Concept

Mission

To engage youth in exploring the

intersections of culture and environment, and to

empower them to take action toward a more

sustainable, just, and united future.

Vision

Creating pathways at the intersections of our lives.

Values

Look at a map of any watershed and you see rivers large and small, some tributaries to others, and all meandering their way toward a larger body of water. Rivers flow unaware of political borders separating municipalities but intent on carving out their niche in the bioregion that they help to create. In the case of the Shawsheen River, observe its serpentine path that links diverse communities, from its headwaters in Bedford to its terminus in Lawrence. Along its 25-mile route, it makes a northerly sweep through Andover, North Andover, and Lawrence, until it meets the Merrimack River, opposite the Spicket River. These three rivers, in turn, flow into the great Atlantic Ocean, thus connecting our local habitat to the world’s ecosystems and the global society. Just as rivers become one in their convergence with other bodies of water, so too do the communities through which these rivers flow find themselves inextricably linked geographically, geologically, ecologically, historically, culturally, and economically.

Confluence denotes the intersection of two or more forces as they come together in a cohesive bond. In this collaboration, youth, educators, and community agents from throughout the Shawsheen and Merrimack River watersheds will contribute their individual talents and interests, personal worldvisions, and unique senses of place in pursuit of community understanding and societal enhancement. As rivers transcend artificial boundaries, the youth participants in Confluence also will break down barriers that otherwise tend to inhibit communication and collaboration among diverse groups, such as culture, language, ethnicity, gender, sex, class, race, etc. In working collectively toward a common, overarching goal of social, environmental, and economic sustainability, these growing leaders will

    • coalesce around their individual and collective identities;

    • develop a commitment to one another as humans;

    • address real-world local and global issues through on-going projects; and

  • gain practical skills that will help them become more engaged citizens.

Flow of Confluence

Confluence launches with a five-day summer immersion for students and educators from a diversity of schools: Andover High School, Greater Lawrence Technical School, Lawrence High School, Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School, and Phillips Academy. Participants will spend this time bonding with each other and deepening their ties to the Shawsheen and Merrimack River watersheds, while learning about the projects they will work on throughout the upcoming school year. From September thru May, students will collaborate with community mentors on projects that help to achieve a greater sense of community throughout our region: the Merrimack River Trail and the Tri-Town Trail Connection. Students will develop their networking skills, learn about local and global environmental issues, and take action toward improving access for all people to clean, healthy, and safe outdoor spaces. The program concludes at the end of the school year with our “watershed moment,” a culminating, public presentation of projects and one final adventure.

See the concept map under Headwaters for a graphic representation of the “flow” of Confluence.