Midcoast Youth Center (MYC) in collaboration with Chewonki Foundation, is excited to announce that beginning Sept. 1, Waypoint, a six-year mentoring program for the Bath-based Regional School Unit 1’s middle and high school students, will move from Chewonki to MYC, next to Morse High and Bath Middle schools. This will bring strengthened community connections and experiences for the young people served, while keeping the best of the outdoor experiences at Chewonki that Waypoint groups have come to love.

A program for middle and high school students in the greater Bath area, Waypoint focuses on increasing resiliency and raising aspirations. It serves cohorts of up to 20 students in each grade level from grade seven to 12. More than 70 RSU 1 students are enrolled in Waypoint.

"Waypoint has been extremely beneficial for RSU 1 students. It has increased students' self-confidence through opportunities for self-discovery, leadership development, and community-building skills. Waypoint provides students with positive role models and support systems to assist them with exploring their options after high school. RSU 1 strongly supports Waypoint's mission, and we look forward to this continued partnership." said Patrick Manuel, RSU 1 superintendent.

Waypoint is part of the Aspirations Incubator, an initiative launched in 2017 by the Rural Futures Fund that provides long-term, comprehensive mentoring programs in rural Maine communities to increase resiliency, build aspirations and introduce young people to new opportunities. Program funding for the upcoming school year will be generously provided by the Rural Futures Fund, which will allow a group of MYC staff and volunteers time to determine how to sustain the program beyond summer of 2024.

Longtime Waypoint program manager Tim Wylie will continue to lead the program at MYC. “Chewonki Foundation has been a wonderful host for the pilot phase, the first six years of the Waypoint program. Tremendous thanks go out to both Chewonki and RSU1 for their leadership and support. We are thrilled to continue the collaboration between Midcoast Youth Center, Chewonki, and RSU 1 for the future.”

In an email response to questions July 10, Chewonki spokesman Cullen McGough wrote: “We are very supportive of this administrative shift. Midcoast Youth Center is perfectly positioned, both in mission and location, to deliver the Waypoint program to RSU 1 students and help them succeed through high school and learning opportunities beyond. Chewonki will continue to be a strong supporter of Waypoint, providing access to our facilities, equipment, field staff, and backcountry trips ... Wylie will transition with the program and become a member of the MYC staff, but it's important to note (and thank) the local volunteer group that has always been at the core of the program. We are excited to see how MYC will develop and grow Waypoint through the 23-24 school year and beyond.”