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Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
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Events were held at locations around the state during the month of October 2010. Read a summary of these activities here.
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Go here to contact DMD Maine regional coordinators.
National Disability Mentoring Day (NDMD), sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), began in 1999 as part of efforts to increase the profile of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrated every October. It is a national partnership between the AAPD and the US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Since 2000, NDMD has grown to take root in communities across the nation. To learn more about NDMD on a national level, visit www.dmd-aapd.org.
See information about DMD events held in Maine in past years, lower down on this page...
Who can get Involved in Maine's Disability Mentoring Day?
Employers
You could play an important role in the career path of a young adult with a disability.
Disability Mentoring Day is a time when employers with opportunities can help Mentees with disabilities build confidence about their own employability, share firsthand job experiences to someone interested in their desired career field, develop lasting Mentee relationships, gain access to a pool of new emerging talent, recruit short- and long-term interns and demonstrate positive leadership in their community. Go here for more information about how to get involved.
Students/Job Seekers
DMD could provide an opportunity to network with individuals who have already pursued the career track that interests you.
DMD can help to match you with a workplace Mentor in your desired career field. This Mentoring experience could provide an opportunity to visit your Mentor's job site and learn about his or her day-to-day job experiences in an effort to better prepare yourself and target your skills for that particular career path.
Community Liaisons
Facilitate job shadowing and Mentoring opportunities for young adults with disabilities in your community.
Community Liaisons can facilitate matching experiences between Mentees with disabilities and business Mentors. These could include One-On-One Job Shadowing, which individually pairs a Mentee, or Group Visits to Worksites, in which Mentees tour a workplace or meet with various employees on the job and learn first hand about different types of jobs and related opportunities within that career field.
Who are the DMD Coordinators in Maine for 2010?
Statewide Contact:
Debbie Bechard, dbechard@jmg.org, 207- 620-7180, ext. 212
Regional Coordinators:
Bangor:
Gwen LaPointe, Disability Resource Coordinator, Gwen.M.Lapointe@maine.gov
Franklin County/ Wilton CareerCenter:
Patty Ladd, patty.e.ladd@maine.gov, 800-982-4311
Eileen Miazga,
eileen.miazga@maine.gov, 800-982-4311
York & Cumberland Counties:
James Howard, Southern Maine DMD Coordinator, James.E.Howard@maine.gov, 207-347-3206
What Activities Took Place for Maine DMD 2010?
2010 Disability Mentoring Day was a success! Events were held at different locations around the state during the month of October to promote career development for individuals with disabilities.
Bangor:
Forty job seekers of all ages from the Tri-County area gathered on Wednesday October 20th for a program of employment related activities and workshops. The event, held at Dyke Center for Family Business at Husson University, featured the participation of four local employers who donated their time to share information about their companies with the participants. Representatives from Hollywood Slots, LL Bean, Geaghan’s Restaurant, and Walmart each met with a group of ten participants to talk about their company’s mission, business challenges, hiring practices and company culture. The small group format allowed for personal interaction between the presenters and participants.
Other activities of the day included workshops in Disability Disclosure strategies, and Interview preparation. The program ended with a panel discussion with three individuals who are successfully employed and an opportunity for all participants to share their stories and comments.
Disability Mentoring Day was well supported by the local community. In addition to the four local employers, the event had the generous support of Husson University who provided the meeting space, Olive Garden, who donated lunch of lasagna and salad and Walmart/Sam’s Club who provided morning refreshments and beverages. Culinary Arts trainees from Penobscot Job Corps Academy provided hospitality for the lunch hour. Door-prizes donated by various employers and sponsors added a fun activity to the day.
The Tri-County Disability Mentoring Day event was a collaborative effort of Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and Disability Resource Coordinator Project, Eastern Maine Development Corporation and Allies, Inc.
Southern Maine:
The Southern Maine DMD planning committee organized job shadows for over sixty young people with disabilities during the month of October. Youth were matched with specific employers based on their interestsand career aspirations. For example, a young man who hopes to be an architect spent an afternoon with an architectural firm in Portland and a young lady who would like to work with the elderly spent the day at Ledgewood Manor Nursing Home (read story here).
On October 29th an event was held at the Portland CareerCenter to wrap up the months events. Over twenty youth participated in a workshop, presented by the Bureau of Employment Services, MDOL, on the job search process and overview of CareerCenter resources and services. The workshop was followed by a human resources panel with participants from US Cellular, Time Warner Cable, Manpower and Browne Trading Company. Both workshops were highly interactive and gave participants the opportunity to ask a wide range of questions from what to wear to an interview, to how to navigate the online application process.
What Activities Took Place for Maine DMD 2009?
2009 Disability Mentoring Day was a great success! Events were held across the state during the month of October to promote career development for individuals with disabilities. Overall there were over 200 participants and over 50 employers in Maine who participated in this year’s events.
Each regional DMD planning committee organized local event(s) to provided career development workshops and job shadows for youth with disabilities. Following are some of this year’s highlights:
- Workshops were held on interviewing and dressing for success.
- A large number of youth did one-on-one job shadows based on their interests.
- Opportunities were provided to build relationships between local employers and future job-seekers.
- Service providers set up displays and provided information about services and resources.
- Collaboration continued with Olive Garden and Wal-Mart.
Overall these events were a great success and we have heard a few stories of youths who were offered positions of employment and other opportunities through the connections they made with employers during the DMD event. The Maine DMD Committee hopes to build on these positive experiences and outcomes as we begin to plan for DMD 2010!
What Activities Took Place for Maine DMD 2008?
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is celebrated nationally on the third Wednesday in October in conjunction with Disability Awareness Month. The day is dedicated to students and job seekers with disabilities to promote career development through job shadowing and career exploration. Last year there was a focus on youth with disabilities. The following is a list of events that happened across the state of Maine.
Aroostook and Washington Counties: The Disability Mentoring Day activities in Aroostook and Washington counties were marked by five separate events spread throughout the month of October. Read a full report here.
For more information please contact
Kent DeMerchant at 1-800-697-2877 or Kent.D.DeMerchant@maine.gov
Augusta and Lewiston: Events included workshops on how to choose a job and where to find job opportunities and then ended with some fun for everyone at Sparetime Recreation! Read about DMD Augusta here. Read about DMD Lewiston here.
For more information please contact
Marc Rodrigue at 1-800-741-2991 or Marc.D.Rodrigue@maine.gov
Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock Counties : Forty-one peple came to the DMD event held at the Tri-County CareerCenter in Bangor on Wednesday, October 15th, 2009. Those present included: students and job seekers with disabilities, presenters, employers, case managers, VR Counselors, and CareerCenter staff from the entire Tri-County area. Read the full report here.
For more information please contact
Joyce Santerre at 1-800-777-2877 or Joyce.Santerre@maine.gov
Southern Maine : The mayor of Portland, Jill Duson, signed a proclamation designating October 15 as Disability Mentoring Day and events were held at the University of Southern Maine's Glickman Library in Portland. Nineteen employers volunteered to mentor twenty-nine students (mentees) with disabilities between the ages of 17-22. Read the full report here.
For more information please contact
Abbie Miller at 1-877-594-5627 ext 413 or Abbie.Miller@maine.gov
Wilton/Farmington: In conjuction with National Youth Disability Mentoring Week, over 20 local youth attended a special event at Wilton CareerCenter on Thursday, October 16th. Students from Jan and Livermore High School listened to speakers from community businesses. Read a full report here.
For more information please contact
Marc Rodrigue at 1-800-741-2991 or Marc.D.Rodrigue@maine.gov
What Activities Took Place for Maine DMD 2007?
The Portland office of Division of Vocational Rehabilitation partnered with Coastal Enterprises, Inc. to sponsor a very successful Disability Mentoring Day at the Portland CareerCenter on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.
Eighteen persons with disabilities (mentees) attended the “Breakfast of Champions” and heard several breakfast speakers, including Rod MacInnes (DMD Local Coordinator), Cathy Singleton (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation), Sadie Donnell (Community Provider), Abbie Miller (CareerCenter Navigator), Mary Perkins (Verizon-Employer). Refreshments and interpreters were donated by Hannaford, Dunkin’ Donuts, Coastal Enterprises, Inc. and DVR.
Next, some of the mentees visited the CareerCenter and listened to BES staff member Don Verrill describing the assistive devices, computerized self assessment tests, and the information on advertised jobs which are available at the Portland CareerCenter. This was followed by most of the mentees traveling to various workplaces with the help of community providers. They met with mentors at LL Bean and Verizon (representing customer service), DuVall’s Automotive (representing mechanical work), Little Dolphin (representing special education), Navigator Publishing (representing computer graphics and publishing), Gorham House (representing social services), and an organic farm.
On Monday evening, October 15, the mayor of Portland awarded the DMD committee (Rod MacInnes, Barbara Greenstein and James Howard (VR Counselors), Abbie Miller, and Coastal Enterprises Staffing agency and mentee (Rae-Lynn McClure)) a citywide Proclamation of Disability Mentoring Day for October 17. This year was the 8th Annual DMD nationwide and it was the 4th year for Maine. Certificates were sent to all DMD mentors and mentees after the event.
As the Portland DMD Local Coordinator, I believe in DMD and I hope DMD was successful this year because as a deaf job holder/career professional I know it takes lot of effort and many steps to get launched into a career. Today’s job seekers with disabilities are able to take advantage of accommodations, anti-discrimination laws and enlightened understanding of disabilities, improved career awareness techniques offered by job shadows and the internet to get started job or careerwise.
Mentoring and Education Opportunities in Augusta and Waterville
What Activities Took Place for Maine DMD 2006?
- Rod MacInnes reported on a successful Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) event held at the Portland Career Center, which included a detailed presentation on DMD, and also career awareness development information for the mentees-to-be, using materials developed by the National DMD office of American Association of Persons with Disabilities. Learn more about the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation-sponsored DMD Event.
- Gerard Salvo of CEI Staffing Services reports that it "facilitated three job shadows with individuals with disabilities at two of our portfolio companies (companies that we fund and have Employment Agreements with) and another architectural company in south Portland. One individual graduated from SMCC with an associates degree in architecture, the other has a very strong IT and electronics background and is looking for a company change. The third person job shadowed prior to the actual DMD and did get a part time internship with the company! I have received two more job shadow requests for two individuals with hearing impairments that will be set up over the next few weeks… very successful for the first year!! We had numerous CEI Portfolio companies respond that they would have a mentee that day… Foreside Company said they would have up to three individuals on DMD."
- Zahira Duvall reported that Alpha One celebrated Disability Mentoring Day by holding a reception and open house, intended to expose people with disabilities to information about their Social Security benefits, role models with disabilities who are employed and technology available in the work environment. Learn more about Alpha One's event.
Major Sponsors and Supporters of Maine DMD
Other Maine Mentoring Resources
- Coastal Enterprises (CEI) is a private, nonprofit Community Development Corporation (CDC) and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with roots in the civil rights movement. Founded in 1977, the organization provides financing and support in the development of job-creating small businesses, natural resources industries, community facilities, and affordable housing. CEI's primary market is Maine, but, in recent years, has expanded several of its financing programs to northern New England, upstate New York and beyond.
- Maine Mentoring Partnership is a statewide public-private partnership of mentoring program providers, government, funders and supporters. It is an initiative of Maine Children's Cabinet. Its work reflects widespread belief among stakeholders that assuring children and youth access to a caring adult is a top priority, and that mentoring is a highly effective but under-utilized strategy for doing this in Maine. Contact Deb Bechard at (888) 387-8755 (toll-free in Maine) or (207) 582-2016, ext. 212 or by email: dbechard@mainementoring.org.
- Portland Mentoring Alliance — Established in 1992. Volunteer employees from businesses throughout Greater Portland are matched with Portland High School students to create supportive mentoring relationships. Contact Jane Ellis, Director of The Portland Mentoring Alliance at (207) 756-8437 or by email: ellisj@portlandschools.org.
National Mentoring Resources
- American Assocation of Person's with Disabilities Disability Mentoring Day
- Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) is committed to empowering young people with disabilities to reach their full potential for personal development. We do this by providing high quality one-to-one and group mentoring programs where adult mentors with disabilities act as positive role models and provide support, understanding and guidance for youth as they strive to reach their personal, educational and career goals.
- Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring for Youth with Disabilities, developed by the The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth). This document is available either in pdf format (124 pages/600KB) or in MS Word format (170 pages/1.3MB)
