The Future

Sharing what works

The “Big Bet” of the Aspirations Incubator aims to discern and to demonstrate what works to nurture and sustain aspirations for young people in rural communities. The midterm evaluation data for the pilot initiative offer insights that we believe will move us closer to answering this question.

Measurable benefits for participants – particularly in the areas of relationships, resiliency, exposure to new ideas and experiences, and academic engagement – preliminarily suggest that the Aspirations Incubator model holds real promise as a blueprint for other youth development programs in Maine and around the nation.

Even with the disruptions of an unprecedented global health crisis, we believe the interim results of the Aspirations Incubator evaluation are compelling, and we remain fully committed to our goal of creating a model that ensures that all rural students benefit from experiences and supportive mentoring relationships that can set them on a path to success and fulfillment as productive and contributing members of thriving communities.