Last March, the Gorham Action Team for Youth (GATY), working alongside The Opportunity Alliance Public Health Program, provided two separate parenting support and education nights for Gorham parents with school-aged children.
The events, entitled “Parenting Strategies for Modern Challenges”, aimed to address common questions families have identified while navigating the pandemic such as “Have you felt exhausted lately? Unsure if what you’re doing as a parent is the right thing? Are you at a loss on how to better support yourself and your child(ren)?”
The March GATY events were an extension of the “Parenting During the Pandemic” night previously offered in 2021. Brooke Proulx, GATY Lead Facilitator, reported that the events were well attended both in person and through ZOOM. Families opting to attend via ZOOM were able to access the meetings though a link located on the GATY Facebook page.
According to Proulx, “The events were filled with learning. We had a much stronger turnout for the elementary age group than the adolescent, which is why we also recorded the trainings. Baxter Library has partnered with us and have all of the resources from the training as well.”
In addition to the parent information nights, GATY challenged Gorham students to have a “Mindful March” in which students and families were provided a calendar of thoughtful exercises intended to help regulate anxiety and challenging feelings, and to “give [their] bodies and minds a break from stress”.
Continuing in the lane of daily exercises, “Active April” provides suggestions for simple ways for students and youth to move their bodies, be thoughtful about screen time and consider ways to show kindness to others, as a few examples.
GATY and The Opportunity Alliance will continue to collaborate to address and support community, family and student issues relevant to current events in the community and schools.
An upcoming event, being offered on April 28, is being offered to parents of Eighth Grade Student Athletes. The presentation will focus on athletic performance and healthy choices.
Tim Spears, Gorham Athletic Director, and Lee Ann Dodge, Program Director of SoPo Unite, will lead the discussion to be held in the Gorham Middle School Auditorium. The event will also include a panel discussion with student athletes.
GATY and The Opportunity Alliance report that the collaboration of events offered to Gorham families continues to grow in interest. They encourage feedback on future topics of interest or concern.
The groups offer a wide variety of resources which are updated on social media, including a monthly parenting tip that has aimed to address adverse childhood experiences including, but not exclusive to, reactions to life in a pandemic.
Additional resources previously offered include places to “Explore Gorham” and books that help to teach children mindfulness and other coping skills.
As indicated by the GATY tagline, [They’re] “a coalition of people focused on promoting positive youth development and preventing at-risk behavior for youth.”