2024 Annual Summit Theme: Supporting the Whole Student and School Community
Registration is now open for the 2024 Maine Department of Education (DOE) Annual Summit held August 6th – 8th at the Augusta Civic Center. Sessions take place from 7 am to 5 pm each day. Breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee of $150 for all three days. This year’s event features an all-in-one events app, over 150 session options with contact hours, four engaging keynote speakers, in addition to several mini-summits and other training options available during the event – registration instructions are available below.
This year’s theme, Supporting the Whole Student and School Community, is emphasized through a wide variety of sessions on early childhood education, student behavior (including a session on The Regulated Classroom!), social emotional learning, interdisciplinary instruction, youth engagement, special education and inclusivity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, extended learning opportunities, outdoor learning and climate education, school safety, mental health literacy, emotional intelligence, literacy, math, technology in the classroom, and so much more!
This year’s keynote speakers are Pender Makin, Maine Education Commissioner; Jared Cooney Horvath, a Neuroscientist and Educator; Kim Strobel, a motivational speaker and Happiness Coach; and Catherine Ann Wilson, the founder of Stop Trafficking US.
There are also several mini summits and training certifications being offered during the event. Mini summits include:
- As part of the School Safety Summit, there are over 25 presentations from all areas involving school and student safety. Look for their tag in the listing of sessions on the agenda page.
- Educational Trip Leader Permit Course– Required for any educator taking students on field trips involving water. Maine Guide and Principal of Wiscasset Middle & High School, Sarah J. Hubert will offer this full 3-day training.
- Functional Behavioral Assessments Training (FBA) fifteen (15) total hours (5 per day) during the three-day Annual Summit.
- Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference Ten discreet sessions can be taken as an all-day track on August 6 or just attend those of interest! Designed for anyone who invites volunteers to help meet the needs of youth or community. The topics cover a new model for youth service, volunteering as a wellness intervention, engaging local business employees as volunteers, ensuring diversity and inclusion in volunteer systems, and more. Presenters include researchers, practitioners, and panelists from major state employers.
The Maine DOE Annual Summit is your summer destination for connecting with education colleagues across Maine to share ideas and reinvigorate over the summer. The 150+ sessions will give you the high-quality professional learning, tools, and resources you need to re-energize this summer while earning contact hours towards your State of Maine educator and/or administrator credential renewal before the 2024/2025 school year. You will also have the opportunity to meet with members of Maine DOE’s Certification Team all three days of the events!
Transportation & Travel Options
Ride-Share Option – The Annual Summit is now available on the GO MAINE trip planner, a statewide commuter program. The pre-filled event destination can be used and shared with other Annual Summit attendees by using this link.
Travel Reimbursement: All attendees are eligible for mileage reimbursement. Attendees traveling more than fifty (50) miles are eligible to receive reimbursement for lodging for the 3-day Annual Summit. Additional information related to lodging reimbursement and submitting for travel reimbursement can be located on the Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) Bizzabo Annual Summit event website.
Registration
New this year, the Maine DOE is utilizing Bizzabo, an all-in-one events platform to support registration and attendance. Through Bizzabo, participants will be able to register and pay for the Summit, access their personalized schedule and registration information, and access to real-time conference and scheduling updates.
Registration is open until July 19th. The presentation schedule and agenda will be released very soon. After registering for the summit, search for the Bizzabo app in your app store (Bizzabo in Apple Store | Bizzabo on Google Play) and log in with your email and ticket number to access the event.
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Summit this year!
Grace Leclerc is a rising junior at Brown University, where she is studying Political Science and Education Studies. She is originally from Topsham, ME. As the Child Nutrition Intern, she is excited to work with the Child and Adult Care Food Program Team to help modernize their training program. In her free time, she enjoys playing the saxophone and learning sign language.
Ellie Lomangino is a rising junior at George Washington University studying International Affairs and French. She is originally from South Portland, ME. As a Data and Media Assistant, she is excited to support the implementation of technology in Maine schools, as well as gaining a broader understanding of the Maine DOE’s initiatives and field of education. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano and singing with the Vibes A Capella group.
Samuel Maltese is a rising senior at the University of Vermont, where he studies Food Systems, Nutrition, and Community Entrepreneurship. He is originally from Camden, ME. As a Learning Through Technology Data & Media Assistant, he hopes to leverage technology to improve education. At UVM, he manages digitalization for the university radio station, WRUV, and was published as a second author of Assessing the Efficacy of Commercial Probiotics in Preventing Colonization of Listeria monocytogenes on Wooden Cheese Aging Boards by Eurydice Aboagye et al. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, cooking, and gardening at his home in Camden.
Colin Marquis-Boutin is a recent graduate of Bates College, where he studied Politics and Chinese. He is originally from Mechanic Falls, ME. As a Recruitment Outreach Assistant, he will be raising the profile of the Maine Service Fellows initiative by attending recruitment events, developing an outreach plan, and creating marketing materials to promote the program, as well as researching and writing a report on current service program recruitment practices and trends. He is most excited to be a part of a team that connects dedicated service fellows to communities to complete important service projects. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and playing the saxophone.
Ava Shapiro is a rising junior at Colby College, where she is studying Government and Educational Studies. She is originally from New York, NY. As the Communications and Outreach Intern, she will be researching different education-related programs and events within the state, writing articles, gathering interview and photo/video content at events, and assisting with promotional materials. She is most excited to help with the Annual Educator Summit, the Maine DOE’s largest event which takes place in August. After graduation, she wants to pursue a career in educational policy in Maine. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, hiking, rock climbing, and listening to country music.
Meredyth Waters is a rising senior at the University of Maine, where she is studying Political Science with a focus on labor and leadership. As an Operational Assistant, she is excited to work for the DOE to pursue her interests in education and public administration and believes that this role will allow her to experience the intersections of public policy, operation, leadership, and labor. In her free time, she enjoys camping, a Wikipedia deep dive, and cheering on the Black Bears during hockey season.
May Whelan is a rising senior at Bates College, where she is studying Economics and Spanish on the pre-law track. She is originally from Bristol, RI. As a Volunteer Maine Human Resource Instructional Design Assistant, she is excited to revamp the adult learning platform for volunteer management, as well as learn more about the different realms of state and municipal government. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and traveling.



