*SCHEDULING UPDATE*

We unfortunately cannot accept new registrations in the spring due to staffing changes at Woodfords. Please add yourself to the waitlist to be contacted in the fall when we will hopefully offer this class again. Thank you for your understanding, and we appreciate your interest!

Our community needs individuals who want to make a difference in a child's life.

Children with intellectual challenges, autism, and mental health disorders in Maine, as well as their families, depend on children's behavioral health services. And there is a huge need in our area!

A Certified Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) is an essential member of a child's treatment team and has the chance to have an instant influence while assisting children in reaching their full potential. We are thrilled to provide this fantastic ONLINE training and certificate program to our community. You will be equipped to work with children who need services thanks to this program and also prepare yourself for employment with local social service organizations.

Start whenever you choose, and go at your own pace. Complete 12 online modules and three live, four-hour sessions, after which you will receive free online training in blood-borne pathogens and certification in child and adult first aid and CPR. Our free remote training program can get you licensed and started in a career that will change your life in just 40 hours.

Required: Must be a Maine resident and at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent to become certified.

Jeffrey Carpenter, Workforce Recruitment Specialist for the State of Maine's OCFS through Woodfords Family Services, is here to help you through this learning opportunity by providing answers to questions and technical issues, should any arise. He is also a resource to connect you with service agencies once you have completed the training.

Where does it go? Take a virtual tour through ecomaine's Single Sort Recycling Facility to discover how we sort your soup cans and laundry bottles and why wish-cycling costs you money. Bring your questions and examples of any questionable recyclable items. Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 4/10.

Annie Hayes, BA in Environmental Planning & Policy with a minor in Ecology from USM, joined ecomaine in 2022 as an education and outreach intern, transitioning to the role of Environmental Educator following her graduation in 2024. Her commitment to education and advocacy drives her efforts to make a positive impact in the Maine community.

From the comfort of your own home, play the piano like a professional by using chords. Learn to form the three basic types of chords, handle a variety of keys and time signatures, avoid counting and simplify more than 12,000 complex chords. Part lecture/demonstration and part hands-on instruction. Course includes an online book, follow-up video lessons, optional periodic Q&A sessions and a recording of the class–enough materials to continue your practice and study on your own!

Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 4/7.

Please have a stable internet connection; a computer, tablet or cellphone; and a piano or keyboard available during class.

Craig Coffman, an experienced piano and guitar instructor, professional pianist and music director, has 30+ years of experience teaching piano privately. His piano and guitar seminars have been attended by 30,000+ students throughout the US over the last 27 years.

Maine's compassionate end-of-life care option is the subject of a great deal of confusion and false information. Although Maine's Death with Dignity Act has been in place since September 2019, most patients and medical personnel are still unaware of it. Learn how to talk about it with your doctor, how to comply with the law, or how to help a family member who might qualify.

Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 4/16.

Val Lovelace founded the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Maine Death with Dignity and also serves as its executive director. She spearheaded a grassroots campaign from 2014 to 2019 to pass Maine's aid-in-dying statute, the Maine Death with Dignity Act. She is committed to providing factual information regarding medical aid in dying in the United States to politicians, healthcare professionals, patients, and their families.

Learn one of music's deepest mysteries: playing songs without relying on written music. A very practical presentation of music theory, expressed in everyday language, that includes predicting chord progressions, learning from recordings, and transposing. This is an ideal follow-up to the Instant Piano class and open to anyone who has a basic understanding of chords on any instrument. Expand your musical horizons, free yourself from sheet-music dependence, and be the life of the party! Prior experience with chords is recommended. Course includes the online book, follow-up lessons, a recording of the class, and an optional monthly Q&A session.

Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 5/2.

Please have a stable internet connection; a computer, tablet or cellphone; and a piano or keyboard available during class.

Craig Coffman, an experienced piano and guitar instructor, professional pianist, and music director, has 30+ years of experience teaching piano privately. His piano and guitar seminars, offered through Community Colleges and Community Education Programs, have been attended by 30,000+ students throughout the US over the last 27 years.

Review camera settings, composition, and how to get great images of nature's best, like moose, birds, seals, and other subjects! Learn how to set up a blind to get great images. Discuss the best options in lenses for this type of photography and tripods to get the best stability for your images!

Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 5/12.

Zoom link provided by instructor.

Please have a computer, a stable internet connection, and your fully charged digital camera.

Steve McGrath is a professional freelance photographer and teacher with 25 years of experience. His love of the great outdoors led him to his true passion–nature photography. Steve was an active member of the Gateway Camera Club for many years and has won many ribbons and awards at fairs and competitions through the group and on his own. Many of his images have been published in school textbooks.

Impress your family and friends with your photos! Learn how to use the camera settings on your phone, as well as how to share and print your photos. Discuss picture-taking techniques and the best free and low-cost tools for editing, finishing, and image management. This class will include time viewing photos, and the instructor will provide feedback on student work. Come explore the magic of smartphone photography with Steve!

Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 5/13. Zoom link provided by instructor.

Please have a computer, a stable internet connection, and your fully charged smartphone (Android or Apple).

Steve McGrath is a professional freelance photographer and teacher with 25 years of experience. His love of the great outdoors led him to his true passion–nature photography. Steve was an active member of the Gateway Camera Club for many years and has won many ribbons and awards at fairs and competitions through the group and on his own. Many of his images have been published in school textbooks.

The entire process of purchasing a home is covered in this ME hoMEworks course, including making the decision, setting a budget for homeownership, improving credit, getting a mortgage approval, working with a realtor, inspections, insurance, the closing process, energy efficiency, and avoiding predatory lenders. Learn about closing costs and down payment assistance programs available for first-time homebuyers, veterans, and others. Attendees will earn a Certificate of Completion required by USDA, ME State Housing Authority, and other mortgage lenders. Free individualized counseling is offered after the class. Please have pen and paper available.

Preregistration required, with registration closing at noon on 5/15.

You must reply to the email that will be sent to you from YCCAC to complete registration and receive the Zoom link.

Register the person you are buying your house with at the same time you do and receive a $10 refund.

Lee Sullivan is the Homebuyer Education Coordinator at York County Community Action Corp. In addition to experiencing the homebuying process multiple times, she is certified by hoMEworks, HUD, and the USDA RD Direct mortgage program.