Mission and Goals
The ARC
Our Mission
“The ARC strengthens and supports our island community by creating opportunities for people to connect; by mentoring students as they develop life skills through hands-on learning; and by promoting innovative enterprise to diversify the economy of Vinalhaven.”
The ARC’s current specific goals are to:
Enhance Downtown Vibrancy:maintain a community space for learning and social enterprise that serves over 500 local residents and over 2,500 visitors each year
Engage, Educate, and Employ Young Islanders: help to create a thriving and sustainable local economy, through community education, social enterprise, and local farming initiatives, which retain young people in productive work year round
Market Island Foods: support local agriculture and foster the growth of healthy food systems by offering a viable marketing outlet to local growers and by giving the community easy, affordable access to local food
Provide Middle and High School Education: offer hands-on, standards-based, life-skills programs for students under the guidance of educator/mentors in collaboration with the Vinalhaven Public School
Located on the unbridged island of Vinalhaven, the Arts & Recreation Center (ARC) was initially founded in 1981 as an unstaffed space available for year-round community activities. In 2008 the organization experienced a transformation both physically and philosophically. With the help of dedicated students and community volunteers the ARC raised funds to hire staff, implement community programs, and aid in the construction of the ARCafé (social enterprise), a café, local foods market, and place-based training facility for young islanders.
Although still young in its new incarnation, the ARC has directly impacted the quality of life for young people on the island. 17 out of 200 island students have received one-on-one mentoring at the ARC, and over 50 have used the facility as a safe social space for gathering and recreating.