Tools for Great Communities!
The Community Institute - Session #6
Maine's Millennials: The Entrepreneurs!

Maine's Millennials: The Entrepreneurial Economy will be held in Brunswick Maine at the Brunswick Inn and Tavern, Friday April 8 at 8:30-4:30, followed by a networking social hour at the Brunswick Tavern.

The plenary speaker will be Dr Richard Fry from Pew Research to set the stage with the national data on millennials and how they are similar or differ from previous generations. 
 
Other faculty members and topics include members of Realize Maine from throughout Maine, office space owners catering to millennial entrepreneurs, designing for livable and workable communities, integrating the arts into our communities, and entrepreneurial crowd-sourcing examples.
 
Specific topics of transportation, housing, recreation, arts and festivals, technology and connectivity, employment and jobs, and the sharing economy will be addressed during the lunch hour with group discussions and sharing between community members.
                                                                                                                                                                      
This session is designed for community leaders who want to attract and retain millennials, for decision-makers and activists who can help make their community more attractive to all ages, and for millennials and all ages who want to network, learn, and share their experiences and advice. 
 
The day incudes hands-on, outdoor field work visiting Brunswick's Artisan Manufacturing venues as well as a focus on this age-friendly community and community efforts to that end. The session also includes extensive networking time to share information, resources, advice and experiences.
                                                                                                                                      
The social hour in the Brunswick Tavern will include learning about and playing the crowd sourced Cards Against Urbanity, and meeting one of the entrepreneur designers of that game, funded by A Kick Starter Campaign. 
                                                                                                                                                              
This session is sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank and Maine Association of Planners. Don't miss this important session.The $125 registration fee includes light breakfast, lunch, and all materials. Some scholarships are also available.

Register today to save your space!
  

The Community Institute #5 Recap

Farms, Food and the Conservation Connection to Economically Healthy Communities

In early February, over 50 people from all over Maine and northern New England attended Farms, Food and Conservation at Waterfall Arts in Belfast.

This program attracted community members, planners developers, architects, business owners, realtors, citizen planners and many others. 
 
Featured faculty members were Jessica Sargent from the Trust for Public Lands, John Piotti from Maine Farmland Trust, Catherine B. Johnson, Esq. from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Bryan Wentzell, Appalachian Mountain Club, Nicole Briand from Bowdoinham, Jeffrey Kendall from Maine Revenue Services, Darryl McKenney tax assessor from Waldoboro tax assessor, Karen Kleinkopf from the FARMS program, Angela Twitchell from the Merrymeeting Bay Initiative, Stephenie MacLagan from The Island Institute and Gray Harris, Coastal Enterprises.  Jane Lafleur from Friends of Midcoast Maine wrapped up the program with tools that communities can use to assess farm friendliness, open space and conservation assessments.
The outdoor field work include a Place-Making assessment of the downtown walking trails along the river in Belfast.
A final report from this session will be posted with the other final reports very soon.

 
The Community Institute - Final Report
Almost 60 people from all over Maine and northern New England attended Community Economics in downtown Brunswick. This program attracted community members, planners developers, architects, business owners, realtors, citizen planners and many others. Featured faculty members were Joe Minicozzi from Urban 3LLC and Chuck Marohn from Strong Towns. Read Final Report here...

Heart & Soul Planning Grows in Maine-Bucksport!

Friends of Midcoast Maine staff Jane Lafleur is a coach for the Heart & Soul program of the Orton Family Foundation. Bucksport Maine is the most recent community to embark on this transformational planning process to be guided by what matters most to their community.

Bucksport community members have started Phase 1 of the Heart & Soul process (several who attended Phase 1 training are shown below) and are eagerly setting up and expanding their Heart & Soul team and community outreach efforts.  Within a few months they will begin Phase 2, which includes listening to the stories of community members to develop Heart & Soul values that are right for Bucksport. The goal is to shape the future of Bucksport, based on what matters most to the community.  In their own words, "Heart & Soul collects individual and group values, interests, and dreams from all members of the community in order to guide decisions for Bucksport's future."

If you would like to learn more about how Heart & Soul Planning can transform your community, visit the Orton Family Foundation website at Heart & Soul. Be sure to give us a call at Friends of Midcoast Maine to schedule a presentation, technical assistance or a phone call for your community. Please call (207) 236-1077 for more information.
Active Community Environment Workshops
Check out these 2 opportunities in 2016 to learn how to create active, livable community environments. Sessions are available in Lisbon Falls and Rockport Maine in March 2016. Register for one or more and bring colleagues from your community for the best results. Sponsored by the Active Communities Workgroup and in collaboration with the Maine Downtown Center and Friends of Midcoast Maine.
Articles of Interest
Check out the following articles recently in the news:
 

Protected Intersections For Bicyclists
Protected Intersections For Bicyclists

  
 

Thank you for your generous donations to Friends of Midcoast Maine. Your support makes our work possible.

Jane Lafleur, Executive Director | Friends of Midcoast Maine and The Community Institute | (207) 236-1077 | info@friendsmidcoast.org | www.friendsmidcoast.org and www.communityinstitute.org
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