This summer, the Cobscook Community Learning Center is offering kids the chance to climb a mountain, canoe a twenty-mile long lake, carry everything they need on their backs, and to feel tired and exhilarated after a full day on the trail. The CCLC’s “Maine Expedition” consists of a fifteen-day excursion into the wilderness for kids ages eleven to fifteen.
“The purpose of the Maine Expedition is to create a community in which each person learns to enjoy being in the wilderness, learns about the natural history of Maine, and becomes a member of an expedition group that lives and works well together,” explains Program Director Kara McCrimmon. “We want to offer young people the opportunity to try something that maybe they’ve never tried before.”
Notes: All walks begin at 2:00 pm unless otherwise noted. For walks scheduled on Campobello, bring appropriate identification for reentry to the U.S.
May 4 Boothead Preserve. A moderately difficult hike featuring wooded trails, a peat bog and great views from trails along tops of cliffs. Leader: John Wilson. Meet at Lyon's store on Rt.189 in West Lubec
May 11 Campobello International Park Hike includes the peat bog walkway and a climb to the viewing deck followed by a walk to the beach. Leaders: Anne and Allen Rudolph [733-4984] Meet at the Campobello Tourist Information Center.
May 18 Devil's Head, Calais area. Scenic panoramas after a moderately steep climb. Meet at the trail head parking area [well marked] on RT 1 about 6 miles south of Calais. Leader: Fred Gralenski [726-5837]
May 25 Stone Hill A new trail on preserve land located between South Trescott and Cutler on Rt.191. Leaders: Pat Smith and Melissa Lee [733-2412]. Meet at the Bold Coast Trail parking area on Rt.191.
June 1 West Quoddy Head State Park. Meet at the Main Parking Area. Hike the coastal trail to Green Point and return on an inner trail to the parking area. Leaders: Dick Hoyt and Jean Finke [733-2068].
June 8 Acadia National Park. Mount Desert Island. Leader: John Wilson. Outing includes tour of Asticou Gardens and a short hike as selected by the Leader. Meet at Asticou Gardens Rt.198 [near Northeast Harbor] at 11 am.
June 15. Campobello. Lower Duck Pond Area Leaders: Joan and Pete Edwards [726-9664]. Meet at the Campobello Tourist Information Center.
June 22 Moose Cove New trail to a scenic beach area on recently acquired preserve land off Rt.191 in Trescott. Leader: Melissa Lee. [733-2412] Meet at the Bold Coast Trails Parking Area on Rt.191.
June 29 Campobello. Fox Farm to Cranberry Point. Leader: Carol Graves [255-4485] Meet at the Campobello Tourist information Center.
July 6th, Annual 4 of July potluck picnic at Tom and Gail Finlay’s House.(255-8970) Bring your canoes, kayaks and your favorite dish. All, including children, grandchildren and friends, are welcome. Meet at the E. Machias Municipal Building at 2:00 pm.
Special Notice. Planning meeting for July and August hikes June 18 at 10:00 am at the Cobscook Community Learning Center, 10 Commissary Point Road off Rt 189 in Trescott.
Mark your calendars for Monday, May 12. The CCLC will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Whiting Food Pantry. There are more details on the way, but count on music, food, socializing and other fun activities. Plan to bring the family and get ready to have a good time while raising funds for an important local organization. On a related note, we will be opening the community garden plots this summer. Any plots that are not adopted by individuals or families will be planted with vegetables to be donated to the Whiting Food Pantry. Anyone interested in helping with this effort, or with adopting a plot of their own, should contact the CCLC. We are proud to offer these opportunities for community members to feed and sustain each other.
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will continue its Speaker / Video Series on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 7:00 pm with the showing of “Offside.” All are invited to join in a discussion after the showing of the film. The Discussion/film Series is shown on the second Saturday of each month. In director Jafar Panahi's offbeat Iranian tale, several girls find themselves arrested after posing as boys to sneak into a soccer stadium to see a key international qualifying match. It's illegal for Iranian women to attend sports events, so the gate-crashers end up in a holding pen waiting for authorities. But a sympathetic guard watching through a peephole describes the action for the girls, who are eager to know what's happening in the game. This Film is rated PG for language throughout, and some thematic elements. There is no charge for this event, and anyone able to give a $3 donation at the door is invited to do so. Refreshments will also be on sale. The program will take place at the CCLC, located at 10 Commissary Point Road in Trescott. Call 733-2233 or visit the CCLC online at www.thecclc.org for more information and directions to the Learning Center.
CCLC’s Discussion/Film Series Looks at War Atrocities
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will continue its Speaker / Video Series on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 7:00 pm with the showing of “War Dance.” All are invited to join in a discussion after the showing of the film. The Discussion/film Series is shown on the second Saturday of each month. Set in civil war-ravaged Northern Uganda, this Best Documentary nominee for the 2008 Oscars follows the lives of three youngsters who attend school in a refugee camp and find hope through a rich tradition of song and dance. Coming from a world in which children are abducted from their families and forced to fight in the rebel army, these kids give it their all when they travel to the capital city to take part in the prestigious Kampala Music Festival. This film is rated PG-13 for some thematic material involving descriptions of war atrocities There is no charge for this event, and anyone able to give a $3 donation at the door is invited to do so. Refreshments will also be on sale. The program will take place at the CCLC, located at 10 Commissary Point Road in Trescott. Call 733-2233 or visit the CCLC online at www.thecclc.org for more information and directions to the Learning Center.
Young people in Washington County who have dropped out of high school or are on the verge of doing so in order to raise children can now earn their diplomas without compromising their ability to be parents at the same time. The Cobscook Community Learning Center, in collaboration with the Community School of Camden, is offering Passages – a program which will surely change lives.
Passages at the Cobscook Community Learning Center (CCLC) is a home-based, self-paced, high school diploma program for pregnant and parenting teens in Washington County. For many, completing school within the public school setting after having a child is simply not possible. We know that there are young parents living in Washington County who want to finish school – to better themselves as individuals and as parents. Passages at the CCLC is offering them a way to do it.
Working primarily at home, Passages students work one-on-one with a teacher on coursework that focuses on twenty-four core skills involving parenting and life skills and academic subjects. Passages uses a model of relational education that aims to make instruction as relevant as possible. As a group, Passages students also meet regularly at the CCLC to participate in workshops that link with the core skills. Before graduation, each student designs and completes a final project called The Passage, an in-depth exploration of a particular passion, fear or need identified by and important to the student.
Passages at the CCLC has been years in the planning. The initiative began over five years ago when a young woman approached the CCLC asking for just such a program. This led Executive Director Alan Furth to engage in a series of conversations with Community School co-founder Emanuel Pariser, and over time Passages at the CCLC was born. In the years since then, these two important educational organizations have worked hard to craft the necessary agreements and to secure start-up funding. Today, Passages at the CCLC exists as the first Passages program satellite site anywhere in Maine. Passages students receive a state-approved high school diploma from the Community School.
In nearly fifteen years, over one hundred young parents have graduated from the Passages program at the Community School. They have accomplished this despite their facing multiple challenges such as poverty, violence in the home, substance abuse issues, lack of transportation, and the various demands of parenthood.
Currently, there are dozens of young adults living in Washington County who have quit school to raise their children and who could benefit from the Passages program. We will serve students between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two. The program is free to those who apply and are accepted, as the funding comes from a redirected portion of students’ public school tuition, grant funding, and other sources.
Charley Martin-Berry is the newly-hired Passages at the CCLC teacher/coordinator, and her current work includes encouraging interested students to apply to the program. Applications are available online at www.thecommunityschool.org, or call the CCLC at 733-2233 to have one sent in the mail.
By providing an empowering educational opportunity to deserving young parents, Passages can have a real impact on issues of chronic poverty, unemployment, dependency on state and federal assistance, community isolation, persistent domestic violence, substance abuse, and more. Through direct efforts with young people – with their whole lives ahead of them – Passages provides important tools to these highly motivated parents as they reach for their highest potential. And there is no doubt that increased education for young parents improves outcomes for their children.
Ukulele Workshop with Jon Kavanaugh of Wolfville, Nova Scotia Where: CCLC Commons Workshop Fee: $10 When: Sunday, March 30 from 3 pm - 4:30 pm
Join with ukulele artist Jon Kavanaugh and members of the UMM ukulele club in this one-of-a-kind ukulele master class. Bring your instrument, play along, learn new tunes and some new techniques. Guaranteed to be a good time.
5 pm Potluck Supper 6 pm – 8 pm Concert with UMM Ukuleles and John Kavanaugh
Suggested Donation for Potluck and Concert: $5 per person or $10 per family. For more information: Katherine Cassidy, 255-8961 or Kara McCrimmon, 733-2233
Join us for enjoyable explorations of our beautiful area. Walks Start at 1 p.m. FREE! For more information and possible cancellation due to inclement weather call Walk Leader.
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will continue its Speaker / Video Series on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm with the showing of “Sound of Music SING-A-LONG.” All are invited to join in a discussion after the showing of the film. The Discussion/film Series is shown on the second Saturday of each month. The hills are alive with the sound of singing siblings and nuns, and this is your chance to join in! Dress in costume if you’d like, and make sure to bring your singing voice as we watch and sing along with Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest collaboration about Maria and the Von Trapp family. Fun for the whole family! There is no charge for this event, and anyone able to give a $3 donation at the door is invited to do so. Refreshments will also be on sale. The program will take place at the CCLC, located at 10 Commissary Point Road in Trescott. Call 733-2233 or visit the CCLC online at www.thecclc.org for more information and directions to the Learning Center.
The work of the CCLC keeps growing and growing. Many folks are involved in advising, directing and helping move forward projects and initiatives. We invite you to come join in the organizing fun!
These meetings are designed to be working meetings. There’s space to update others on various projects taking place through the CCLC, to coordinate with others on related projects, and to break off into planning sessions as needed.
This month, Thursday, March 6, we will be joined by Shenna Bellows and Brianna Twofoot of the Maine Civil Liberties Union who will lead a discussion on hot civil liberties topics. Please check back soon for more details.
Remember, these meetings are held the First Thursday of each month from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Anyone and everyone interested in working through the CCLC to organize activities, initiatives and more is welcome. We hope to see you there.
The CCLC is currently seeking creative, caring and qualified applicants for the position of teacher / coordinator for the Passages Program. Passages is a home-based alternative high school degree program for pregnant and parenting teens. Qualifications: College graduate; knowledge of early child development, life skills, counseling, childrearing, a broad range of academic subjects, and current teacher certification is preferred. Must have a reliable vehicle. This is a full time, salaried position with benefits for a six month start-up period, and up to full time with benefits thereafter depending on student load. A full job description follows below. Interested applicants are also welcome to schedule a visit to the CCLC to review Passages program information. To apply: mail cover letter, resume and references by Friday, March 7th to 10 Commissary Point Road, Trescott, ME 04652. Materials may also be emailed as MS Word or PDF attachments to alan@thecclc.org.
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will continue its Speaker / Video Series on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 7:00 pm with the showing of “Why we fight.” All are invited to join in a discussion after the showing of the film. The Discussion/film Series is shown on the second Saturday of each month. Filmed during the Iraq War, this documentary dissects America's military machine with a keen eye to answering the question: Why does America engage in war? Through personal stories of soldiers, government officials, scholars, journalists and innocent victims, the film examines the political and economic interests and ideological factors, past and present, behind American militarism. Winner of the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury Award. This film is rated PG-13 for disturbing war images and brief language. There is no charge for this event, and anyone able to give a $3 donation at the door is invited to do so. Refreshments will also be on sale. The program will take place at the CCLC, located at 10 Commissary Point Road in Trescott. Call 733-2233 or visit the CCLC online at www.thecclc.org for more information and directions to the Learning Center.
The CCLC is currently accepting registrations for a bi-weekly playgroup for children ages three and older. We plan to start the first eight-week session on Tuesday, February 19, and will offer the playgroup on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am – noon. Families may choose to sign up for one day a week or for both. Those interested in finding out more about the playgroup are invited to visit the CCLC and meet playgroup organizers during one of two open houses, scheduled for Tuesday, February 5 and Thursday, February 7 from 9 am – noon. People are welcome to come at any time. People are also welcome to call 733-2233 or visit www.thecclc.org for more information, or to submit registrations.
The aim of the young children’s play group is to offer children a wide range of experiences in creative play. According to playgroup organizers, ideas on play and learning have evolved in many ways during the last century. In the computer age, children are more sedentary and interacting less with each other. This playgroup will offer a range of creative and expressive activities through arts and crafts, music, drama, nature, stories, science and physical activity. The emphasis throughout will be on cooperative fun, play and creativity.
The fee for a full eight week session is $150, or $90 for the once-per-week option. A tuition sliding scale is available, and people may choose how much they can contribute to participate in the playgroup. Financial information will be available at the open houses, and additional sliding scale information is available on the "Courses" page of our website.
A group of kids and parents who meet weekly at the CCLC have created an after-school project to explore sources of local food in Washington County, and would like to invite any other interested kids and parents to join in.
So far, our group has created a survey (Click on "MORE" below to see our survey), and we are working to collect as much information from farmers, fishermen, and businesses that sell locally produced food as possible. We plan to collect this information through February, and then we will work with CCLC staff and local resource people to create maps (using Google Earth and ArcView software) that we can print and post online for public use.
In addition to learning about local food, we are also learning to use GPS units, learning how to create and interpret different types of maps, and we also plan to visit some farms to interview local food producers and collect pictures for the online version of our map.
When do we meet: Thursdays from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm How long will this project last: Now through early May How can you join? If you would like to be involved, please call Kara at the CCLC - 733-2233. Or, you are welcome to show up at one of our February meetings to find out more.
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will host a panel discussion, "Passamaquoddy Perspectives on Indigenous Education: A Panel Discussion with Wayne Newell and Stephanie Bailey", on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. All interested in educational practices and perspectives and welcome and encouraged to attend. This program is supported, in part, by a group of Colby College students who will be visiting the Washington County and the CCLC through January 25th.
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will continue its Speaker / Video Series on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 7:00 pm with the showing of “Who Killed the Electric Car.” All are invited to join in a discussion after the showing of the film. The Discussion/film Series will now be on the second Saturday of each month instead of the first Saturday. Amid ever-increasing gas prices, this documentary delves into the short life of the GM EV1 electric car -- once all the rage in the mid-1990s and now fallen by the roadside. How could such an efficient, green-friendly vehicle fail to transform our garages and skies? Through interviews with government officials, former GM employees and others, film maker Chris Paine seeks to answer this question. For brief, mild language There is no charge for this event, and anyone able to give a $3 donation at the door is invited to do so. Refreshments will also be on sale. The program will take place at the CCLC, located at 10 Commissary Point Road in Trescott. Call 733-2233 or visit the CCLC online at www.thecclc.org for more information and directions to the Learning Center.
SUMMARY: The Director of Development and Communications will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising development and a communications plan, managing media relationships, and coordinating marketing efforts for the Cobscook Community Learning Center.
The Cobscook Community Learning Center will continue its Speaker / Video Series on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at 7:00 pm with the showing of “God Grew Tired of Us.” All are invited to join in a discussion after the showing of the film. The Discussion/film Series will now be on the second Saturday of each month instead of the first Saturday. After raising themselves in the desert along with thousands of other parentless "lost boys," Sudanese refugees John, Daniel and Panther have found their way to America, where they experience electricity, running water and supermarkets for the first time. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for granted, this documentary, an award winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, paints an intimate portrait of strangers in a strange land. There is no charge for this event, and anyone able to give a $3 donation at the door is invited to do so. Refreshments will also be on sale. The program will take place at the CCLC, located at 10 Commissary Point Road in Trescott. Call 733-2233 or visit the CCLC online at www.thecclc.org for more information and directions to the Learning Center.
As a non-profit community organization, the work of fulfilling the mission and vision of CCLC depends on thoughtful contributions of individuals, businesses and foundations. Please consider making a donation to support the ongoing efforts of the Learning Center. Contributions may be given online by Clicking Here or may be mailed to 10 Commissary Point Road; Lubec, ME 04652. Thank You.
