Saving Our
Aroostook
Part2
By Sandra Gauvin
In the last edition of the Our Maine Street Aroostook
Magazine, you listened to the little author residing in my
head as she talked about the royal beauty of the Crown of
Maine. I shared her mental wanderings as well as my reality
of what has slowly happened to The Crown over time.
I would like to review the sobering facts:
Aroostook County’s population decreased by 4% in the last
decade, most of which is due to the outmigration of our
young people.
Annual household income is more than $10,000 below the
state average.
Only 16.4% of Aroostook residents have a Bachelor’s
Degree or higher educational attainment, compared with
27.1% across Maine.
workforce will thrive, and the vibrancy of Northern Maine
will no longer be an echo.
The greatest portion of the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative
is dedicated to helping high school students go on to college
and complete their post-secondary education successfully.
This project will help first generation college and
economically disadvantaged students realize that they can
indeed go on to college, graduate without being burdened
with debt, and remain in Aroostook County.
It all begins with a scholarship, which will be detailed
shortly.
In the spring, there will be an aspirational weekend
whereby the scholars will take part in seminars dealing with
topics such as how to deal with college issues and financial
Our population ages 18-44 is at 29%, down from 42% literacy. There will be speakers who have created and/or run
in 1990 – a level that is unsustainable from a business successful businesses in Aroostook County. And there will
standpoint, as economists predict we currently do not have be information for the scholars about current and future
jobs that will be available and what the scholars have to do
enough young people to fill future jobs.
to prepare for them. The University of Maine at Fort Kent
Fortunately, people from Aroostook County are resilient. has generously agreed to host this weekend.
As a result, there is an exciting new movement afoot to
brighten our economic future. And all facets of the business, Another event will involve entrepreneurial training for
those who are interested in starting their own business in
private, and educational sectors are involved.
From the private sector, a creative new enterprise called the Northern Maine. This event will touch on topics such as
Aroostook Aspirations Initiative (AAI) has been created the entrepreneurial mind-set, what it takes to start your own
by Ray and Sandy Gauvin and Jason Parent--designed to business, and skills it takes to make it thrive. Again, people
help the youth of Aroostook County stay here, work here, who have been successful in starting their own businesses
and raise their families here. Many of these kids want to in The County will be featured guests. Northern Maine
remain in the area where they were raised, near relatives and Community College will host this event.
friends. They are just not aware of the educational, career
and financial opportunities available to them in Northern One of the best ways to help a young person understand
what is involved in his or her chosen career and to create
Maine.
networking opportunities is to participate in an internship.
AAI was also created to boost the economy of Aroostook Therefore, the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative has created
County and to return vibrancy and viability to The County. a place on its Web site (www.gauvinfund.org) whereby
If we can stem the outmigration of our young people, help employers and potential interns can connect to create this
them find gainful employment, and even help them start valuable learning experience.
their own businesses here, not only will the social fabric of The next element of the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative
The County become stronger, the economy will grow, our is The Gauvin County Scholarship Fund, which will give
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WINTER 2014