Youth Promise was organized in 1994 by Juvenile Court Judge Michael Westcott to develop resources for Lincoln County youth coming into the juvenile justice system. It was originally named the Lincoln County Juvenile Task Force but was renamed in 2000 to reflect a more positive outcome. In 2003, Youth Promise started serving Knox County youth with our programs: MACS (Mentor Assisted Community Service), MACS-Says (Mentor Assisted Community Service-School Alternative to School Suspension) and Jump Start. In 2007 Youth Promise started the process of joining our programs with those from Eastern Cumberland and bringing them into Sagadahoc County. Youth Promise will be collaborating with Law Enforcement agencies, Court officials, Juvenile Probation officers, school personnel and family members in these counties to spread the available programs through out the four county regions. Volunteers are at the heart of our agency. They provide the positive connection to our community that is missing for most of our youth.

Youth Promise Vision
A Safe and Healthy Community

Youth Promise Mission
To developand support the continual growth of the well being of our youth and families through education and outreach.

Youth Promise Programs

• Jump Start: A ten week integrated life skills program for juvenile offenders and other at risk youth. During the ten weeks of the programs youth are assigned a mentor who will provide a positive connection with a caring adult and someone who will help the youth reconnect back to their own community. Jump Start works with the youth on: decision making, team building, improving aspirations and anger management with 20 hrs of community service thrown in. This program can be used as a prevention program with younger youth.

• MACS (Mentor Assisted Community Service): youth are placed on sites near their homes where they complete an assigned number of community service hours. Each youth works beside a caring adult. Youth are assigned an average of 20 to 60 hours of community service.

• MAC-SAYS (Mentor Assisted Community Service- Youth Alternative to School Suspension) works with youth who have been suspended at their school to keep them in their classes instead of out in the community without supervision. The program works closely with the school administration.

• Rebound is a life skills program for more mature youth that pairs youth with a volunteer adult mentor from their community for an hour and half session each week for twelve weeks. At each session, there is a planned activity or discussion to address anger management, decision-making, effective communication, disputer resolution and team building.

• Smokeless Saturdays: is a program that accepts referrals from local law enforcement officers who have identified youth illegally possessing cigarettes. Instead of doing nothing or sending the youth to court (causing displeasure with the Judge). You can summons the youth, hold the summons and refer the youth to our once a month Smokeless Saturday’s Program. This program provides education and communication on why they shouldn’t be smoking.

The JASAE (Juvenile Automated Substance Abuse Evaluation) survey can be completed through Youth Promise. The referral can come from the Juvenile justice system, parents or school personnel. The results can help those involved with the youth find out if they have a potential problem with substances and needs further services.