Pictured: Awards Banquet Head Table:  National FFA VP Ridge Hughbanks, Convention Sentinel Ava Cameron, Reporter Olivia Tardie, Treasurer Alli Kenney, Secretary Camryn Curtis, State Vice President James Hotham, State President Graham Berry.

This year’s Maine FFA (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) annual Convention included 200 middle and high school FFA members, assisting judges, helpers and guests from the education and private sectors.  Participating schools included:  Region 4 United Technologies Center (Bangor), Ashland Middle/High Schools, Caribou Technology Center, Central Aroostook Junior & Senior High Schools, Easton Junior/Senior High Schools, Hodgdon Middle/High School, and Presque Isle Regional Career & Technical Center.   Maine FFA chapters include nearly 500 students across the state from Sanford to Caribou, enrolled in courses related to agriculture and natural resources in such areas as agriculture, forestry, horticulture, agricultural mechanics, nursery and landscapes, integrated sciences and others.  The two-day event featured recognition for past year accomplishments, competitions, scholarships and educational tours, with over $10,000 in awards and scholarships presented.

During the Convention Awards Banquet, guest speakers included Dan Chuhta, Deputy Commissioner for the Maine Department of Education, Chandler Vaughan, National FFA Alumni Council Representative, and Ridge Hughbanks, National FFA Organization Central Region Vice President.  Speakers addressed areas related to providing FFA opportunities to as many students as possible, taking advantage of one’s education, and participating in community related endeavors, an important activity of the FFA.  Students were excited to receive awards for their work of the past year, distinguishing themselves in independent projects (“Supervised Agricultural Experiences”), as well as advancing in areas related to technical and community development achievements through “State FFA Degrees” and the “State FFA Stars” program.

Students were excited to participate in events such as Agricultural Sales, Horse Evaluation and Veterinary Science, which allowed them to showcase and further develop their leadership abilities, as well as learning more about a topic of interest.  Educational tours to areas such as UMaine’s Pulp and Paper Process Development Center further enhanced the opportunities available to students.  Leadership and sportsmanship abilities, important to FFA, were evident in bestowing awards such as the Best FFA Chapter Spirit award, this year won by Region 4 United Technologies Center students, Bangor.

The FFA is one of the largest student leadership organizations in the United States, with over 600,000 members, and the Maine FFA Convention was directed by its State FFA Officer team under the leadership of President Graham Berry and Vice President James Hotham, with support from Doug Robertson, State Advisor in the Maine Department of Education and Faith McLaughlin, Maine DOE staff support specialist, as well as volunteering students and numerous other partners working on a volunteer basis.  Events were hosted at the University of Maine, Orono’s campus, as well as at Eastern Maine Community College.

For more information on technical and science programs eligible for FFA chapter membership for grades 7-12, please contact Maine FFA State Advisor, Doug Robertson in the Maine Department of Education:  doug.robertson@maine.gov  (207) 624-6744  and refer to the Maine FFA Association website:  https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ffa

Outstanding FFA Chapter Officers of the Year: Alexis Pelkey (Easton) and Macy Coffin (Mars Hill), with State FFA President James Hotham (left) and State FFA President Graham Berry (right).

Ashland High School Students and managers for FFA Agricultural Technology & Mechanical Systems event at Small Engines Troubleshooting station. Event Judge Tyler Raymond on left with his father Dan Raymond, Caribou on right. Dan was later awarded with the Maine FFA State Degree, the highest possible distinction from a state association. Photo by UpNorth Motorsports.

Participants in the FFA Safe Tractor Driving event. First place student Thomas Patenaude (Presque Isle Regional Career & Technical Center) center front, with event Co-Superintendent Richard Brzozowski, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, front right.

Proficiency Award Winners: Graham Berry, Wes Robinson, Breann Bradbury, Haleigh Holmes, Jonathan Howes, Dane Driscoll, Abby Walker, Ava Cameron.

Awards Banquet Head Table: National FFA VP Ridge Hughbanks, Convention Sentinel Ava Cameron, Reporter Olivia Tardie, Treasurer Alli Kenney, Secretary Camryn Curtis, State Vice President James Hotham, State President Graham Berry.

Dan Chuhta, Deputy Commissioner, Maine Department of Education: speaks to Awards Banquet gathering on topic of youth leadership and agricultural education.

FFA Chapter Advisor of the Year, Kevin Marquis (Easton), next to State FFA President and Vice President.

Pictured: Team Northern Force from Gorham/Falmouth, with their robot Geffrey

Eight middle and high school teams from across the state assembled at the Capitol building on Wednesday morning to receive praise from their community leaders. The students were congratulated for their exceptional performances at FIRST competitions across the state and nation. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a non-profit organization that allows students to compete in science, technology, and engineering-based challenges. The high school teams at the Capitol competed in the FIRST Robotics Competitions in Maine. A few teams even represented the state at the World Championship in Detroit, Michigan earlier this spring, where there were over 3,000 teams present from countries all across the world. The World Championship can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLmn5CbNr3Y

These precocious high schoolers were asked to design robots that could compete in a game requiring multiple complicated maneuvers. Robots must be piloted blind for several minutes at the beginning of each competition. Each team chose a different way to overcome this challenge, many opting for robot-mounted cameras. Next, each team had to pickup and carefully drop large dodgeballs in holes cut into a model rocket and space station, for points. In the course of the competition robots had to move up and down over physical obstacles, and place Velcro covers over the holes.

Students were excited to share their experiences at the FIRST meets. Tasked with building and programming the robots, the students learned valuable skills like digital modeling, 3D printing, coding, wiring, and engineering. Because they were asked to design the robots themselves, students also worked on interpersonal, leadership, and problem solving skills. One student, a freshman at Cheverus, is already reaping the rewards of coding know-how. Members of his school’s coding club saw him working on Java Script in the library, they were so impressed he was invited to join.

However, many of the teams were comprised of more than their building team, one student explained that although there were ten students involved in the construction of the robot, their total headcount was around twenty-five students, with the rest heavily involved in fundraising, advertising, and outreach. Students involved in this process not only picked up important communication skills and experience, but learned how to market their club and raise money for competitions. Students also have the opportunity to meet and interact with peers who have similar interests from across the country, with one young engineer commenting that they had made and kept friends from Tennessee and Australia.

FIRST strives to promote STEAM engagement among young students as well, inspiring growth of the field for the future. They include Robotics Competitions such as the ones in which these students competed, as well as a separate LEGO League for ages 9 to 14, from which some students were also in attendance. The organization prioritizes the involvement of underrepresented, underserved, and vulnerable youths. Of all students involved in FIRST, 43% are female; 72% are from economically disadvantaged families; over half of all students are from ethnic minorities. 87% of participants in the program go on to take more advanced math and science courses; students who competed were also more than twice as likely as others to show increased interest in pursuing STEAM fields.

Students shared overwhelmingly positive remarks about their experiences, and showed great passion for their robots and the competitions. Many were only Freshmen, and all expressed that they intend to continue participating in competitions and to pursue STEAM fields in their future. FIRST competitions provide a great opportunity to middle and high school students who are looking to get hands-on experience with a wide array of skills before they even graduate. Interested readers can visit www.firstinspires.org to get involved and learn how to help aspiring scientists and engineers pursue their passions, by investing in our future.

This story was written by Maine DOE Interns Emmeline Willey and Simon Handleman in collaboration. If you have a story idea or would like to submit a written story for the Maine DOE Newsroom, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Students in the EL (English Learner) program at Augusta’s Cony Middle and High School have a lot to look forward to: Their teacher Karina Escajeda’s visionary grant applications secured her funding with which to attend two international schools where she will gain valuable insights for her classroom and community. Karina will attend Egypt’s Dahab School of Arabic Language and will be in residence at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. All through the month of April, praise flowed into Karina’s inbox. These prestigious grant programs pledged thousands to make possible her language and cultural studies abroad.

Following her time in Egypt, Karina plans on bringing her knowledge of the Arabic language back to Cony (her alma mater) where she will foster stronger relationships with EL students, many of whom come from refugee backgrounds. When she is not studying in Dahab, Karina plans to visit additional cultural and historical sites across the country such as Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan. Karina is rightly committed to the belief that students from Iraq and Syria add valuable elements to school culture.

For this initiative and foresight the Fund for Teachers emailed Karina on April, 4 to commend her for “bold vision” which “stands out.” This $5,000 grant was not the only source of praise and money for Karina: NEA’s Learning & Leadership Grant pledged $2,000 to Karina on April, 22. They thanked her for “hard work and commitment to the importance of high quality public education.”

In addition to her upcoming time in Egypt, Karina will study refugee integration efforts in Greece through the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching. She will be part sponsored by, and lecture in, Aristotle University’s Applied Linguistics Program from January to June of next year (2020). This University’s teacher training program provides Greek teachers with the necessary skills to create inclusive communities for growing populations of refugee students. Karina has identified many similarities between the ways in which Maine and Greece welcome their refugee populations: “In both places, new residents are struggling to adapt to new homes that are almost entirely monolingual.”

The prestigious Fulbright Commission sent out a press release on April, 23 in which the U.S. Department of State (a major grant contributor) awarded Karina five months of independent study in Greece. The goal of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Semester Research Program is to build international relationships that work to solve global challenges. Karina will join an alumnus among whom there are over 50 Nobel Laureates, over 80 Pulitzer Prize winners, and over 30 former heads of government or state.

Suffice it to say the Augusta public school system is more than proud. We can all appreciate Karina’s “commitment to push the boundaries of [her] own learning,” as put by the Fund for Teachers. She will bring these new and enlightening experiences from Egypt and Greece back to her own community, and the students for whom she worked so hard to secure these grants. Congratulations Karina, and Cony Middle and High School.

This story was written by Maine DOE Intern Simon Handleman in collaboration with Karina Escajeda. If you have a story idea or would like to submit a written story for the Maine DOE Newsroom, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.