DREAM Maine Turns Opportunity Into Action
When Youth Service Director CJ Smith looks at Maine, she sees more than rocky coastlines and small towns. She sees a state in transition, shaped by young people whose backgrounds, experiences, and dreams are rapidly changing what Maine looks like and what it can become.
Every generation leaves its mark on the place it calls home. At the heart of Smith’s work with DREAM Maine is an effort to create opportunities, provide resources, and invest in young people, starting in their own communities and building from there.
Smith grew up in Southern Maine and now calls Lewiston home, giving her work a personal connection to the state and the communities it serves. For Smith, investing in young people is about more than providing a program or a place to go. It is about giving kids the resources and support they need to imagine and shape their own futures.
“My vision is to provide resources and investment into youth so they can develop into who they want to be and have autonomy and choice over their future.” — CJ Smith, Youth Service Director
For Smith, that vision begins with leveling the playing field.
“Depending on where you start in life, you are awarded certain headstarts, and that robs our communities of its full potential,” Smith said. “I invest in youth today because I genuinely believe in a future where leadership is not just representative of all, but accurately reflects the talents and skills that so often go unrecognized by systems that regularly privilege those with a headstart.”
Closing the opportunity gap, she believes, is about more than helping individual young people overcome barriers. It is about creating communities across Maine where young people can develop their strengths, create their own opportunities, and contribute their ideas, talents, and perspectives.
“For me, it looks like giving kids the chance to have a fair shot,” Smith said.
DREAM Maine Helps Create Opportunity
Across Maine, that vision is taking shape through DREAM’s programming, where young people are building skills, strengthening relationships, and developing the confidence to take on new challenges.
DREAM currently operates two sites in Maine, one in Westbrook and one in Portland, serving approximately 30 youth. Through Adventures Unlimited, youth have opportunities to try new experiences, develop new skills, and deepen their leadership abilities. Through Village Mentoring, they are building social-emotional skills, strengthening relationships, and developing a greater sense of connection.
These experiences reflect Smith’s belief that opportunity is not simply about access to activities. It is about creating environments where young people feel supported, develop a sense of belonging, and discover what they are capable of achieving.
DREAM’s Maine programming is supported by students from the University of Southern Maine and Bates College, along with community partners who have helped provide access to healthy, nutritious food and a variety of Adventures Unlimited experiences.
Why Mentorship Matters in Maine
Smith sees mentoring as a particularly powerful way to close the opportunity gap. A one-to-one mentoring relationship can give a young person access to another trusted adult, new perspectives, encouragement, and connections that might otherwise be out of reach.
Through its Village Mentoring program, DREAM works to strengthen social connection and social capital, the relationships and networks that can help young people navigate challenges, discover opportunities, and build confidence in their own abilities.
For prospective mentors, the opportunity to make a difference can begin with simply showing up consistently in a young person’s life.
For Smith, this kind of investment is central to building a more equitable future. When young people have access to supportive relationships and meaningful opportunities, they are better positioned to make choices about their futures and contribute to their communities.
The Future of DREAM Maine
Smith sees DREAM playing a distinctive role in Maine. She chose to work with the organization because she recognized an approach that aligned with her broader vision: one focused not simply on appearing impactful, but on building genuine relationships and creating meaningful opportunities for young people.
“In this day and age, it can be hard to tell if an organization really walks the talk, DREAM does,” Smith said. “I saw firsthand that this program has the stuff of authenticity — I think that shines through in our work with kids, communities and donors. It speaks for itself.” — CJ Smith
Authenticity matters to Smith because creating lasting change requires more than good intentions. It requires relationships, sustained investment, and partnerships that connect young people with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
Rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive later in life, Smith wants to invest in youth now and challenge what becomes possible when young people are given a genuine chance to choose their futures.
What happens when a young person has access to the resources, relationships, and support they need? What ideas emerge when more young people are invited into the conversation? And what could Maine look like if the talents and ingenuity of every young person had the opportunity to be recognized?
For Smith, those questions are not abstract. They are a reason to invest in young people, in communities, and in organizations like DREAM that are working to close the opportunity gap today.
The future of Maine is being shaped by its young people. Smith believes the work now is to make sure they have the opportunity to shape it on their own terms — and that building that future begins with communities willing to show up for them.
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