the program in June 2011. For her final Passages project, Arsenault interned with a special education teacher in Thomaston. As a result of that, the school hired Arsenault on as a teacher’s aide. Arsenault says she’s proud of her accomplishments and, most importantly, the role model she’s created for her son. “When he does get older, I can say I did get my diploma, so you’re going to, too.”
Amanda Cates now works with Alzheimer’s patients. She also ended up taking a course to answer calls for a domestic violence hotline. Cates says she is now in a healthy relationship and raising a second daughter. “The Community School will never know how much they have helped me and other students,” says Cates. “Passages truly saved my life.”
JOY HOLLOWELL A native of New York, Joy Hollowell has called Maine home since the turn of the century. For the past nine years, she’s been a reporter and co-anchor of the Morning Show on WABI-TV. In her spare time she enjoys the great outdoors with her husband and two sons.
Posted on Wednesday July 20
The Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) recently featured The Community School on its program, Maine Things Considered. Community School staff spoke with reporter, Tom Porter, on our recent merger with Opportunity Farm in New Gloucester.
You can read (and hear!) the story via this link: School Merger Aims to Help More Maine ‘At Risk’ Youth
Posted on Monday June 20
Over 150 people filled High Mountain Hall on May 20 as The Community School’s Residential Class of 2011 celebrated graduation and were awarded their high school diplomas. After a rainy but festive procession through downtown Camden, students were acknowledged with a standing ovation as they entered the hall in brightly colored caps and gowns.
Residential Program Director Joseph Hufnagel opened the ceremony by acknowledging the students and thanking the staff and community for their commitment to the school. “Community is at the core of our school,” he said, before leading a celebration of all the “unsung heroes” in the room. Hufnagel called out various groups- staff, board members, tutors, friends, aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, alumni, native Mainers, distant travelers, school founders, student employers, volunteers and other school supporters, until most everyone in attendance had stood and been recognized with applause.
He thanked school founders Dora Lievow and Emanuel Pariser for “getting us started,” he thanked staff for “creating a powerful learning environment,” and he thanked parents for “trusting us with your children.” He then took attendees on a jaunt down memory lane, reading a lengthy list of student activities and accomplishments throughout the year, barely pausing for breath as he touched upon everything from student work placements, academics and volunteer work to a hike up the face of Maiden Cliff, handing out meals through a Meals on Wheels program in New York City and even the building of “Ursula the giant snowwoman” on the C-School’s front lawn. “Thank you for supporting us and our small school and this remarkable team of young people,” he said.
Attendees then watched a short video slideshow of each of the students throughout the year, as some of their favorite songs played in the background. Lead Teacher Carrie Braman then stood to announce that staff members had joined together to write a poem about each of the students, and said, “You have become the exquisite people you had hoped to become.”
After each student had heard their poem and been awarded their diplomas, they took the microphone themselves to thank staff members, friends and families and fellow students. Tasia Whitaker thanked the staff for helping her find herself and said, “Nine months ago, I didn’t know who I was.” Ayla Shade Johnson also thanked staff members, the community and her fellow students, turning to face each group as she did so. She said the teachers and the community had inspired her, and that she is stronger, more confident and ready for the future. Caleb Terry thanked each staff member individually, with a short story, and even called Residential House Director Emily Sapienza to the floor to share one last silly dance routine with the student body. “We might be seen as drop-outs and stuff,” he said, “but we’re here, getting our diplomas.”
Hufnagel then invited attendees to speak, and one by one family members, volunteers and other school supporters stood to talk about the school, and about the graduates. Joseph Socobasin, Passamaquoddy Tribe Chief and father of a 2009 graduate, thanked the staff and said, “The work they do is just unbelievable. I think you should invite Governor LePage here to see what you do; how you build each kid up and build their confidence. If all schools were like this, we’d have a much higher graduation rate.”
Roger Dell, Director of Education at The Farnsworth Museum, and a member of The Harvard School of Education faculty spoke about his experience working with the students on art and creative projects. “These are the most amazing kids, “he said. “This is an extraordinary small school, a hallmark of the way we should be educating kids. These kids are going to do great things. I hope and expect to see them at Harvard one day.”
Next up: Passages Graduation on June 18!
Posted on Thursday June 16
In April, the Students at The Community School recorded, ‘abc stories’. Based on their learning of American Sign Language at the school, each letter in the ASL alphabet is acted out in order to convey the narrative of a story. These stories are truly creative and play an important part in deaf culture.
Here is Ayla Johnson’s abc story, ‘Finger Painting’:
Posted on Sunday May 29
The Community School is thrilled that the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance (MWPA) is sponsoring a reading and reception with Pulitzer Prize winning and NY Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout on Sunday, June 5 at The Rockport Opera House. This event, a benefit for The Community School, will be held from 4-6pm and will include a reading, wine and hors d’oeuvres, a question and answer session with the author, and a book signing.
Ms. Strout, author of Amy & Isabelle, Abide with Me and Olive Kitteridge, grew up in Portland and now divides her time between Maine and New York. On June 5, she will read from Olive Kitteridge, and will be introduced by fellow Maine writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo. Russo says of Strout, who is currently working on a new novel set in Maine and New York City, “In an age when there seems to be at least ten of everything, Elizabeth Strout is a singular writer. Her clear voice and unsparing vision set her apart, and this, ironically, makes us wish there were more like her.”
The MWPA is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to enrich the cultural life of Maine by supporting writers, publishers, and the literary arts. Founded in 1975, MWPA is the only organization in Maine devoted solely to advancing literature and the writing life and is the largest, per capita, writing organization in the entire United States.
The Community School is grateful for the support of MWPA, and their commitment to working with educational and arts organizations throughout Maine. Other generous sponsors of this event include Charles and Julie Cawley, Richard and Mary Jane Schotte, Richard and Barbara Russo, Maine Magazine and Maine Home & Design. Additional support is provided by The Camden Public Library.
Tickets are $25 and are available at The Community School and The Owl & Turtle Book Shop. For more information, call The Community School at 236-3000, x110, or visit www.thecommunityschool.org. For more information about The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, visit www.mainewriters.org.
Posted on Thursday May 19
The Community School’s Residential Class of 2010 is graduating on May 20, and preparing to head off to college and summer jobs. One of those graduates is 19 year old Caleb Terry of Bradford, who said of his time at the school, “I didn’t know what to expect when I first came to the school in September. It’s different from public school because the focus is on you as an individual, and on social justice and diversity. You learn different things, different relationships. You learn more about yourself, and because of that you understand other cultures. It’s a good program academically and sociologically. All of the staff are nice and the whole community helps. We try to give back.”
One of the ways students give back is through the school’s internship program, which matches students with part-time job placements at area businesses. While the program benefits local businesses, it also helps students prepare for post-graduation employment.
Terry held three internships this year, working Monday mornings at the Camden Public Library, Tuesday mornings at local radio station WRFR, and Wednesday and Thursdays mornings at the Lincoln Street Arts Center. Terry said all three internships have helped him build communication skills, learn workplace responsibility, build his resume and graduate with references that will help him in the future.
On a recent Monday morning, we caught up with Terry at the library, where he had just finished helping with a large mailing project for National Library Week. According to library Deputy Director Jamie Ritter, Terry also helps library staff with everything from sweeping the front walk to cleaning computers, organizing book shelves and helping in the children’s room. “We’ve really enjoyed Caleb’s help,” Ritter said. The library has been involved with the Community School’s internship program for two years now, and Ritter said, “The students we’ve had have been phenomenal. It’s just been terrific.”
Terry spoke fondly of all three of his internships, including the opportunity to host his own weekly radio show at WRFR. Terry said he plays primarily hip-hop, and that his favorite part of his hour long show is developing play lists. “And I get to be on the air.”
Terry hopes to pursue a liberal arts degree at Eastern Maine Community College, and is one of 24 students graduating from The Community School this spring.
Posted on Thursday May 19
The Community School is thrilled that The Camden Public Library is supporting a reading and reception with Pulitzer Prize winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout on Sunday, June 5 at The Rockport Opera House. This event, a benefit for The Community School, will be held from 4-6pm and will include a reading, wine and hors d’oeuvres, a question and answer session with the author, and a book signing.
Ms. Strout, author of Amy & Isabelle, Abide with Me and Olive Kitteridge, grew up in Portland and now divides her time between Maine and New York. On June 5, she will read from Olive Kitteridge, and will be introduced by fellow Maine writer and Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo. Russo says of Strout, who is currently working on a new novel set in Maine and New York City, “In an age when there seems to be at least ten of everything, Elizabeth Strout is a singular writer. Her clear voice and unsparing vision set her apart, and this, ironically, makes us wish there were more like her.”
The Community School has enjoyed a strong community partnership with The Camden Public Library over the years, and is delighted to have their support for this event. For the past two years, Community School students have served as part time interns at the library, which has also served as a key educational and community resource for the school. Each student holds a library card, and because the library is within walking distance of the school, it has become an important part of daily life for Community School students.
Library Deputy Director Jamie Ritter said, “We have been extremely pleased with our partnership with the Community School. Having students intern at the library is great for us, and knowing that we’re helping to round-out the high school experience for some of the Community School students is rewarding.”
Generous sponsors of this event include Charles and Julie Cawley, Richard and Mary Jane Schotte, Richard and Barbara Russo, Maine Magazine and Maine Home & Design.
Tickets are $25 and are available at The Community School and The Owl & Turtle Book Shop. For more information, call The Community School at 236-3000, x110, or visit www.thecommunityschool.org. For more information about The Camden Public Library, visit www.librarycamden.org.
