It's April, which means STRIVE Rocks 2024 is next month! There's still plenty of time to register and start your fundraising!
All you'll need to do is fundraise a minimum of $75 to participate. We also have other incentives if you’d like to continue your fundraising! -Raise $100 or more and you'll get a STRIVE Rocks T-Shirt! -Beome a STRIVE Rocks All-Star (raise $250) and receive a STRIVE Rocks t-shirt and STRIVE baseball hat!
-Become a STRIVE Rocks MVP (raise $500) and receive a STRIVE Rocks t-shirt, STRIVE baseball hat and STRIVE sweatpants!
-Become a STRIVE Rocks VIP (raise $1,000) and receive all of the above plus a STRIVE Rocks sweatshirt!
Remember, we have other prizes for our top fundraisers!
Check out some easy suggestions on how to become a STRIVE Rocks All-Star in no time!
ID: colorful speech bubbles with tips on how to raise money for STRIVE Rocks. The STRIVE Rocks logo is in the top left.
This year’s STRIVE Rocks is extra special for a number of reasons; not only will it be our 20th year of holding our all-night dance marathon, but it will be our first STRIVE Rocks back in person since 2019!
STRIVE Rocks 2024 will take place from 8pm Friday, May 17th-8am, Saturday, May 18th at STRIVE (28 Foden Road, South Portland, Maine). We'll have everything you loved about past in-person events -- bands, theme hours, games & activities, prizes, and of course...dancing! Visit our STRIVE Rocks website HERE for more information about the event!
We hope you'll rock with us in May! Questions about the event? Contact Whitney at wwildes@pslstrive.org!
Not interested in staying up all night long? There's plenty of ways to be involved. Scroll below to find out more!
Program Updates
Here's what's happening in our programs!
STRIVE U
Happy Spring! Students beat off the winter blues by staying active and exploring all Portland has to offer! This past month students attended a Maine Mariners game, saw the Portland in Bloom exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art, and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of EcoMaine.
First-year students have been continuing to master their cooking skills in their culinary class at SMCC. This month they made homemade Chicken Nuggets, Mac N Cheese, and Blueberry Muffins! Second-year students have been working on their public speaking skills in their communications class- getting ready for graduation!
ID:3 STRIVE U Students in a large kitchen. They are all smiling, giving two thumbs up and wearing aprons.
ID: 3 STRIVE U students in yellow vests and hard hats. They are outside with high piles of recycling behind them.
ID: 3 STRIVE U students smiling at the camera. There is a painting of a moose behind them.
STRIVE U is a comprehensive two-year residential, post-secondary educational opportunity for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. To learn more about the program, schedule a tour, or get an application, please contact admissions@pslstrive.org or call (207) 774.6278.
It's been a month of shadows.. shadow students that is! TOPS has welcomed 21 prospective students this year into our program to spend a session fully integrated into our program. These students will continue on in our intake process for our 2024-2025 school year.
Our current students explored many stores this month using various modes of transportation; walking, driving and bussing. While at these stores, students were tasked with comparing costs of alike items to see the best quality and price.
March was also a great time for students to work on routine tasks like grocery shopping and identifying personal preferences related to many areas of their lives. Students gained confidence in making choices and being intentional about their purchases whether it was for a snack at Hannaford or completing necessary errands for classroom supplies.
ID: TOPS student sitting at a table working on a worksheet in a binder.
ID: TOPS student looking at a food display at a store. Theres a variety of snacks on the shelf and a large sign that sauys "Grab N' Go"
ID: 2 TOPS students at the grocery store. There is a variety of fruits behind them. They are both writing on clipboards.
TOPS (Transition Outcomes Program for Students) provides transition programming for high school students from area school districts who are typically 18 years and older. For more information, please contact Ryanne Desjardins at rdesjardins@pslstrive.org or by phone at 207-879-0847.
ID: Image of a laptop with information about SWW courses. There's also icons of a small chef's hat with kitchen tooks, a person holding a weight over their head, 2 bandages making the shape of an X, and two heads with conversation bubbles.
STRIVE WorldWIDE is STRIVE's online program that teaching independent living skills. For more information about STRIVE WorldWIDE, contact Courtney Veinotte at cveinotte@pslstrive.org or call 207-712-0048.
It was a fun-filled month at Bayside! We spent the beginning of the month researching the history of St Partick’s Day and the country of Ireland at the Portland Public Library. We celebrated the holiday by baking an Irish soda bread, making homemade mashed potatoes for a shepherd’s pie, and by wearing green of course! We also enjoyed exploring the Portland Art Museum and seeing their newest exhibit, ‘Art in Bloom’. All the beautiful floral arrangements made us very excited for spring!
ID: 2 Bayside partcipants outside of the Portland Museum of Art. They are standing in a doorway covered with flowers.
ID: Bayside participant standing in a kitchen. In front are two baked goods that he made.
ID: Group of Bayside standing inside and smiling. There is a hanging sign behind them that says "Happy St. Patrick's Day".
ID: Bayside participants and staff standing in a circle. The picture is of their feet/socks.
On the 21st of March we honored World Down Syndrome Day by wearing mismatched socks as part of the “Rock Your Socks” campaign to raise awareness.
For more information on Bayside, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
WAVES: This month we started our Chair Yoga session over at STRIVE Studios! There, we get to try out a variety of different yoga moves and techniques. We partner with Sea Change Yoga and get to work with instructor, Lisa, every Tuesday! Yoga helps us to maintain healthy minds and bodies and yoga has been a great way to start our week. Trying yoga can be intimidating, however, chair yoga is a great introduction and makes doing yoga really fun and accessible for us.
ACTIVE: This month we have spent lots of time volunteering at our local Preble Street Food Hub. Every week we stop by to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that are then distributed to Preble Street clients who are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. We love visiting with the staff that are there and we always look forward to joking around and catching up with them. The work that we do here is really important.We have been volunteering at Preble Street for almost 2 years!
ID: WAVES participants doing chair yoga.
ID: ACTIVE participant smiling at the camera. He is sitting down and putting grape jelly on bread.
For more information on ACTIVE or WAVES, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
Another great month here at Strive Studios! Tops came by to do some art. Our photography group went to the moon! Participants have been busy painting, glazing and drawing. Our yearbook committee has reconvened to start making this year’s yearbook. Can’t wait to see what next month brings!
ID: 2 STRIVE Studios participants posing next to eachother and smiling.
For more information on STRIVE Studios, please contact Community Support Program Director, Veerle Pottie, at vpottie@pslstrive.org.
Our April Wednesday Night Ed Series is all about sustainability and "going green"! In this series, we will talk about sustainability, tips to live in a more environmentally conscious way, beginner gardening skills, and more! We will also have guests from eco Maine joining us for a class! As a reminder, students must register before the first class!
ID: light green background with an image of two hands holding an earth with green leaves, clouds, and a sun.
The Wednesday Night Educational Series is held every Wednesday in person for participants 15-24 years old. Series are between 4 and 8 weeks and topics vary from month to month! The price per series is $30-$40, depending on the series' length. For more information or for your link to join class, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
Camp STRIVE is looking forward to April break! Check out the schedule below and then head to our website to register! April Camp is $70 per day and first come first served.
While you're there, check out some information about Summer Camp STRIVE as well! Registration for Summer Camp STRIVE is OPEN! More details about the schedule coming soon!
ID: weekly camp schedule with a red flower in the top right and a pink, orange, and blue flower in the bottom left.
Camp STRIVE is a day-camp experience for campers between the ages of 11-24. Camp STRIVE is held every school vacation (Winter, February, and April) as well as for the full summer. For more information about Camp STRIVE, contact Alex Woodhouse at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
Tweens
Tweens had another fabulous March! Guests from UNE's OT department joined us and led some fun activities! We did a St Patrick's Day scavenger hunt, sang karaoke, and made crepes! Yum!
ID: Two tweens coloring in leprochauns
ID: Tweens and volunteers sitting looking at a table with matchbox cars
ID: Two tweens working together and crafting
Our tweens program has more exciting plans for April! This month, we will have special guest's from UNE's Department of Occupational Therapy leading activities! Check out our website for each week's activity!
ID: there are color blobs of red, yellow, blue and pink in the top left corner and along the bottom. On the top right and bottom right, there are wavy black lines. Tweens program information is in the center in a white rectangle.
Tweens is a safe and fun environment to build new friendships and learn new skills for folks 11-14 years old. We run every Friday from 3:30-5:30pm. We have a scheduled activity each week, with free time built in to maximize socialization. For more information about STRIVE Tweens, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
STRIVE Night celebrated March with a St. Patrick's Day Party! Attendees came decked out in green and played freeze dance and pin the hat on the leprechaun. It was a blast!
ID:2 participants smiling at each other in front of a green backdrop with clovers.
ID: two participants in front of a green wall with clovers.
STRIVE Night has another fun month of activities ready for April... all involving music and dancing! We're also excited for our Spring Fling theme night on April 29th! We hope to see you there!
ID: pink background with white, blue, red, and purple flowers along the bottom.
Friday Nights at STRIVE, fondly referred to as "STRIVE Night," is a relaxed but fun evening of socialization for 15-24 year olds. New members are always welcome, and your first night is free! STRIVE Night is Friday from 6-9pm, with at least one special "theme" night happening each month. For more information, contact Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org.
Our next meeting will be on April 4th - A Spring Fling party! As always there will be a delicious meal, competitive bingo, and a great time with friends! You don't want to miss it!
ID: white background with pink, orange, red, and green flowers along the bottom.
STRIVE 25 is a social event for folks 25 and older. It currently runs in-person on the first Thursday of every month from 6-8pm For more information on STRIVE 25, contact Whitney at wwildes@pslstrive.org or Alex at awoodhouse@pslstrive.org!
Save the date for upcoming STRIVE fundraisers and events!
STRIVE Rocks 2024!
We told you all about STRIVE Rocks above, but there are so many other ways to be part of this exciting event- and not all involve staying up all night!Take a look at some of our needs below. Don't forget- STRIVE Rocks will take place from 8pm, Friday, May 17th until 8am, Saturday, May 18th!
ID: STRIVE Rocks flyer with information about ways to be involved in the event. The STRIVE Rocks logo is in the top corner and there are colorful blocks with opportunity information in them.
Volunteer for a STRIVE Rocks shift! Since our event is back in person, we have volunteer needs that we didn't have in past years. Email Whitney at wwildes@pslstrive.org to learn more about what is available!
Become a sponsor! See our available sponsorship opportunities HERE!
Share your talents! We're looking for event entertainment- bands, magicians, trivia hosts, special guests, interactive entertainment, and more!
Donate a prize! Our top fundraisers receive special prizes at the end of the event!
Provide food! One favorite of STRIVE Rocks is that there's great food and snacks all night long! Are you a restaurant owner or have a friend who owns a business? We're looking for food that we can provide to our participants throughout the night.
Get others involved! STRIVE Rocks is a community event and we'd love to get as many people involved as possible-especially students! Do you have connections to a high school club, group, or team? We'd love to talk to them!
Help us reach our goal! It's not too early to make a financial contribution! Donate to STRIVE Rocks 2024 HERE!
Have other ways you'd like to be involved? We'd love to hear them!
Have more questions about STRIVE Rocks, or ideas of other ways you would like to be involved?
Contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes, at wwildes@pslstrive.org or 207.774.6278!
We'll be hosting a Comunity Night at Brickyard Hollow in Portland (9 Commercial Street) Tuesday, April 16th! A portion of proceeds from 5-9pm will go towards STRIVE Rocks! This includes carryout, delivery, or dine-in. Hope to see you there!
ID: Brickyard Hollow logo on a dark gray background
3 Points For STRIVE
We're teamed up with our friends at the Maine Celtics and Hammond Lumber for another season of 3 Points for STRIVE! Each time the Maine Celtics score a 3-pointer at a home game this season, Hammond Lumber will donate $50 to STRIVE! You can get involvedby making your own 3-Point pledge. Visit our website Contact STRIVE Program Director, Whitney Wildes at wwildes@pslstrive.org for more information!
ID: Flyer with information about 3 Points for STRIVE. there is an image of a basketball going into a net at the top of the flyer and logos for Hammond Lumber Company, Maine Celtics and STRIVE at the bottom of the flyer. There are images of black and white basketballs around the edges of the flyer.
STRIVE Turns 25!
This year marks the 25th anniversary of STRIVE and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share this momentous occasion with you! Throughout the year, stay tuned for a series of fun and engaging happenings designed to honor our 25 years of STRIVE! Towards the end of the year, we’re pulling out all the stops for a spectacular 25th-anniversary gala that promises to be an unforgettable evening! If you or someone you know is eager to contribute ideas and help shape this remarkable celebration, reach out to Whitney Wildes at wwildes@pslstrive.org to join the planning committee team. Stay tuned for updates, reminisce with us, and get ready celebrate 25 years of STRIVE!
ID: the original STRIVE logo is joined by a large 25 with confetti and star balloons.
STRIVE for 5: Foden Road 5K
It's not too early to register for the STRIVE for 5: Foden Road 5K! This year's event will take place Sunday, July 14th at 8:30am. The race will be here in the South Portland Foden Road neighborhood, but there's a virtual race option as well! Our registration fee is $25 on or before 04/14, so register now! Participants 12 and under are free with a registered adult. For more information, or to register early, visit our event website HERE!
ID: State of Maine in blue with the STRIVE for 5 2024 logo in the center.
STRIVE Shout Outs
Thank you to our March Donors!
Barry Dunlap- In Honor of Caleb Dunlap
Donald Johnson
Peter Coggins- In Memory of Paul Barnes
Roberta O’Brion
Robert Barna
Grace Alexander
Paige Alexander
....and big thank you to all that have donated to our STRIVE Rocks event so far!
ID: STRIVE participant smiling and holding a colorful sign that says "thank you". Games in the STRIVE Teen Center are behind him.
Thank you for your generous support of STRIVE!
With your support, we are able to continue our work each and every day.
Staff Spotlight
ID: photo of staff spotlight, Biz. Biz is sitting in a car.
Meet Biz! Biz works in our Community Supports program! Biz says, "my favorite thing about working at STRIVE is getting to greet folks with a cheerful 'hello!' every morning and asking about their day" and "in my spare time, I enjoy playing Dungeons & Dragons, watching funny videos on YouTube, and drinking my daily Coke Zero." Thanks Biz, we're grateful to have you!
Member Spotlight
Meet Lisa! Lisa is a participant in our WAVES program! Her favorite part about STRIVE is "doing art on Tuesday and cooking on Thursdays! Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
ID: photo of member spotlight, Lisa. Lisa is standing outside holding a jug of yellow flyers.
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday to our STRIVE Members with a birthday in April!
ID: Colorful happy birthday candles on a chocolate cake
Thomas Bourdeaux
Haley Bell
Jessi Berard
Andrew Bryant
Bridget Parker
Joshua Shaughnessy
Bridget Lally
Eli Babich
Noah Babich
Bill Munny Vann
Trevor Morin
Rosalie Jones
Hannah Taylor
Audrey Guillemette
Mason Dickenson
Ayla Brewster
Kerrigan Baither
Brendan Young
General Announcements
Join Our Team!
We're Hiring!
ID: Hand with marker writing We Are HiringI
Are you, or someone you know in the market for a new job?
We're hiring for a number of positions!
We have full time, part time, and per diem opportunities available- including weekdays, evenings, and weekends!
We are also offering a $1,750 sign on bonus (after 30 days of successful employment) plus an additional $250 bonus for those that are already DSP, MHRT, or CRMA certified!
ID: Flyer with information about upcoming Career Fair. There's also pictures of staff and participants.
PSL Services STRIVE will also be holding a Career Fair Wednesday, May 1st! The fair will be at our Central Office and will run from 12pm-6pm. Come learn more about our opportunities. On-the-spot interviews will be given for appropriate candidates!
Become a Community Partner
ID: Image of business partners discussing at a meeting table
Did you know we host a free monthly networking group for our local community? The STRIVE Business to Business Networking Group is just one way we work to be a mutually beneficial partner, with the hope of expanding our partnerships with local businesses.
We are looking to grow! The group meets virtually on the last Wednesday the month at 12pm . Contact Pete or Whitney to find out more about joining us this month!
Shop STRIVE!
We have an online store to purchase all your STRIVE swag needs! Take a look at all the shop has to offer! There are so many items to choose from AND you can customize any item by choosing the color and STRIVE logo that you want. Happy shopping!
ID: white background with two rows of swag. Top row from left to right is a gray backpack with the STRIVE WorldWIDE logo, a black mug with the STRIVECast logo, a white t-shirt with the STRIVE logo, and a blue baseball hat with a STRIVE U logo. Bottom row from left to right is a blue tote bag with a PSL Services/STRIVE logo, a gray sweatshirt with a STRIVE U logo, and a white travel mug with a STRIVE logo.
Listen to the STRIVECast
ID: STRIVECast flyer with images of our two hosts and sound and video engineer.
The STRIVECast is a podcast brought to you by the team at PSL Services/STRIVE in South Portland, Maine — bringing you engaging, hilarious, and thoughtful conversation through one interview week by week. Co-Hosted by two young men with Down Syndrome, the STRIVECast aims to change the voices we typically hear on the radio and through podcasts, as well as to provide meaningful dialogues with all sorts of public figures in our world. We are very proud to be both hosted, produced AND edited by people with disabilities! Like what you hear? Shoot us an email at strivecast@pslstrive.org!
Have questions or comments about any of our programs and events?
Email info@pslstrive.org to update your address or speak to a STRIVE staff member!
New members: You will be asked to complete an updated information form upon your arrival to Tweens, STRIVE Night or STRIVE 25. Want to get a head start? Visit https://www.pslstrive.org/membershipform to submit your membership form today!
STRIVE 28 Foden Road, South Portland, ME, 04106, 04106
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