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Support Valo During May Mental Health Month
We’re celebrating May Mental Health Month all month long on Facebook and Instagram. We also created a great resource guide to have conversations with teens in your life. At Valo, we're empowering young people in Maine to build strong social connections and develop tools to manage their emotional wellbeing. We’d love your support of local youth and their mental health. Donate Here.
A Conversation with Maine Athletes Eavan O’Neill and Skyler Samuelson Espinoza
For the May edition of Embers, we are elated to be joined by two amazing athletes and Mainers, Eavan O’Neill and Skyler Samuelson Espinoza. In 2020, Eavan was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Stargardt's Disease that causes vision loss. Following her diagnosis, Eavan took to the outdoors by running, which soon quickly grew into a passion—a passion which led her to run marathons to support research for diseases like her’s. Though initially a collegiate rower, Skyler found herself as a “pilot” on the United States’ Paralympic Cycling team, following her success as an individual cyclist. As an athlete with unimpaired vision, Skyler teams up with a visually impaired athlete to race in tandem.
Please listen along with us for this month's episode as Eavan and Skyler share their perspectives of visual impairment in sports, their experiences challenging themselves as athletes, the importance of physical activity on one’s mental health, and much more.
Join Us For Our June Information Night!
Valo has space for teens in its weekend and evening programs! Are you, or a young person in your life, interested in joining Valo in the next academic year? Our June Information Night is the place to learn all you need to know!
Open to all current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade teens with their parents or guardians — this is a great opportunity to meet Valo staff and current Valo teens to get the real scoop. We’ll talk about our program options, the application process, and answer all your questions. Join us on Tuesday, June 4th at 6:00pm - 121 Main St. in Yarmouth. We hope you’ll come along!
An Update from the Maine Resiliency Center
Valo's partnership with the Maine Resiliency Center continues as we provide weekly programming for young people impacted by the shooting in Lewiston last October. We spend time together each Tuesday afternoon creating safe space to share our stories and deepen our connections through meaningful conversation and light-hearted banter.
A Glimpse Into Our Weekend Program
Twenty Valo teens from our weekend and evening programs had a blast scaling the walls of Evo, catching up with pals from their group, and making meaningful connections with those they’d not yet met. What fun to learn the skills of belaying, to push ourselves (literally!) to new heights, to fly through the air on giant rope swings, and most of all to enjoy time relaxed and unplugged and with friends. A special thank you to Chris and Lyla for making it all happen!
Valo guides young people to cultivate emotional wellbeing.
We create space where small groups of teens connect meaningfully with each other through conversations. We offer multiple program models, including: full-day, overnight, and weekly or monthly series.
Valo empowers young people to build social connections and hone tools to serve their emotional wellbeing. Openness, curiosity, vulnerability, and deepening connection through conversation are at the core of our work. In Valo programs, young people practice empathy, self-reflection, active listening, and thoughtful communication all while unplugged from technology.
We remain committed to lasting impact, and every program includes the opportunity for follow-up. As a result of our programs, Valo youth learn to create community and connect authentically wherever they go.
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