Penobscot Nation Youth Program

The Penobscot Nation Youth Program’s mission is dedicated to enriching children’s lives through providing a safe, caring and structured environment. The program will provide youth with programs that address the emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral development of youth. The program seeks to assist children in developing life skills, communication skills, responsibility and how to interact with others through meaningful activities. Our goal is to provide our youth with the skills to learn and develop into productive members of the tribal community and society as a whole.

RE-OPENING INFORMATION

We are pleased to announce that the Penobscot Nation Youth Program will be opening on April 4th! We will be open 3-5 pm, Monday-Friday.

We will have protocols and safety measures in place before we begin welcoming the youth back into our Program. This is an ongoing process, and we will advise all parents and caregivers if any changes occur.

Every member of our staff is required to wear a protective non-cloth face covering to be worn over the mouth and nose, while in the building, and close to others when outside. We are implementing lobby entrance drop-off and pickup of all participants for the foreseeable future. The only adults permitted in the building are Penobscot Nation employees and designated Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness staff. Parents and other adults may enter the building only in case of emergency, when specifically requested, and when they have obtained prior approval. Please be respectful in adhering to our policies as they are in place to best protect all our community’s children.

If your child(ren) is experiencing any of the following symptoms, please do not send your child to the Youth Program.

• Temperature above 101*F
• Any new or worsening cough
• Any other known COVID-19 symptoms

Your child(ren) will be required to wear a protective face covering, to be worn over the mouth and nose, while in the building and while close to others when outside. Your child(ren) will be greeted at the door and will have their temperature taken with a temporal scanner. Daily records will be kept so that we may identify individuals who were in the building on any given day. If your child(ren) develops symptoms during the day, we will separate the individual(s) from the larger group (we will have them wait in the front meeting space of the office area) and notify the Emergency Contact person to pick up the youth.

Each child will be assigned to one of three groups for the week, which will be staffed by the same 2 (minimum) staff people to minimize intermingling. Each group will have its own set of equipment (basketballs, kickballs, etc.) which will be sanitized at the end of each day.

Bathrooms breaks will happen one child at a time.

Meals and snacks will be staggered, and your child(ren) will continue to remain with their set group. The dining area will be sanitized in between eating groups.

Please indicate if your youth can sign themselves out and/or to whom your child(ren) may be released. Once signed out, the youth will not be allowed to re-enter the building until the following Program day. In the event of a medical appointment, please advise staff and we will work with you regarding attendance.

Once you have completed the Program packet, please drop-off at the Sockalexis Arena between 8am – 11am or 1pm – 5pm. If these times are not convenient for you, text, or call Brittney at 207.217.1906 or John at 207.659.3490 and we will arrange for someone to pick up your packet at your home.

Thank you and we are excited to see your children again! If you have any questions, please call John Neptune or Brittney Fields.

Penobscot Nation Youth Program Staff