Teens connect after a day of adventure camp at Hearty Roots. (Photo courtesy Hearty Roots)
It’s no secret adolescence is a time when youth turn inward, and Hearty Roots is on a mission to turn young adults toward the outdoors, away from screens and into meaningful adventures where real connections are made with real people amid Maine’s wild spaces. They can’t do it alone, especially as today’s teens navigate screen addiction and social media use.
“Hearty Roots provides opportunities for youth to quiet the mind, calm the senses, and decompress from overstimulation caused by excessive screen time,” said Shannon M. Parker, a longtime supporter of Hearty Roots and current capital campaign coordinator.
In 2022, with support from the Peter Alfond Foundation, Hearty Roots established Taproot Therapeutic Adventure, a direct-service, non-clinical, mental health initiative to support Maine youth who disproportionately experience social and/or personal anxieties and debilitating depression that can result in self-harm and suicidal tendencies.
“We believe in reducing barriers to wellness while increasing opportunities for stewardship of the self, our land, and our community,” Parker said.
In Maine, one in four kids identify with one or more mental health challenges, compared to one in six nationally. These are crisis-level statistics that don’t always capture the human side of wellness.
Hearty Roots has created an opportunity to hear from local teens directly. Show up for teens by showing up for a teen panel at the Harbor Theater in Boothbay from 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24. Let adolescent youth know they aren’t alone as they navigate technology that’s changed the way all people engage.
The evening will also include a showing of the documentary “Childhood 2.0” and a homegrown Hearty Roots mini-film, featuring the kids and land the Midcoast community cherishes. Tools and resources will also be shared.
The evening is free, with a suggested donation of $20. All proceeds will go directly to scholarship for participants.
For more information, go to heartyroots.org.
