Foundation partners share lessons at two-day event focused on the success of rural youth and families

The John T. Gorman Foundation recently partnered with Partners for Rural Impact and Campus Compact for New Hampshire to co-host the Northern New England Rural Summit on September 10 and 11. Held in Whitefield, New Hampshire, the summit focused on strategies to ensure the success of rural youth – starting with school readiness and continuing through successful transitions from high school to college and career.

The event brought together 175 practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders from across the region. Attendees exchanged ideas and explored policies and practices that could engage families throughout a child’s development, from cradle to career. This year’s theme highlighted place-based family engagement strategies, which emphasize the collaborative work of families, schools, and communities as partners in student success. Participants engaged in deep discussions on whole-family approaches, with sessions highlighting the voices of parents as well as practitioners.

The summit highlighted the work of several John T. Gorman Foundation partners. Representatives from Family Futures Downeast in Washington County and Moving Families Forward in Bangor led workshops on successfully applying two-generation practices, which focus on simultaneously meeting the needs of both children and their parents. Two other sessions addressed supporting Maine’s diverse communities, with a special focus on indigenous, immigrant, and refugee families in rural areas. (See below for a list of panels and panelists.)

By uniting thought leaders, practitioners, and parents, the Northern New England Rural Summit highlighted the power of collaboration and innovative strategies to improve outcomes for rural youth and families. The Foundation was privileged to help organize this important event and support the attendance of so many of our partners – not only so they could tap into new perspectives from across New England, but offer their own expertise. Thank you to our co-hosts and all of our partners who attended and shared the great work they are doing for Maine children and families.

Workshops/Breakout Sessions Featuring Foundation Partners

• Family Futures Downeast: Assessing Barriers & Adjusting Strategies to
  Improve Readiness for Post-Secondary Parents
  • Marsha Sloan (John T. Gorman Fellow), Family Futures Downeast
  • Donielle Fields, Family Futures Downeast

• Moving Families Forward: A 2Gen Approach to Family Well Being
  • Cat Myatt (Fellow), Boys and Girls Club of Bangor
  • Liz Marsh, Bangor Housing
  • Heather Higgins, Bangor Housing

• Engaging Immigrant and Refugee Families Panel
  • Fowsia Musse, Maine Community Integration
  • Rilwan Osman (Fellow), Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services
  • Juana Rodriguez-Vasquez, Mano en Mano
  • Moderator: Jennifer Beck, John T. Gorman Foundation

• Plenary- Continuing 12,000 Years of Placed-Based Work with the Passamaquoddy Tribe
  • Moderator: Liz Neptune (Fellow and current Fellowship Co-Faculty), Neptune Advantage
  • Matt Dana (Fellow), Sunrise Community Economic Council
  • Marsha Sloan (Fellow), Family Futures Downeast
  • Gen Doughty (Fellow), Sipayik Resilience Committee
  • Nakia Dana, Passamaquoddy Tribe
  • Dolly Barnes, Motahkmikuk School
  • Nicole Witherbee, John T. Gorman Foundation