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Life at the Farm
When it was opened in 1910, Opportunity Farm offered boys a safe home, a good education and the hands-on farming skills they needed in order to make their way in the world. Today, Opportunity Farm is comprised of 300 acres of land that includes a farm, though the young people at the Farm now attend local public schools, participate in extracurricular activities and prepare for many different vocations in life.
While the Farm has adapted to modern times, its fundamental mission has remained unchanged: to provide safe, supportive, family-style homes for at-risk young people in Maine, and to help them become self-reliant, responsible and contributing adults. It is the only institution in Maine that both intervenes early-well before a troubled youth reaches the point of crisis where he is taken into state custody or incarcerated-and simultaneously makes a long-term commitment to his personal development and provides full financial assistance. By intervening early, and offering the long-term commitment necessary to make permanent changes in their lives, Opportunity Farm helps many young people avoid the pitfalls that so often lead to drug abuse, anti-social behavior, crime or incarceration.
Through referrals from school counselors, social service workers and other professionals, each resident voluntarily enrolls at the Farm - with the full support and participation of the family. The youth at Opportunity Farm attend the local public schools where they make friends, compete on athletic teams, or participate in extracurricular activities, just as any other student.
Today, most, if not all, of the families cannot fund their child's stay at Opportunity Farm; few can make even a small contribution. But no youth is turned away from Opportunity Farm because of family finances. If an assessment suggests a boy or girl would benefit from Opportunity Farm and its program, the Farm is committed to fully funding tuition, board and other needs. In short: 100% of the young people at the Farm receive financial assistance.
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The reasons a youth comes to Opportunity Farm are varied; any number of factors can upset the delicate balance that exists in a functioning family-marital strife, addiction to alcohol or drugs, economic hardship, or the common difficulties moving from childhood to adolescence.
No matter their circumstances, the boys and girls who come to Opportunity Farm can count on the same thing: caring and careful adult supervision, a well-structured daily routine that includes a good mix of chores and fun, physical activity and rest, professional tutoring and regular studying; individual counseling to help them overcome the emotional challenges they face; and hope for a better life.
In the Farm's homes, the youth live in groups of six-to-eight with professionally trained staff, called "family teachers," and daily life is guided by the Motivational Teaching Program, similar to the well-known course at Nebraska's Boys Town.
The Motivational Teaching Program stresses academics and appropriate behavior, and features the "four basics" - rational conversation, following instructions, accepting feedback and accepting consequences.
Opportunity Farm's homes offer young people a chance to make permanent, lasting changes in their lives and avoid the pitfalls that can lead to drug abuse, anti-social behavior, crime or incarceration.
Their time away from school is spent in a combination of recreation, study, work and volunteer service-all designed to complement and reinforce the overall program.
The boys and girls remain connected to their families to whatever extent is considered appropriate. "We often say that when we enroll a child at Opportunity Farm, we're really welcoming an entire family," says Ron Scott, president. "Some of our children are with us for as long as a decade, but we never forget that they're members of their families for life."
From its founding in 1910, Opportunity Farm has been open to youth of all backgrounds-regardless of a family's race, religion, or financial status-who needed a safe place to live, to grow and to learn the skills necessary to make their way in the world.
© Copyright 2006 | Opportunity Farm for Boys and Girls | All Rights Reserved