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Give Back NH: The Mayhew Program

A happy camper learning the ropes at Mayhew Island.
Monica Zulauf
/
The Mayhew Program
A happy camper learning the ropes at Mayhew Island.

Give Back New Hampshire is a bi-weekly segment that spotlights New Hampshire nonprofit organizations. It airs every other Saturday at 9:35 a.m. during Weekend Edition.

This week, we visit Mayhew Island in Bristol to learn more about how the Mayhew Project, a program for at-risk boys, brings new meaning to the phrase "island life."


Transcript

Ashlar Dotson: I'm a counselor here at Mayhew Island. I used to be a boy in the program way back in 2013 and 2014 and then last year, in 2021, I came out as my first year as a counselor.

It's been really interesting to move through the program: start as a boy, go and work in the kitchen when I turned 14, help and make food, prep, wash dishes, and then come out as a counselor and be the role model for these boys that I looked up to when I was a boy.

Dotson: Usually by day eight, that's when kids start to get comfortable and you get a little bit of behavior, you know, that perhaps isn't the greatest as they're getting comfortable. But that's when we can start addressing it and we can start going and talking to them about alternate ways of conducting themselves that might be a little bit more respectful, more responsible in their community.

This year, I got a boy in my cabin who is very much like myself. I'm fidgeting all the time, you know, I got my legs shaking right now! And something that I've been doing these past couple of days is I've been like, “Hey, so instead of like breaking these sticks, which is noisy and distracting, try twiddling your thumbs." He's been picking up on it and I'm really proud of him for that. And that's one of the things we do here at Mayhew is we try to provide positive encouragement wherever we can.

Mayhew Counselor Ashlar Dotson
Monica Zulauf
/
The Mayhew Program
Ashlar Dotson is a second year as a Mayhew Counselor this summer. He started as a boy in the program in 2013.
Something that I've seen a lot of is poor self talk, you know, when we want them to be respectful to themselves as well. Don't say you can't do it. Don't say that you're dumb because you're not. You know, the more you say something like that, the more you fall into that pattern.
Ashlar Dotson, second year Counselor

Dotson: And it's really important to challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone so that you realize, you know, you have what it takes to do whatever you want to do, whatever you need to do. That's one of the four cornerstones of Mayhew that we have and we’re constantly talking about it with the boys: respect, responsibility, community and challenge. And we're trying to continue uplifting these ideals and holding guys to it to be respectful: to not just each other, but also the objects and the environment around them and to themselves.


Get Involved:

Dotson: For the listeners out there who want to know more about The Mayhew Program, we have a website, and you can contact the lodge and you can actually get a tour and become a donor. Without the donors, this program wouldn't be possible.

My Mom, you know, we don’t make a lot, but she sends five bucks in every paycheck. And, you know, it's those little things that count towards helping a program like this run so efficiently and smoothly and have such a great impact on the guys that it does.

After two summers at the twenty-five day residential program, the boys are invited to participate in five-day outdoor expeditions during the summer and continue to receive mentoring into their teenage years.
Monica Zulauf
/
The Mayhew Program
After two summers at the 25-day residential program, the boys are invited to participate in five-day outdoor expeditions during the summer and continue to receive mentoring into their teenage years.

Karen joined NHPR as its Operations Manager in 2021. Karen most recently worked as Program Director of KNOM Radio Mission, a community radio station based in Nome, Alaska. Previously, she has also worked as a program assistant, deejay and radio producer. During her time at KNOM, she won the Alaska Broadcaster’s Association award for the best COVID-19 response, as well as awards from the Alaska Press Club for feature and arts reporting.

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