Rural Youth Futures Project

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

A project of the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine, the Ecosystem Workforce Program at the University of Oregon, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Coos Watershed Association, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Funded by the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture

The Rural Youth Futures project seeks to understand the goals and aspirations of middle and high-school youth in two traditionally forest-dependent communities:

Piscataquis County, Maine and

Coos County, Oregon.

The project has three main components:

An anonymous survey delivered to as many middle- and high-schoolers as possible. The survey asks them their goals for the future and perceptions of their community and local labor markets and will be delivered in conjunction with schools
Rural Youth Listening Sessions, where we’ll facilitate a discussion with local kids about the state of their community and engage them in helping articulate and plan future steps
The distribution of a capitals mapping tool that can be used for program evaluation by Extension agents and others involved in delivering youth training and education programs

We want to find out more about the connections between local communities, youth aspirations for the future, and the local economy. We hope this information will help communities better engage their next generation of workers and entrepreneurs as residents and leaders, develop more targeted education and training opportunities, and attract more early-career people to relocate or return to rural places!

The project will run from September 2017 through August 2020.

Connect with us!
Email: um.ruralyouth@maine.edu
Call or Text: 207-808-2140
Like us on Facebook: ruralyouthfuturesproject

Project Progress Reports
August to December 2017
January to June 2018
July to December 2018

Check back here for project updates, announcements, reports, and publications.

2018 Maine Promotional Video:

For more information, please contact:

Nicole Bernsen, M.A., Ph.D. Candidate, University of Maine nicole.gayer@maine.edu

Mindy Crandall, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine mindy.crandall@maine.edu

Jessica Leahy, Ph.D., Professor, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine jessica.leahy@maine.edu

Jesse Abrams, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia
jesse.abrams@uga.edu

Return to Dr. Crandall’s faculty page

Return to Dr. Crandall’s current research page