PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Applications are now being accepted for the Aroostook Civic Academy, a volunteer-driven initiative launched two years ago by the Aroostook Agency on Aging.
The Academy is a six-part, six-week series intended to equip Aroostook residents of all ages with skills and knowledge to affect positive change in their community. Last year, 20 individuals graduated from Aroostook Civic Academy, modeled after a program developed by Age-Friendly Boston. The sessions were coordinated and conducted by volunteer leaders – Ginny Joles, Dottie Wheeler, Susie James, Dick Engels and Tim Vernon – and highlighted a multitude of speakers from across the state.
According to Vernon, a retired insurance executive who now runs his own guide service, the first two Academy programs have connected people who have a passion to articulate their ideas and concerns but were not sure how to do it effectively.
“After taking the course they told us they felt more capable of advocating for their cause and putting it in front of the ‘right’ person. Those words and feelings have meant that we have successfully achieved our goals for this class,” Vernon added.
A former lobbyist in Augusta and occasionally in Washington, DC, Vernon said he was fortunate to have learned early on that “you do your best to educate the legislators and always tell the truth. From that, they will learn to trust you and will seek you out when they need help.” That lesson, he added, holds true at all levels of engagement whether local, state, or national.
Some examples of advocacy that Civic Academy graduates have accomplished or plan to accomplish include writing letters to their elected officials, scheduling a meeting on a topic of importance with someone in authority, or drafting and delivering testimony on an impactful matter pending before the Maine legislature.
Class size is limited; organizers are hoping to attract a diverse group of individuals to take part in the third cohort of the Civic Academy that begins March 26. Sessions will be hosted in Presque Isle with satellite locations tentatively planned in Danforth, Houlton, Ashland, Van Buren and Fort Kent. Lunch will be provided for all attendees and presenters.
Applications can be downloaded from the Agency website or may be picked up at the Agency office in Presque Isle. For more information, please call 764-3396 or email the Agency at info@aroostookaging.org.
