Happenings

By Jade Arn

The Community School has received a $5000 endowment to create the Next Step Fund for graduates of the school who want to further their education. This will augment the Outreach Program the School already offers all former students, by providing assistance to them with a variety of educational costs.

Levi Walton, a South Thomaston resident, has always wanted to be able to give money to something meaningful. "There is something spiritual about giving away money to something that is meaningful to you," he said, adding that he "felt called to do it, with almost a mystical attraction to the idea." Walton decided to make a sizable donation in honor of Bill Panton, a man who had made a profound impact on his life.

Walton attended college in Pennsylvania with Panton’s son Steven and was introduced to the family through him. He migrated to Maine in 1972 to help them build their house in exchange for room and board. Over the years, Walton said, Panton became a mentor to him and he felt compelled to give something back.

In August 2003 Walton informed Panton, who had played an integral role in the Community School’s formative years, of his intentions. Together they discussed the possibilities. Panton thought about the Community School and what resources were available to graduates who wanted to pursue further education. With that, the next Step idea was born.

The endowment is seed money that will be conservatively invested so that the principal can grow slowly and steadily over time. Any interest and gains generated by the investment will be placed in a fund available to graduates who need help with expenses that might otherwise be a barrier to their continuing education.

Walton, who is a Ranger at Camden Hills State Park as well as the proprietor of a firewood business called Firewood After Dark, said that he has made various donations throughout his life, but that this is the largest by far. He believes that a large donation to one organization can make more of an impact than making several small ones to various groups.

Generally, Walton added, he prefers to donate anonymously. In this case he chose not to because he wants to actively participate in fundraising for the program, hopefully beginning this fall. Coming forward as the donor, he said, will allow him to "play a fostering role in its development, because the endowment was just the beginning. It’s like launching a purposeful boat and helping it through its maiden voyage."

For 31 years, the Community School, an alternative high school located in Camden, has been a pioneer in the model of relational education "a teaching method that supports the development of healthy, reciprocal, multifaceted relationships among students, teachers, and community members." Upon meeting the School’s criteria for graduation, students earn an approved high school diploma.

The Community School offers three programs: the six month Residential Program for students between the ages of 16 and 20, the home-centered Passages Program for pregnant and parenting teens, and the post-graduate Outreach Program for alumni and their families. In addition to these, the School offers an Internship Program for educators interested in relational education.

For further information about the Community School and the Next Step Program or to make a donation, contact the School at 207.236.3000 or visit the school’s website at www.thecommunityschool.org. or contact Levi Walton at 354-6780.