Alternative Education Association of Maine Hosts Spring Conference in Waterville

Nicole Davis, Maine DOE Emerging Technology Specialist, kicked off the AEA of Maine 2026 Spring Conference as keynote speaker and highlighted how alternative educators should navigate AI.

The Alternative Education Association (AEA) of Maine successfully hosted its 2026 Spring Conference on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Colby College in Waterville. The conference theme, “Building Resilience for All,”brought together alternative education teachers, administrators, superintendents, and school staff from across the state for a day of learning, collaboration, and renewed energy.

Nicole Davis, Maine DOE Emerging Technology Specialist, kicked off the AEA of Maine 2026 Spring Conference as keynote speaker and highlighted how alternative educators should navigate AI.
Nicole Davis, Maine DOE Emerging Technology Specialist, kicked off the AEA of Maine 2026 Spring Conference as keynote speaker and highlighted how alternative educators should navigate AI.

Nicole Davis, the Emerging Technology Specialist from the Maine Department of Education (DOE), kicked off the conference as the keynote speaker. Davis spoke about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can spark powerful emotions—joy, fear, anxiety, excitement—and how alternative educators can navigate uncertainty, find confidence, and embrace AI as a meaningful tool to enhance teaching and learning.

conference participants
conference participants
conference participants
conference participants

Alternative educators at the AEA of Maine 2026 Spring Conference connected, engaged, and learned alongside one another, strengthening their work and advancing their impact.

Throughout the day, participants engaged in a variety of impactful sessions designed to support both student success and educator well-being through the alternative education lens. Presentation topics included:

  • AI and Alternative Education 
  • Resonance Language (Empathy for Everyone) 
  • Restorative Practices 
  • From Awareness to Action: Strengthening Trauma-Informed Practice in Your Classroom 
  • Substance Abuse (Peer Support) from SEED (Students Empowered to End Dependence) 
  • Sustaining the Helpers: Practical Tools for Burnout and Compassion Fatigue 
  • Beyond the High School Model: Redefining Middle School Alternative Education 

Participants also had opportunities to share strategies, reflect on their practices, and build meaningful connections with colleagues dedicated to alternative education pathways.

From left to right: Jacqui Holmes, Tracey Menard, Tristen Hinkle, and Ryan Verill of AEA of Maine are leading the charge in alternative education in the state.
From left to right: Jacqui Holmes, Tracey Menard, Tristen Hinkle, and Ryan Verill of AEA of Maine are leading the charge in alternative education in the state.

AEA of Maine extends its sincere thanks to all presenters, participants, and organizers, as this continued commitment to innovation, equity, and resilience in education is what drives this work forward.

AEA of Maine hosts a Fall and Spring conference every year. to the AEA of Maine welcomes new and veteran alternative educators, administrators, superintendents, and school staff (e.g., education technicians, school counselors, school social workers, community partners, etc.) who support this work.

To learn about future AEA of Maine events or to get involved with AEA of Maine, please visit the AEA of Maine website or contact AEA of Maine President Tristen Hinkle at thinkle@msad54.org or AEA of Maine Vice President Tracey Menard at menart@portlandschools.org.

For additional information or resources on alternative education in Maine, please contact Aubrie Howard, Maine DOE Student Success and Wellbeing Specialist or visit the Maine DOE Alternative Education webpage.