Downeast Youth Advisory Board
Healthy Acadia, in partnership with the Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN), convenes the Downeast Youth Advisory Board—a youth-led platform that connects young people ages 14-18 from across Downeast Maine with peers and supportive adult allies. This initiative offers participants opportunities to develop leadership skills by exploring and building upon specific resources and experiences. The Downeast Youth Advisory Board is a dynamic, youth-driven movement that addresses key issues such as civic engagement, substance prevention, healthy habits, social activism, equity, and accountability. By empowering young people as critical stakeholders in their communities, the board fosters deeper involvement in communal discussions and equips members to provide innovative, sustainable solutions while leading meaningful change.
The Downeast Youth Advisory Board plays a key role in planning and organizing youth engagement and leadership opportunities in our communities, including Healthy Acadia’s DownEast Team Leadership Camp (DETLC).
Down East Teen Leadership Camp (DETLC) is Healthy Acadia’s annual residential summer camp program for teens entering grades 7 through 9. Held in late July on the beautiful campus of Cobscook Institute in Trescott, Maine, DETLC offers five action-packed days filled with games and team-building activities, amazing motivational speakers, and daily workshops focused on social issues that matter to teens.
Click here to learn more about DETLC.
Join the 2025 Advisory Board!
We are looking for five, high school-aged youth to serve as members and one young adult (~ age 18-24) to serve as the team leader for the 2025 Advisory Board. We aim to hire a diverse group of young people from all over Washington County.
As an Advisory Board member, you will play a crucial role in shaping DETLC while earning $14.65/hour. Former experience as a DETLC camper or staff is a plus, but not required.
The DETLC Student Advisory Board will meet once per month from January to June 2025 to discuss and plan the summer 2025 session of Down East Teen Leadership Camp.
In July, the Student Advisory Board becomes the DETLC 2025 Planning Team to help us plan and prepare for Camp.
**Please note-- as an advisory board member, you will also be a staff member at DETLC 2025. For folks just interested in being DETLC camp staff, we will share application information this spring.
For more information and to apply, please email Corrie Hunkler at corrie.hunkler@healthyacadia.org.
*MYAN’s Youth Taking Action Program is a free, academic workshop series that provides youth groups with technical assistance and tailored training that supports their work. The toolkit offers practical suggestions and a flexible framework to navigate youth groups and advisors through their projects and/or campaigns. It also offers "next step suggestions" to support advisors in their role as skilled youth-adult partners.
To explore this curriculum and learn how to incorporate this work in your school, classroom, or organization, please contact Corrie.Hunkler@HealthyAcadia.org.