In quiet Waldo County, where more than 90% of the population lives in rural areas, a University of Maine program is helping youth discover new opportunities through adult mentorship, experiential learning and community engagement.
In the past year, middle schoolers from the Belfast area have explored the Bixby Chocolate Factory in Rockland, toured the Ecology Learning Center in Unity and volunteered at the local soup kitchen.
These experiences have been offered for free through the NorthStar 4-H Youth Mentoring program, managed by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. In rural communities that often struggle to offer co-curricular and youth development opportunities, NorthStar provides field trips and after-school activities that help students discover their passions, build relationships and explore future possibilities.
“I enjoy being able to experience things I normally wouldn’t be able to,” Sage, a NorthStar participant, said. “It’s also helped me to build a community.”
Following years of success in Oxford County, NorthStar 4-H expanded to Waldo County in 2024 thanks to a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Staff developed programming based at Tanglewood 4-H Learning Center to serve Regional School Unit 71, which includes the towns of Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Searsmont and Swanville.
Since launching in Waldo County, students have reported increased confidence, a stronger sense of belonging and expanded worldviews. According to statewide data from the Rural Youth Institute, which includes NorthStar, 70% of participants have reported increased learning and school engagement, while 88% of eighth graders believe they will continue their education after high school.
“We’re providing opportunities that connect them to new experiences locally, across the state and even beyond, to broaden their perspectives,” Jessica Decke, director of Extension’s 4-H Learning Center at Tanglewood, said.
How NorthStar works
Youth-adult mentorship has been central to 4-H for more than 100 years. In the NorthStar model, participants help shape programming based on their interests.
“A lot of kids have things they are really excited about, but don’t necessarily see the connections to where it can take them,” Decke said. “The program helps youth make those discoveries along the way. It’s a game changer for kids to have trusted adult mentors who see them for who they are, and foster those genuine interests and abilities.”
Students are identified with guidance from school counselors, principals and social workers. Participants join in sixth grade and remain part of a cohort supported by trained volunteer mentors through high school and beyond.
“The model is set up so we will follow them through high school graduation,” Mel Torres, NorthStar 4-H program coordinator in Waldo County, said. “It’s a long-term, immersive program. A fundamental tenet of 4-H is youth-directed learning, where kids decide their own pathway.”
Students meet with mentors weekly and join a monthly afterschool club aimed at increasing community engagement and learning more about available resources. Group activities, facilitated by staff and mentors, give participants the opportunity to dive into topics that interest them.
“Many of our students don’t really gravitate toward sports or clubs. They haven’t really clicked with anything yet,” Torres said. “The NorthStar program gives them opportunities to find what inspires them.”
For example, seventh graders from Troy Howard Middle School raised money for a day trip to Portland, where they chose to visit Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park. Along the way, they volunteered at Furniture Friends in Westbrook, cleaning furniture for donation through Habitat for Humanity.
“I really enjoyed getting to go to the soup kitchen,” said Ophelia, part of the first-year Tanglewood cohort. “It was cool to see how they ran it and to help the people in the community that needed it.”
Origins in western Maine
Staff at Extension’s 4-H Learning Center in Bryant Pond launched the NorthStar program at Telstar Middle and High School in Bethel in 2017. The program is based on the 4-H Youth Development Model and received start-up funding from the Rural Youth Institute.
“Because that program was successful, the Rural Youth Institute was looking to expand a mentorship model to more communities across Maine,” Decke said.
Training from the institute emphasized the idea that relationships, not programs, change lives, a principle that continues to guide NorthStar.
“The partnership with the school district is really important,” Ryder Scott, executive director of Extension’s 4-H Learning Centers, said. “Our staff have earned the trust of the local teachers and school district administrators and are treated as members of the guidance department. NorthStar is supported by the school districts it serves because they know the program is working and can help fill in the gaps that many rural schools experience due to budget and staffing challenges.”
The New Balance Foundation became a major supporter of the program in Oxford County. In addition to grants, sponsors such as Norway Savings Bank have adopted cohorts, contributing $20,000 annually to support groups of 12 to 14 students.
“We want to open the window of what life can hold and eventually provide experiences like the Washington, D.C. trips taken by seniors in the Oxford County NorthStar program,” Decke said.
Making a difference
The NorthStar program has the potential to make a significant impact on rural communities across the state. Over 60% of Maine’s population resides in rural areas.
“Extension has offices and staff in all 16 counties of Maine. So we started to ask ourselves what it could look like to have access to this type of programming for kids across the state,” Scott said. “Program growth has been deliberate as we build a staffing model and partnerships with local and statewide organizations.”
Expanding the program would require additional staff, volunteers and sustained funding from partners such as private foundations, banks and businesses.
“We’re in conversations constantly with them about this broader vision to implement NorthStar statewide and they’re very keen on that,” Scott said.
Extension leaders hope NorthStar’s continued growth will ensure more rural Maine youth have access to mentorship, meaningful experiences and pathways to future opportunities.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer mentor or supporting the NorthStar program may contact UMaine Extension 4-H Learning Centers at either Bryant Pond, extension.bryantpond@maine.edu, or Tanglewood, extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu.
This work is supported by the Mentoring At Risk and Rural Youth Program, project award no. 2024-48790-43821, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.