Pathways to Promise

MPAC’s Pathways to Promise mentorship initiative is designed for system-impacted youth across Maine and their families.

We connect young people facing incarceration, poverty, or reentry challenges with staff mentors who walk beside them, while also offering support to their families, guardians, and caregivers. Together, they build trust, confidence, and the tools needed to thrive.

We Meet Them Where They Are.

Our work doesn’t start at release — it begins inside.

Pathways to Promise mentors enter facilities like Long Creek Youth Development Center to build relationships with young people before they come home. We offer hope, trust, and connection while they’re still navigating confinement — preparing them for the transition back into community.

From attending court hearings and advocating to judges, to holding daily circles and check-ins, MPAC’s mentors support incarcerated youth in a variety of ways. They also organize career readiness programs such as resume building and financial literacy workshops through Androscoggin Bank, assist with job applications, help youth obtain their driver’s licenses, ensure they stay presentable with access to clothing and regular haircuts, and collaborate with organizations such as Young People’s Caucus (for cooking classes) and Opportunity Scholars (for educational and career goal setting).

Our mentorship program is further strengthened through partnerships with Maine-based organizations like Quality Housing Coalition and Luke’s Lobster’s Lift All Boats program. Quality Housing Coalition supports youth aging out of foster care with access to stable housing, while Lift All Boats provides job training and employment opportunities for returning youth. Combined, these resources help create a foundation for long-term success beyond incarceration.

By establishing trust early, we help youth and their families create reentry plans that are rooted in reality, support, and vision — not paperwork alone. Then, when the doors open, they already have someone waiting.

Ways you can support
Pathways to Promise

If you or your organization has a resource to provide, we’d love to hear from you!