From the Maine Department of Education
News & Updates
Maine DOE Recognizes State-Level Nominees for National 2026 RISE Award
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is proud to honor the two outstanding school employees who were nominated for the 2026 National RISE (Recognizing Inspiring School Employees) Award: Elizabeth Loiko, an educational technician at Sylvio Gilbert Elementary School in Augusta, and Larry Plourde, a long-time custodian at Caribou High School. | More
Registration is now open for the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) 23rd annual Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Student Conference. The deadline to register is March 27, 2026. | More
From Investment to Impact: Celebrating Extended Learning Opportunities Success in Maine
Since 2022, Maine has invested a historic $7.1 million to expand Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) programming throughout the state. ELOs provide schools with opportunities to create meaningful connections with employers statewide. In turn, they help young people better understand career opportunities and acquire valuable foundational career skills, including initiative, adaptability, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication. | More
Later Secondary School Start Time Planning Grant; Now Live in Vendor Self-Service (VSS)
SAUs may access the Request for Applications (RFA) through the State of Maine’s Vendor Self-Service System (VSS). All applications and questions related to this RFA must be submitted through VSS. The Maine DOE strongly encourages SAUs to confirm that they can access VSS well in advance of the application deadline of March 30, 2026. (Please refer to this priority notice for additional information and training materials related to VSS.) | More
Maine Solutionaries Literacy Project Kicks Off with Engaged Educators
On February 3, 2026, the Institute for Humane Education, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning, launched the Maine Solutionaries Literacy Engagement Project. This initiative centers on Solutionary learning, an approach that engages students in identifying real-world problems, researching root causes, considering multiple perspectives, and designing ethical, sustainable solutions, while strengthening literacy skills across disciplines. | More
Unlocking Numeracy Series Launches with a Successful Kickoff
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning is pleased to celebrate the successful launch of Unlocking Numeracy, a new, five-part virtual professional learning series designed to strengthen numeracy instruction across classrooms and communities statewide. | More
Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories
Mountain Valley Teacher Brings Global Health Learning to Life for Fifth Graders
When Amanda Bryant, a fifth-grade teacher at Mountain Valley Community School in RSU 10, applied for the 2025 Global Health Teacher Fellowship Program, she hoped to find new ways to spark curiosity and bring real-world learning into her classroom. What she gained—and what she gave her students—was far more powerful, though. | More
Dragon Leadership Collaborative Elevates Everyday Leaders at Brunswick High School
In mid-December, a group of Brunswick High School students gathered at the Maritime Industrial Workforce Training Center—a new regional hub for shipbuilding and technical training that sits on the redeveloped site of the former Naval Air Station at Brunswick Landing. The building, now nearly 50,000 square feet of classrooms and lab space, was created by Maine Maritime Academy in partnership with Bath Iron Works and other regional education partners to prepare the next generation of Maine’s maritime and manufacturing workforce. | More
Submit good news to the Maine Department of Education here.
Professional Learning/Training Opportunities
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to be partnering with Educate Maine and the Teach Maine Center this summer to bring together two impactful statewide events into one powerful “ElevatED” professional learning experience! | More
Registration Still Open for Final “EngageMEnt” Statewide Professional Learning Day on March 20
Maine educators, this is your final opportunity to participate in this year’s statewide professional learning series hosted by the Maine Department of Education (DOE)! | More
View the Maine Department of Education’s Events Calendar here.
Maine DOE Newsroom 