AdCare Educational Institution of Maine is offering Integrating Mindfulness-Based Compassionate Communication into Behavioral Health Counseling, a two-part virtual workshop from 9 am to 12 Noon on January 19th & 26th, presented by Nancy Hathaway, M.Ed. In this two part workshop we will explore the language that is before good and bad; right and wrong and go to a deeper place within all humans, the place of truth, empathy, and compassion. This language has as its foundation Mindfulness of experience from where we will practice speaking to one another with honesty, while listening deeply for the basic human needs coming to a place of compassion without compromising our own values; wanting to meet the basic wonderful needs of all humans. The workshop will consist of Lecture, Practice, and Sharing. There will be a week between sessions to bring back to the group our experience of using this language of compassionate communication practice. Participants who successfully complete both days will:

Maine Child Welfare Education Annual Conference

Save the date of June 30th for the 27th annual Maine Child Welfare Education Conference “Diverse Populations in Child Welfare” (see flyer).     Temple Grandin, PhD is the keynote speaker.   Dr. Grandin is one of the world’s most accomplished and well-known adults with autism. She has a PhD in animal science from the University of Illinois and is a professor at Colorado State University. She is the author of six books, including the national bestsellers: Thinking in Pictures and Animals in Translation.  We are currently planning for an in-person conference though will flex to a virtual format if circumstances require. full brochure and registration coming soon. Continuing education credit approval of various types is being sought. Please contact Mark Moran if you have any questions (207-973-7855).

NAMI Maine is offering another online NAMI Basics class this spring. The class will meet twice a week for three weeks beginning Monday, April 4th, and is for parents and guardians of children and teens who are experiencing mental health symptoms. Please help us spread the word among anyone you know who might benefit from this class (download a flyer). To learn more about NAMI Basics or to register, click here. These classes fill up fast, so please encourage anyone interested in participating to register early.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension and University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension will offer a webinar for home gardeners about hydroponic gardening from 6–7:15 p.m. on Jan 24. “Hydroponics at Home” will explain how to build a working hydroponic system for year-round indoor gardening with a few simple tools and materials. Jonathan Ebba, UNH Extension field specialist, will lead the workshop.  Registration is required; a sliding scale program fee is optional. Register on the event webpage to attend live or receive a link to the recording. This is the fourth in a six-part winter gardening webinar series offered monthly through March for Maine and New Hampshire gardeners. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Pamela Hargest, 207-781-6099; extension.gardening@maine.edu.

The Traveling Rainbow is a project that brings the community center to the people! Equipped with resources, a lending library, identity affirming items and staffed by some pretty awesome facilitators we are doing something special. It is something that is needed, to bring the support to the people, where they are, in the places they are already going. Visit our website to book The Traveling Rainbow for your school, organization or event.

Applications for CEI’s Child Care Business Lab are open now.  Have you ever wanted to start a child care business?  Do you have a passion for children and want to learn more about the business details of running a child care? Would you like to be coached through the licensing process? At the CEI Child Care Business Lab, we help people just like you start new, quality, profitable child care businesses here in Maine. We are now accepting applications for our next group starting in March for people living in Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, and Washington counties.  Learn more and apply here.