What happens when creativity becomes the driving force of professional learning? That question sparked the inspiration behind STEAM PowerED Maine, a dynamic partnership between the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning and Creative Generation.
STEAM PowerED Maine reimagines interdisciplinary teaching and learning by inviting educators to see themselves first as creative thinkers. On February 12, 2026, the kickoff to the initiative brought together educators from every county in Maine in Augusta to explore their own creativity and consider how it can shape teaching and learning in their classrooms.
In advance of the kickoff, participants completed the Creativity Codex (Cx) assessment, which generates individualized creativity profiles grounded in four core ideas: creativity, culture, connection, and community. Guided throughout the day by Jeff M. Poulin, managing director of Creative Generation, educators used their Cx results to examine how applied creativity influences problem-solving, expression of ideas, collaboration, and perspectives on their impact in the world.
The morning began with participants organizing themselves by their Cx profile similarities. Poulin first challenged educators to work with peers who share similar creative strengths to create a new ice cream flavor, encouraging them to notice patterns in how ideas emerged. He then invited groups to intentionally collaborate with individuals who have different creative strengths to design a flag, craft a motto, and compose a 12-second anthem. The contrast highlighted how diverse perspectives can expand problem-solving and innovation. A brief reflection allowed participants to process the differences between the two experiences before breaking for lunch.
After lunch, educators considered their position within their teaching and learning environments. Together, they explored strategies to unlearn, bridge, navigate, and hold tensions within the social and institutional structures that shape integrated instruction.
To conclude their training, participants synthesized their learning through an interdisciplinary activity titled “Mobilizing the Mascot.” In teams of 10, educators created a large puppet from blue butcher paper, designing a head, torso, arms, legs, and joints to allow movement and expression through body language. Each team then developed and presented a 30- to 60-second storyline centered on their mascot discovering something meaningful, integrating elements of theatre, visual art, numeracy, biology, and English language arts.
The day closed with a final reflection facilitated by Poulin. Participants expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to collaborate and stretch their thinking. One educator described the kickoff as “the best professional development in their 40 years of teaching,” while another called it “nonstop fun and thinking.”
“This group of educators was both empowered and enthusiastic about evolving their own teaching practice to meet the changing needs of students in their classrooms today,” Poulin said. “We at Creative Generation provide professional development on creativity and interdisciplinary instruction for educators across the country and around the world; the educational innovations being crafted by this cohort of educators in Maine are sure to cultivate creativity in students to prepare them for a future which can only be imagined today.”
Over the next 15 weeks, participants will continue exploring their own creativity while developing instructional strategies that cultivate students’ creativity through interdisciplinary learning. The cohort’s work will culminate in the creation of a shared artifact to be made available to educators through the STEAM PowerED Maine webpage.
STEAM PowerED Maine launched on February 12 with energy, imagination, and a strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. This cohort will continue its learning throughout the spring, building momentum toward practical tools and resources that support creative, integrated instruction across Maine schools.
For more information, please contact Erik Wade, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at Erik.Wade@maine.gov.
Creative Generation is a Maine-based, values-forward collective of creatives, educators, and researchers that accelerates people and projects operating at the intersection of creativity and learning. The collective utilizes the Creativity Codex, a tool for individuals, teams, and organizations to understand and expand their creative capabilities for use in school work and life.
Title IV-A funds received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $68,788.40 of which 65% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ED or the U.S. government.
Maine DOE Newsroom 