The first Maine PeaceJam Slam will be held in collaboration with Unity College on November 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The theme for the day will be youth leadership, taking risks, and developing a personal voice for positive change.

The keynote speaker for the day will be Stephen Brimley of Belfast.  An authority in Restorative Justice, Brimley recently returned from the International Rotary Peace Education program in Thailand.

Among the presenters will be Michele Leavitt, Unity College Special Assistant for College Outreach/Honors Program Co-Director and Instructor.  Leavitt’s book-length poetry collection, Back East, won the inaugural Michael Macklin First Book Prize and was published by Moon Pie Press in 2013.

Unity College and PeaceJam mentors will interact with students in grades 8 through 12.  Participants will have an opportunity to use the Unity College outdoor adventure course, in addition to participating in workshops on various topics.  The day will close with a student-led ceremony.

Thirteen Nobel Peace Laureates from the PeaceJam Advisory Board who will participate in the New England annual youth conference in Connecticut in 2014 will be announced during the day.

PeaceJam is an international, educational organization that provides youth with leadership training, peace education curriculum, a meaningful service-learning process, and the opportunity for youth to make positive change in themselves and in their community. Additional information can be found on www.peacejam.org.  The fee is $30.00 per person and pre-registration for the event is suggested.  Limited scholarships are available. For more information, please contact Maine PeaceJam Coordinator Cathy Roberts via e-mail at peacepreserves@gmail.com or call 207-589-3451.

Friday, November 01, 2013