NAMI Back to School Guide
As we gear up for the new school year, we understand the importance of mental health for students, parents, and educators. NAMI resources aim to support educators, guide parents, and empower students on their mental health journey during the school year and beyond.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is committed to promoting mental health and preventing substance misuse as a critical part of overall health and wellness. As part of this commitment, they want to equip parents, teachers, and students with resources and tools to foster a mentally healthy return to school.
5 Tips for Back To School Anxiety
The transition back to class as summer ends can be a stressful time for children and parents alike. But anxiety symptoms that persist beyond the first few weeks of school. Read about the symptoms of anxiety and when to seek help.
Back To School Mental Health Resource
Whether you’re a young person navigating new challenges or a caregiver looking to support your child’s emotional well-being, Mental Health America is here to help with practical guidance, free tools, and resources for every step of the journey.
Talking to Youth About Tobacco & Vaping
Talking to youth about vaping and tobacco products is important to educate and open conversation around use. Whether or not you believe they are vaping/smoking, open dialogue establishes your expectations and educates youth to make informed decisions. Learn more about how to start these conversations.
FDA is committed to a science-based approach that addresses public health issues associated with tobacco use. We collaborate with CDC on this nationally representative survey of middle and high school students that focuses exclusively on tobacco use behaviors and associated factors. Learn about the results of the survey and national trends in tobacco use.
Whether you are parent, educator, or concerned citizen, Stanford Medicine’s collection of curriculums, lessons, programs, and resources on tobacco, vaping, smokeless tobacco, and hookah offers a variety of resources for teaching youth and preventing youth tobacco use. Visit the collection and find more information.
The Truth Initiative is a public health nonprofit organization committed to preventing youth nicotine use and promoting quitting for all. Learn more about e-cigarettes health effects, industry targeting, and the effects of quitting.
The CDC presents the facts on the effects of e-cigarette use and prevalence of use among youth. Learn more about how and why youth use and how its affects them.
Giving you the most accurate, up-to-date information about the harmful effects of tobacco use, so you know the real cost of smoking, vaping, and other tobacco use. Learn more about the effect of cigarette use.
Giving you the most accurate, up-to-date information about the harmful effects of tobacco use, so you know the real cost of smoking, vaping, and other tobacco use. Learn more about the effect of vaping.
Quitting cigarette use is hard but you’re not alone. The benefits of quitting increase over time. Learn more about health benefits of quitting.
New “smokeless and spitless” nicotine pouches are beginning to gain popularity because of social media promotion. Here is what you need to know about these products and how harmful they are.
Talking to Youth About Substances
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Resources to help you start—and keep up—the conversation about the dangers of drinking alcohol and using other drugs at a young age
Find guides for productive, clear conversations about substance use with youth, fact sheets on different substances, and tips for preventing youth substance use.
Provides a step by step clear guide on how to have a conversation with a young person about substance use.
Hear from young people about how they would like adults to talk to them about substance use.
Talking to Youth About Cannabis
Good to Know offers a step by step guide to discussing cannabis and setting expectations around cannabis for youth parents and caregivers.
Children’s Hospital Colorado provides tips on talking to youth about cannabis.
The Cannabis Talk Kit outlines common youth questions and how to answer appropriately and effectively.
Bath
Youth Center
- Find youth programs, community events, housing and food resources, and resources for the whole family.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
- The largest indoor skatepark in Maine, our skatepark offers over 6,000 square feet for skateboarding, inline skates, scooters & BMX. Our park is operated, in part, by local youth & riders and supports programs in the adjoining teen center.
- Skaters 5-18 years of age, your PARENT OR GUARDIAN must sign the waiver; not a neighbor or friend or friend’s parent. No riders under the age of 5 are permitted.
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 2 pm – 7 pm
FRIDAY • 2 pm – 9 pm
SATURDAY • 10 am – 9 pm
SUNDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
*Free Skate:
MONDAY-FRIDAY • 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Recreation Center
- Find summer camps, sport teams, and free events from Bath Recreation!
- Visit the gym, pool, playground, and fitness rooms or sign up for summer camps, youth programs, and community events!
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 5 am – 9 pm
SATURDAY • 7 am – 5 pm
SUNDAY • 9 am – 3 pm
Library
- Unusual Things To Borrow: American Girl Doll Kits, Chess Sets, Language Kits, Lawn Games, Music Kits, Outdoor Adventure Kits, Astronomy Binoculars, Bath Forestry Committee Backpack, Binoculars Stargazing Kit, My Own Backyard (MOBY) backpacks, Orion StarBlast Telescope
- Check out Museum Passes:
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- Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine: The Children’s Room issues passes to Library patrons for a specific date; one pass per day. Passes are good for regular admission price for up to 6 people.
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: Passes are good for the regular season (May-October) only. One pass is issued for each day the Museum is open (May-October). Reservations can be made for two adults and any number of children under the age of 18.
- Farnsworth Museum: Pass provides free admission for up to four adults on a reserved date. Museum is currently open from Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The historic sites (Olson House and Farnsworth Homestead are currently closed to the public). Admission is also free for anyone 16 years old and under.
- Maine Maritime Museum: One pass issued for each day the Museum is open. Pass is good for free admission for up to 8 people.
- Maine State Parks: The pass admits the holder and the occupants of the pass holder’s vehicle to all Maine State Parks and Historic Sites day-use facilities. Pass checks out for five days.
- Portland Museum of Art: One pass issued for each day the Museum is open. Pass is good for free admission for up to 2 adults and 6 children.
- Railway Village Museum: The Museum is open from June 18-Indigenous People’s Day. This pass entitles two Adults or Seniors, and all accompanying children and/or grandchildren under 18 to free admission.
HOURS:
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY • 10 am – 7 pm
THURSDAY-FRIDAY • 10 am – 5 pm
SATURDAY • 10 am – 4 pm
Museum
- Two-Day Admission, Off Season (until May 15, 2025)
- Members: FREE, Adult: $14, Senior: $12, Child (17 & under): FREE*
HOURS:
DAILY • 9:30 am – 5 pm
Transportation
- REGULAR FARE: $1
- PURCHASE PASS: 12 rides for $10.
HOURS:
MONDAY-FRIDAY • 8 am – 5:30 pm
Bowdoinham
Youth Center
- Find youth programs, community events, housing and food resources, and resources for the whole family
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
- The largest indoor skatepark in Maine, our skatepark offers over 6,000 square feet for skateboarding, inline skates, scooters & BMX. Our park is operated, in part, by local youth & riders and supports programs in the adjoining teen center.
- Skaters 5-18 years of age, your PARENT OR GUARDIAN must sign the waiver; not a neighbor or friend or friend’s parent. No riders under the age of 5 are permitted.
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 2 pm – 7 pm
FRIDAY • 2 pm – 9 pm
SATURDAY • 10 am – 9 pm
SUNDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
*Free Skate:
MONDAY-FRIDAY • 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Recreation Center
- Find sports teams and age-friendly activities at Bowdoinham Recreation!
Library
- Find local events, book clubs, and check out books!
HOURS:
TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY • 10 am – 2 pm
WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
- Check out Museum & Park Passes for:
- Maine State Parks
- This pass allows all the occupants of up to a 17-passenger vehicle to free day-use at most of Maine’s State Parks and historic sites. Call the library to reserve the pass
- Boothbay Railway Village Museum
- Nowhere else in New England can you ride the rails behind an authentic steam locomotive. Surrounded by historic Maine buildings and view a collection of 60 antique autos.
- Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay
- Explore more than 300 acres of gardens and natural spaces, from the Native Butterfly and Moth House to the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden or Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden, and the Giant Trolls, the Guardians of the Seeds. Call the library to reserve the free pass.
- Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine
- This newly constructed facility welcomes our library pass holders to free admission for two adults and up to six children. Located at 250 Thompson’s Point Road, Portland, ME.
- Maine Maritime Museum in Bath
- One family group (up to eight) adult passes each day for entry to the Maine Maritime Museum (kids are always free).
- Maine State Parks
Brunswick
Youth Center
- The Brunswick Area Teen Center (BATC) provides a free and safe space for teens to engage in creative outlets, share their talents, hang out with friends, and participate in an abundance of activities put on by staff.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
- Find youth programs, community events, housing and food resources, and resources for the whole family.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
- The largest indoor skatepark in Maine, our skatepark offers over 6,000 square feet for skateboarding, inline skates, scooters & BMX. Our park is operated, in part, by local youth & riders and supports programs in the adjoining teen center
- Skaters 5-18 years of age, your PARENT OR GUARDIAN must sign the waiver; not a neighbor or friend or friend’s parent. No riders under the age of 5 are permitted.
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 2 pm – 7 pm
FRIDAY • 2 pm – 9 pm
SATURDAY • 10 am – 9 pm
SUNDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
*Free Skate:
MONDAY-FRIDAY • 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Recreation Center
- Brunswick Rec Center amenities: indoor track, basketball courts, pickleball courts, fitness center, surrounding area trails, and free wifi.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 6 am – 8 pm
SATURDAY • 7 am – 6 pm
SUNDAY • 8 am – 4 pm
- Visit the gym, pool, playground, and fitness rooms or sign up for summer camps, youth programs, and community events!
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 5:30 am – 8 pm
FRIDAY • 5:30 am – 5 pm
SATURDAY • 8 am – 3 pm
- Our trips and programs are designed for Maine teenagers to connect with their peers, discover new things about themselves and the natural world, and grow together. Our goal is to support the well-being of our teens, so that they can enjoy healthy lives outside. Find a program near you!
Library
- Try 3-D printing, borrow materials, access Portland Public Library, sign up for teen, child, and adult programs, and check out the Library of Things to access kitchen and gardening tools, literary tools, games, and music.
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 9:30 am – 8 pm
FRIDAY • 9:30 am – 6 pm
SATURDAY • 9:30 am – 5 pm
SUNDAY • 12 pm – 4 pm
- Museum Passes
- Check out free museum passes:
- Boothbay Railway Village
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
- Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine Please follow the instructions given when reserving your pass.
- Farnsworth Art Museum
- Maine Discovery Museum
- Maine Maritime Museum
- Maine State Parks Pass
- Maine Wildlife Park
- Pejepscot History Center – Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum and the Skolfield-Whittier House
- Portland Museum of Art
- Check out free museum passes:
Museum
- Browse a variety of exhibitions and view the BCMA’s collection for FREE.
HOURS:
TUESDAY-SATURDAY • 10 am – 5 pm
THURSDAY • 10 am – 8:30 pm
SUNDAY • 1 pm – 5 pm
- Bowdoin’s Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum is dedicated entirely to all things Arctic. The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum is home to a diverse collection of over 41,000 objects, photographs, and motion picture films. Always FREE and open to the public.
HOURS:
TUESDAY-SATURDAY • 10 am – 5 pm
SUNDAY • 1 pm – 5 pm
Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum
- Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, carved a unique place in US and Naval history and played a critical role in maritime patrol aviation world-wide. The museum collects, consolidates and conserves thousands of facts, artifacts, stories and historical incidents that tell the complete story of U.S. maritime patrol aviation.
HOURS:
WEDNESDAY • 10 am – 4 pm
SUNDAY • 12 pm – 4 pm
Community Programs
- Midcoast Youth Theater provides youth with meaningful, safe theatrical opportunities regardless of experience or financial means. Go see the next production or join the troupe!
Transportation
- The Brunswick Link providespublic transit service in Brunswick for FREE!
- Learn how to ride and where you can go!
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • VISIT GOOGLE MAPS FOR SCHEDULED TIMES
Harpswell
Youth Center
- Find youth programs, community events, housing and food resources, and resources for the whole family.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
- The largest indoor skatepark in Maine, our skatepark offers over 6,000 square feet for skateboarding, inline skates, scooters & BMX. Our park is operated, in part, by local youth & riders and supports programs in the adjoining teen center
- Skaters 5-18 years of age, your PARENT OR GUARDIAN must sign the waiver; not a neighbor or friend or friend’s parent. No riders under the age of 5 are permitted.
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 2 pm – 7 pm
FRIDAY • 2 pm – 9 pm
SATURDAY • 10 am – 9 pm
SUNDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
*Free Skate:
MONDAY-FRIDAY • 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Recreation Center
- Check out and sign up for Harpswell Recreation programs and amenities: swimming, yoga, pickleball, tax prep, community garden, & sports teams!
Library
- Check out Cundy Harbor Library for story walks, career training programs, FEMA help, contests, author visits and more community events!
HOURS:
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY • 10 am – 3 pm
- Amenities: computer access, printers, WiFi, & sign up for summer community programs!
HOURS:
TUESDAY, SATURDAY • 10 am – 3 pm
FRIDAY • 10 am – 4 pm
Museum
- Check out free museum passes at the library!
Topsham
Youth Center
- The Brunswick Area Teen Center (BATC) provides a free and safe space for teens to engage in creative outlets, share their talents, hang out with friends, and participate in an abundance of activities put on by staff.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
- Find youth programs, community events, housing and food resources, and resources for the whole family.
HOURS:
MONDAY – FRIDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
- The largest indoor skatepark in Maine, our skatepark offers over 6,000 square feet for skateboarding, inline skates, scooters & BMX. Our park is operated, in part, by local youth & riders and supports programs in the adjoining teen center
- Skaters 5-18 years of age, your PARENT OR GUARDIAN must sign the waiver; not a neighbor or friend or friend’s parent. No riders under the age of 5 are permitted.
HOURS:
MONDAY – THURSDAY • 2 pm – 7 pm
FRIDAY • 2 pm – 9 pm
SATURDAY • 10 am – 9 pm
SUNDAY • 2 pm – 6 pm
*Free Skate:
MONDAY-FRIDAY • 2 pm – 3:30 pm
Recreation Center
- Join local sports teams and find community events at Topsham Recreation!
- Access sports facilities for group and team activities.
Library
- Find teen, child, and adult programming, gardens, Historical Society, and more at the Topsham Public Library!
HOURS:
MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY • 9 am – 6 pm
TUESDAY, THURSDAY • 9 am – 8 pm
SATURDAY • 9 am – 4 pm
- Museum Passes for Topsham Library:
- Children’s Museum of Maine
- Portland Museum of Art
- Maine Wildlife Park
- Maine Maritime Museum
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Information & Resources
Substance Use
Tobacco/Vaping
Mental Health
Alcohol
Cannabis
