Opportunity Passport®

Opportunity Passport® is a financial education and matched savings program that helps Maine youth develop a general understanding of personal finances and goal setting. After determination of eligibility and training, participants open a bank account at a financial institution of their choice.  Money saved by participants is matched dollar for dollar up to $1,000 per year toward eligible purchases.

Hundreds of Maine youth who are currently or formerly in foster care have benefited from Opportunity Passport®, which is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, and private funders.

“JMG was there to help me when I needed it most.”

As a youth in Maine’s foster care system, Alexander Buzzell said the odds were against him. Now 25, he is a college graduate, married, and a construction superintendent in the renewable energy industry.

“I am here, and I matter.”

As a child in Maine’s foster care system, Mariah Knight felt the only way she could survive was to make herself invisible and need nothing. Today, Mariah works to empower Maine youth in foster care.

“I know that I am going somewhere.”

At 15, Tiffani Melia entered the Maine foster care system. She felt like she was going nowhere, but Opportunity Passport® and JMG supported Tiffani to become a college graduate .

Opportunity Passport® Eligibility Requirements

Eligible youth must be referred to upcoming Opportunity Passport® training. Eligible youth meet the following criteria:

  • Young Mainers from the age of 14, up until their 26th birthday who have spent at least one day in foster care after their 14th birthday

  • Have a government-issued identification

    • State ID, driver's license, or passport

  • Have a job or reliable source of income

  • Participate in financial education training sessions

To enroll or make a referral to Opportunity Passport®, email OP@jmg.org, call 207-705-3272, or complete our referral form.

Training Information

You must attend sessions 1 and 2 of the Opportunity Passport® training within 30 days of each other. Youth who participate in both sessions earn a one-time $100 stipend. Part 1 must be completed before attending Part 2 session.

Training dates are released quarterly. Please refer to the training calendar below for all upcoming sessions.  Opportunity Passport® training is 100% virtual. Review the online training requirements.  

Upcoming Training Sessions

Part 1 Training Sessions

  • Tuesday, May 28, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

  • Tuesday, June 11, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Part 2 Training Sessions

  • Thursday, May 30, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

  • Thursday, June 13, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Combined Part 1 & Part 2 Training Sessions

  • Wednesday, July 10, 10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

  • Wednesday, August 14, 10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

 Meet Our Opportunity Passport® Team

Michelle Bourne

  • I believe all students deserve an educational program that will meet them where they are, regardless of demographics.

  • JMG since 2013

    BA in English Literature, Quinnipiac University

  • mbourne@jmg.org

    207-705-3272

Ivy Latendresse

  • I chose JMG because I want to make a difference. JMG allows me to get to know my students and give them what they need to be successful.

  • JMG since 2013

    BS in Elementary Education, Saint Joseph's College

  • ilatendresse@jmg.org

    207-705-3272

 About Opportunity Passport®

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative® created Opportunity Passport® in 2003. Maine was the first partner to implement and deliver Opportunity Passport® as a statewide program and continues to serve youth in all 16 counties.

Opportunity Passport® has supported more than 700 Maine youth in foster care to achieve over $2 million in saved and matched funds to pay for education, housing, vehicle, healthcare costs, and more. These funds have helped support their successful transition to adulthood.

Opportunity Passport® is one of the many integrated programs offered through the Maine Youth Transition Collaborative (MYTC). MYTC is a collaboration of partners. Partners include, first and foremost, young people and private and public organizations, all committed to ensuring that youth who are or have been served in the foster care system have the resources and opportunities needed to transition into adulthood successfully.

Founding members of the MYTC include the Office of Family and Child Services of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Youth and Community Engagement at the Catherine Cutler Institute, part of the Muskie School of Public Service, and JMG. The John T. Gorman Foundation, Brain Foundation, Horizon Foundation, and the Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation have also provided additional support.

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative® continues to support the MYTC as part of its systems-change effort that works at the local, state, and national levels to advance policies and practices to most effectively meet the needs of young people transitioning from foster care to adulthood.

JMG, Maine's largest education nonprofit, serves as the lead partner in delivering the MYTC program and is committed to providing a continuum of support to youth served by the foster care system.