The Courageous Steps Project founder Connor Archer continues to promote the message on the importance of community, while also realizing that it's important to build stronger communities. 

Archer shared that message recently with Glenburn Elementary School educators on Monday August 29th, during their opening staff day. He gave his 'It Takes A Community' presentation, which talks about his journey, and about how Courageous Steps has promoted building stronger communities, through it's 'One Word' Challenge initiative. 

Archer shared the 'One Word' video created in 2015. After the video, he challenged the Glenburn Elementary School staff to complete their own 'One Word' Challenge. Glenburn would be the sixth school to complete this challenge, along with many more schools hoping to complete the challenge this fall. 

The Courageous Steps Project hopes to continue expanding it's speaking engagements to more schools and organizations. If you are someone from an organization, and are interested in having Connor come speak to your group, please contact him at: [email protected]. 

The Courageous Steps Project is wrapping up a busy August, but we are gearing up for the start of September. Here is recap of what The Courageous Steps Project has done in August: 

*The 3rd annual Courageous Steps Back-To-School Drive campaign filled boxes to give to eighteen schools in Eastern Maine. 

*A benefit dinner was held at Governor's Restaurant in Old Town on Tuesday August 9th. 

*Our thirty one fundraiser raised over $150, and we are planning to host another fundraiser in February of 2017. Thank you to Jess Hewes for all of her work in helping with the fundraiser. 

*Searsport and Bucksport educators received small donations as part of the newly debuted wish-list initiative. The wish-list initiate strives to help classroom teachers with purchasing occupational, physical, and speech therapy equipment. 

*The Courageous Steps Project expanded into Hancock County communities to support more programs in that area.

Coming up in September:

*Yankee Candle Fundraiser (Now until December 31st!)

*RiverFest Raffle (Old Town RiverFest on Saturday September 24th!)

*Autumn Silent Auction (Begins Sunday September 25th and runs through November!)

On Monday August 22nd, RSU #25 Bucksport Kindergarten teacher Christian Koelbl, received a $300.00 donation from The Courageous Steps Project for the use of purchasing occupational therapy equipment. Founder Connor Archer, and Koelbl, took a picture with the check, in Christian's unique classroom. 

Christian teaches at the GH Jewett School, and likes to incorporate occupational therapy tactics in his regular classroom with kindergartners. Christian has done this for many years, and continues to build on his equipment in the classroom. 

Christian plans on using this donation to purchase body vests and weights for these children. This is one of many classroom teachers that we hope to support in the Bucksport area, and in other areas in the state of Maine. 

We will eventually post pictures on our website, and facebook page of Christian using this equipment purchased. 

The Courageous Steps Project as proud to kick off it's wish-list initiative by giving a $200.00 donation to Sarah Koelbl, a kindergarten teacher at Searsport Elementary School. 

Sarah, strives to incorporate occupational therapy equipment in the regular classroom setting, so children with developmental challenges don't have to exit the classroom, and can interact with others their age that aren't as challenged. 

This kicks off our new wish-list initiative for The Courageous Steps Project. The intent of this initiative, is to get the assistance to it's direct source: the classroom teachers. If you are a classroom teacher, all you have to do is email Connor Archer at: [email protected], and send your wish-list of items. He will go through and see if the list fulfills The Courageous Steps Project's mission. 

We will bring you pictures of Sarah's work in the classroom, when the pictures become available. 

"Students success is based on the appropriate materials needed to learn", that's a message that founder Connor Archer promotes every year during the organization's annual back-to-school drive.

This year is no exception, as The Courageous Steps Project hosted it's 3rd annual back-to-school drive campaign. In doing so, Archer made a goal to add at least six more schools. Archer successfully did so, and filled each box with supplies.

Because of the success, Archer was able to donate supplies to eighteen schools in Eastern Maine. The planning phases for next year's drive are already underway, and the campaign plan will be announced in the Spring of 2017.

If you have any more supplies to donate, please bring them to your local schools.

The Courageous Steps Project founder Connor Archer, and the Old Town Recreation Center's leaders group teamed up to deliver supplies to eleven area schools. Eighteen schools will receive supplies from the 3rd annual organization's back-to-school drive. 

They first started off at the Veazie Community School, and slowly made their way to Orono and Old Town schools. Every school received at least one box, and a package of tissues. 

The Courageous Steps Project is hoping to expand our back-to-school drive efforts next summer in the Ellsworth region to benefit more schools and students in the state of Maine. 

Archer will make trips to Holden, Eddington, Dedham, Orrington, Glenburn, and Greenbush, to deliver supplies to those schools. 

The Courageous Steps Project recently held it's 3rd benefit dinner at Governor's Restaurant in Old Town, after having a first benefit dinner one year ago. 

"This fundraiser has been great to see people who always come and eat, but you also see new faces come in every time", said founder Connor Archer, who founded The Courageous Steps Project, INC. recently, which is now an operating non-profit completing the final steps of the transition in time for January 1st, 2017. 

The benefit dinner raised over $450.00, which is great initiatives like the scholarship fund, charitable giving fund, or other projects for The Courageous Steps Project. 

Archer hopes to continue to expand our benefit dinner fundraisers in the near future, and to try some different ideas that involve other communities in the region. 

Benefit dinners are usually announced on our website at least one month out, so please check with us for updates. 

The Courageous Steps Back-To-School Drive campaign has been growing since 2014. With a drive raising more funds than last year, a drive collecting more supplies than last year, and a drive with more than half a dozen bins in the Old Town/Orono area, it's no wonder that this initiative of The Courageous Steps Project, INC. is growing. 

On Thursday August 4th, founder Connor Archer hosted the organization's 3rd annual drive, to collect more supplies for Old Town/Orono area schools, and other small Eastern Maine communities. From 9am to 5pm, Archer also worked with Governor's Restaurant in Old Town, to sell ice cream cones for $1.99 until 4pm, and $0.99 until 8pm. All proceeds from the ice cream benefited the cause as well. 

Archer will add on at least another 3 to 6 schools this year, if not more. Bins are still out until tomorrow, Friday August 12th. "Bins are starting to fill up at all locations", says Archer, who has received emails and Facebook mention posts from other bin locations about filling bins up. "It is a goal of mine to expand our area to Hancock county communities, and other Penobscot county communities, so we can continue to expand all our initiatives into different communities and eventually statewide", added Archer. 

Archer, has now founded The Courageous Steps Project, INC., and is working on details this last part of the year to become an official non-profit by January 1st, 2017. This will allow the organization to gain more support, and more funds, to help more organizations in need. 

Next week, Archer and volunteers of The Courageous Steps Project will be around to deliver boxes of supplies to different schools in the region. If you still want to donate supplies, drop your donation off at one of the following locations: Old Town Orono YMCA, Old Town Recreation Center, Bangor Savings Bank (Old Town & Orono branches), Penobscot County Federal Credit Union (Old Town), Old Town Public Library, Orono Public Library, and Hannaford SuperMarkets. 

If you want to make a general donation, please make checks payable to: The Courageous Steps Project and mail to P.O. Box 1, Stillwater, ME 04489. 

The Courageous Steps Project will be hosting a benefit dinner tomorrow night from 4pm to 8pm at Governor's Restaurant in Old Town. Ten percent of proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit Courageous Steps endeavors. 

T-shirts will be for sale at $5.00 each. Donations are also encouraged. We will also have Jess Hewes from Thirty One stopping by to showcase products for people to look at on their way in and out. You can place an order at: www.mythirtyone.com/jbhewes, and click the My Parties link, where you will find the link: The Courageous Steps Project. 

It is our plan to have another benefit dinner potentially at the end of this year at around the Christmas season. Check back with us as we provide more updates. 

For founder Connor Archer, it's a great feeling to achieve something that you set your mind to. "Earlier in the summer, I made it a goal of mine that we would add another three to six schools". 

Because of support from communities in the Bangor area and beyond, Archer had his goal achieved, and we are proud to be able to add on another six schools. In 2015, we gave 12 schools boxes. Eighteen local schools will receive boxes this year. 

This is also made possible by the donations before our 3rd annual back-to-school drive on Thursday August 4th, 2016, and because of our donation bins which received lots of backpacks, and other supplies that helped us achieve this goal. 

On Saturday August 13th, items were sorted at the Old Town Recreation Center, where founder Connor Archer sorted all the items, with help of volunteers under The Courageous Steps Project. A process that could have taken much longer, only took about 8 hours. 

Here is a list of schools that will receive supplies: 

Old Town Elementary School
Old Town High School
Leonard Middle School
Viola Rand Elementary School
Alton Elementary School
Helen S. Dunn School
Dr. Lewis Libby School
Asa Adams Elementary School
Orono Middle School
Orono High School
Veazie Community School
Glenburn Elementary School (NEW)
Dedham School (NEW)
Center Drive School (NEW)
Eddington Elementary School (NEW)
Holbrook Middle School (NEW)
Holden Elementary School (NEW)

All boxes will be delivered early this coming week. If you still want to donate supplies, Archer encourages that you drop supplies off at your local schools. There are tons of back-to-school drives coming up, so please take advantage of those opportunities to support your local children heading back to school.