180 Project Youth is an independent non-profit organization founded in 2007 out of a genuine love and concern for the youth of today and tomorrow. 180 provides high school age students with a safe, pro-social environment in which to grow into healthy and positive young adults. The goal of the founders and volunteers at 180 Project Youth is to present buffers against substance abuse and other prohibitive behaviors by developing trusting relationships with teens, through which to encourage good decisions and impart key assets for mature development.

  One of the crucial components to building relationships with teens is having the ability to remove them from daily life by embarking on adventures together, whether that be hiking, camping, roller skating or just a trip to a shopping mall or movie theater for an afternoon. Teens in rural areas have much more limited access to the amenities that many take for granted in more urban or even sub-urban geographies.

  In 2007 180 Project Youth was able to acquire a 1996 Dodge 15 passenger van, which was promptly named Wally and declared a super-hero for “his” ability to carry 180 students on many great adventures. Sadly we live in a climate where vehicles deteriorate over time, and in the summer of 2014 we discovered that Wally had an irreversible case of the dreaded rust, which had completely destroyed the floor boards, rendering our super-hero unsafe for occupancy. On October 10th Wally was loaded onto a trailer and taken to a scrap yard to be dismantled and crushed. The memories and relationships that were forged in that old van will unquestionably last a lifetime.

  Now it is time to begin the process of purchasing a replacement vehicle for our beloved van. While Wally was loved and utilized to the fullest, we often found the seating capacity to be inadequate for the size of our groups, which often necessitated a second and third vehicle. We are seeking funding to purchase a reliable, gently used multi person vehicle, hopefully in the 20-25 passenger range. We have some support from family and local sponsors, but will need much more to reach our goal by the end of 2014.

  180 Project Youth is housed in a small cabin situated on the property of founders Scott & April Murchison in Lee, Maine and draws a weekly attendance average of 30 – 40 students from surrounding communities. Since opening its doors on October 6th 2007, 180 has been an integral part of the community and a connecting point for hundreds of teens.