Rooted in Purpose: Women Driving Change in Rural Youth Work
The work of youth development is powered by people who believe deeply in young people’s potential—and women have long been at the heart of that work. Across rural communities, women leaders are building spaces where young people feel seen, supported, and inspired to lead.
In this article, the Rural Youth Institute celebrates the leadership of women across the Aspirations Incubator Network, whose vision, commitment, and collaboration are strengthening opportunities for rural youth and shaping the future of youth development.
Lubec Community Outreach Center: Jennifer Bristol
Jennifer Bristol has been involved in the nonprofit world for the past 25 years. From small historic sites to international conservation projects, her work has consistently aimed to better the communities around her. For the last three years, Jennifer has taken on the role of Executive Director for the Lubec Community Outreach Center (LCOC), a non-profit with the mission to remove barriers to improve the lives of people in the Lubec community.
From a robust food pantry to after-school enrichment programs, specialized clubs to senior programs, the LCOC is committed to helping anyone who lives, works, plays, and learns in Lubec. With a rapidly aging population, emphasizing youth programs has become increasingly important to Jennifer—and where one of her newest projects, Roots & Wings, comes into play.
In January of 2026, LCOC was awarded a seed grant from the Rural Youth Institute to provide the financial support needed to implement their Aspirations Incubator model program. The Roots & Wings program was piloted in the Summer of 2025, and after a successful test run, this year aims to bring the program to life at full scale.
“Roots & Wings consists of all of the learning and fun that are incorporated into so many of the Aspirations Incubator partners: experiential learning, hands-on experiences, field trips. But a key component for our community was engaging youth with our seniors through acts of service,” Jennifer said. “The big win is that the relationship between the kids and the seniors in our community expanded with each interaction. It develops empathy and strengthens their sense of responsibility. It also connects them to their community through the history that our community shares with them.”
Every decision in building Roots & Wings has been intentional, down to the program’s name. Opportunities to connect with older members of the community allow participants to feel rooted in Lubec, and to understand the history around them. Experiences allowing them to explore new paths and expand their horizons provide participants with their figurative wings.
Jennifer serves as the program’s director, working alongside a dedicated group that cares deeply about its success. The team is largely female-driven, naturally allowing for participants to find inspiration in powerful women leaders.
“We’re lucky to have people like Nicole, an AmeriCorps member who is helping support the logistics and program development of Roots & Wings. She's a great resource and an amazing, talented, young, emerging leader,” Jennifer said. “We’re also incredibly grateful for Vanessa, our Youth Programs Coordinator. She is the kind of mentor that we want to see our youth exposed to, and an amazing woman who understands that sometimes the best thing you can do is stop and listen.”
According to Jennifer, LCOC makes her days feel more purposeful. Her work is driven by the people around her and the question of “what will empower you and everyone else around you?”. When a program or decision meets at that intersection, true community impact blossoms.
“I've had the benefit of a lot of really fabulous women leaders in my career who inspired me, who still inspire me, and make me work harder. You don't have to look far in our community to find these leaders—they’re making history every day,” Jennifer said. “They keep me thinking of new and better ways to be more effective for everyone in the community. I've had so many wonderful experiences in my life, but this is probably the greatest, most rewarding, and challenging leadership role I've ever played.”
University of Maine NorthStar 4-H Mentoring Program: Lyndsey Smith
For Lyndsey Smith, community service was always something that she valued deeply. When the opportunity to work for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension's 4-H program arose, she was able to become part of a team that shared her values and supported rural youth.
Starting in 2005, Lyndsey began making an impact in Western Maine at Camp Susan Curtis in Stoneham. In 2010, Lyndsey was hired by 4-H as the Lakeside Classroom Program Coordinator, leading a staff team teaching adventure and environmental education to school aged youth. 7 years later, the NorthStar 4-H Youth Mentoring program was created, and she moved into the role of the program’s director.
“I grew up in a community where giving back was always celebrated, and I knew I wanted to continue to carry that with me. I also knew I craved more community involvement and wanted to build long-term relationships that created the opportunity for bigger impacts,” Lyndsey said. “When the opportunity to become the director of the NorthStar 4-H program came up, I could finally see myself in a role that would be connecting students to all of the opportunities that I had as a kid. I understood the long-term impact that it could have in our local community.”
At its core, NorthStar 4-H aims to expand students’ horizons, aspirations, and resilience. Lyndsey and her team work closely with local schools in MSAD 44, MSAD 17 and RSU 71 to support youth both in and out of school through after-school programs, mentoring, and outdoor adventure opportunities.
Throughout her youth mentorship work, Lyndsey finds inspiration in personal mentors from her own childhood. Lessons of unconditional understanding, caring atmospheres, and authentic listening have all carried over from her own experiences to her current role.
“From a young age, my mom instilled in me that there would always be an open door and genuine love, regardless of the successes we had, the mistakes that we made, or who we became as humans,” Lyndsey said. “That mentorship gives a kid a lot of confidence and a clear pathway to try new things, to make mistakes and not be afraid of failure because you always have a soft landing place.”
Lyndsey carries this philosophy with her, ensuring that NorthStar 4-H provides an environment of trust, inspiration, and confidence to its participants. In addition to childhood mentoring perspectives, Lyndsey’s professional mentors have shaped the way she approaches her work.
“Once I started my professional career pathway into youth development work, some of my closest mentors were women who served as guidance counselors and teachers for the students that I was working with. They held an unconditional love for their students and understood the challenges that they were facing,” Lyndsey said. “Those women provided an immense amount of support that I really needed in my younger days. I came into this work through adventure education, which was a very male-dominated field. Now, having these solid female role models within the education system is like a light for me.”
Mentorship is the most powerful when it’s cyclical, and NorthStar 4-H proves it. This year marks the first instance of program alumni being hired back as volunteers. Two Americorps members who first participated in the program as students now get to give back to the community that supported them.
“As we bring in more staff members and AmeriCorps volunteers, I look forward to them joining the Aspirations Incubator network because it creates an atmosphere of continued learning for myself, for new leaders, and overall for our whole team,” Lyndsey said. “I wish that all youth development professionals in our state had a cohort of folks like this to lean on because we can gain so much perspective and insight from what others are doing.”
Maine Seacoast Mission: Briana West
Briana West’s journey with Maine Seacoast Mission goes beyond her professional experience—it started when she was a student herself. As an EdGE after-school program participant, Briana experienced mentorship that made her feel understood and appreciated. While other students might have wanted to engage in the program’s games, she preferred to join in through volunteering and program set-up. The coordinators noticed this and acted on it, inviting her to do what would bring her the most purpose.
When Briana came back to the program as a volunteer in 2008, this personalized attention that made her feel valued inspired her mentorship style. Today, she serves as EdGE’s Youth Development Coordinator, and her approach toward each individual student’s goals remains the same.
“I am absolutely the person I am today from all of the people that I worked with at EdGE and at the Maine Seacoast Mission over the years. Allison, the program coordinator when I was a student, has especially played a big role,” Briana said. “She was the one who made that space for me. She taught me that not every kid is meant to do the same thing, and the power of acknowledging students’ little successes. Now as a youth development coordinator myself, I understand that importance from a mentoring perspective.”
EdGE is a program run by Maine Seacoast Mission that operates in the Addison, Cherryfield, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Harrington, and Milbridge communities. The program offers collaborative and innovative afterschool, summer, and in-school programs to children with the goal of expanding their knowledge and experiences through academic and social support and peer mentoring.
While structured events and trips provide incredible opportunities for participants, the organic interactions that occur as a result of the connections built through EdGE are just as important. For Briana, staying in touch with students who have graduated is one highlights of her role.
“Our trips are always so exciting. We’ll be going on a college visit trip soon for our 11th graders, which will be amazing. But for me personally, checking in on the three groups that I've graduated off just to see how they're doing is also so great,” Briana said. “I love to watch them come back and hear how their college semester went, or how the job that they took is going. Some of them reach out to me while they're in school, others I see spontaneously in the grocery store—no matter what, they're so excited to tell me about their life updates. It warms my heart.”
Growing up in the community that EdGE uplifts makes Briana’s work particularly meaningful to her. She’s able to give back to a community that saw her for who she was and encouraged her to pursue her ambitions. For the participants she interacts with, her story provides a real-life example of what is possible in their future.
“I grew up here, born and raised. I left for college, and then I came back home. I’ve seen it all, and it has given me the perspective of truly knowing what the kids need here,” Briana said. “I always keep my roots in mind when thinking about the advancement of our program, asking questions like “What do we need?” and “How will our community actually benefit?”’
Beyond the Maine Seacoast Mission community, the Aspirations Incubator network allows Briana and her team to turn advancement goals into reality. From training opportunities to college partnerships, the Aspirations Incubator has been a resource for many aspects of EdGE’s youth development programs. The benefits aren’t limited to the program side—the network also provides connections for student participants to realize they’re not alone.
“The Aspirations Incubator network is a great way for our new team members to learn from the people who know the programs the most. It’s also been amazing for the kids to know that they’re not the only ones, and reminding them that there are other kids in similar programs all over Maine,” Briana said. “Being able to connect them with other Aspirations Incubator students is special.”
