The Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM) has named Keith Kelley of RSU 19 and Nicole Lesperance of RSU 9 as the recipients of the 2026 ACTEM ACHIEVE Award, recognizing their innovative approaches to using technology to support teaching and learning.
The ACHIEVE Award stands for “ACTEM Commends Highly Innovative Educators that Value Excellence.” The annual recognition celebrates Maine educators who demonstrate creativity, leadership, collaboration, and a commitment to empowering students and fellow educators through meaningful uses of technology.
Kelley and Lesperance were recognized in connection with the 2026 ACTEM Fall Conference, held Oct. 15–16 at the Augusta Civic Center. The conference brings together educators and technology leaders from across Maine to share ideas, develop skills, and explore ways to integrate technology into education.
Keith Kelley: Bringing Hands-On Technology Learning to Students
Kelley, an Integrated Technology Teacher at Nokomis Middle School in Newport, works with students in grades five through eight to combine technology education with hands-on design, construction, coding, and problem-solving.
Described as a “21st-century shop class,” Kelley’s program gives students opportunities to build, code, drill, sand, create, and collaborate. Projects involving skateboards, LEGO materials, 3D printing, and robot derbies help students develop technical skills while strengthening creativity, teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving abilities.
Through these experiences, students learn more than how to use tools and technology. They put their ideas into action, work through challenges, and collaborate to create tangible projects.
Kelley’s nominator, Kern Kelley, highlighted the active, hands-on nature of the program, writing, “Keith’s students get their hands dirty and learn while they do it.”
Nicole Lesperance: Supporting Educators Through Technology Integration
Lesperance serves as the Technology Integration Specialist and Training Coordinator for RSU 9, based in the Farmington area. In this role, she supports educators in using technology effectively to enhance teaching and learning.
Her work includes planning the Summer Tech Institute, which brings educators from multiple school districts together to explore practical approaches to technology integration and learn from one another. Through these professional learning opportunities, Lesperance has helped extend her impact beyond her own district, supporting a broader community of educators.
Lesperance’s nominator, Laura Columbia, recognized her growth as an educational technology leader and her dedication to helping colleagues build their skills.
“Nicole is always looking for ways to help educators use technology more effectively to support teaching and learning,” Columbia shared in her nomination. “It has been wonderful to watch her grow into a leader who is making an impact well beyond her own district.”
The ACHIEVE Award highlights the many ways Maine educators use technology to create meaningful learning experiences for students and strengthen teaching practices across schools and districts.
Through hands-on classroom projects and professional learning opportunities, Kelley and Lesperance demonstrate how purposeful technology integration can foster student creativity, encourage collaboration, and support educators in continually developing their practice.
Information for this article was provided by ACTEM. To learn more about ACTEM and the ACHIEVE Award, visit www.actem.org. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.
