Who: Maine unschoolers, ages 11-19
What: to gather, hang-out, get to know one another, share interests and make friends. To have Fun!
Aug 10, Tuesday 230p-430p @ Memorial Park at Oak Hill, Scarborough. DIRECTIONS: Off of Route 1, turn onto Sawyer Road. Turn right onto Durant Drive.
Aug 12, Thursday 1p-4p This is a pool party! Please pack accordingly and also please pack your own picnic lunch and drinks. Location: Jen Sylvester's home, Hollis. Directions.
We can plan more as the month unfolds and we hear from people about good locations for gathering and interests. I looked into the South Portland Teen Center, but it appears closed until September. Parks and beaches have potential, but while it's still summer we have to consider heat/shade/weather, crowds, parking and fees.
Looking ahead to fall, some good meeting places might be Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Evergreen Cemetery in Portland, Deering Oaks in Portland, Old Orchard Beach, Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth, to name a few. For folks outside the southern Maine region, please initiate your own gatherings and let me know about them so they can be posted here. This also applies to other age gatherings.
Also, please consider attending Portland Public Library's Teen Zone, Wednesdays, early evening. A couple of unschoolers were there last week and found it interesting and fun, and it's a great, already established resource, space and opportunity to gather regularly.
~Amy Bradstreet
I don't know how everyone is about meeting in the evenings, but at Pine Point beach in Scarborough, there is a really nice (large) parking lot with no fees after 6:00 pm.
ReplyDeleteThey also have a (hot) shower and bathroom facilities right there and a snack bar, which are all open to the public at that time in the evening.
In the fall, the toilets and bathing facilities are closed, but the municipal parking lot is free during the day.
For those with multi-aged children, there's also the possibility of Memorial Park in Old Orchard Beach. The gazebo would be a nice hang-out for the teens, while the little one's played on the playground. There are also basketball courts and a tennis court for public use.
The library in Old Orchard is hosting a Friday night movie night, too, if anyone is interested.
Is anyone interested in reviving the "Not Back To School" Beach Day at Old Orchard Beach this year? I know years ago lots of people would gather there the first week or so in September, but I don't recall seeing it posted for a few years.
Good to know about Pine Point, Wendy. I did think about OOB's Memorial Park, but with the tourist season still upon us, parking is still an issue. I will definitely consider OOB for after Labor Day. The last few Not Back To School Days I've attended have been at Fort Williams. I'm thinking we may want to organize our own, but also attend one being offered. Thanks, Wendy!
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