Author: Maine Department of Education

Maine DOE Update – January 19, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Mills Administration Announces $10 Million in Literacy Grants for Maine Schools

The Mills Administration announced a $10 million literacy grant opportunity for schools to support the development, expansion, and enhancement of evidence-based core literacy instruction and targeted interventions for Maine students. These literacy grants through the Maine Department of Education (DOE) are intended to build the capacity of year-long, core literacy instruction for all students and support core literacy instructional components, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. |  More

Seeking Student Submissions for MLTI Student Conference 2024 T-Shirt Design Competition

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Learning Through Technology team is seeking student artwork for this year’s in-person MLTI Student Conference that will be held at UMaine on May 23rd. Past winners from Gray-New Gloucester High School, Waterville Junior High School, Auburn Middle School, and Southern Aroostook Community School have been able to see their designs exist beyond their computer screens. This contest is open to all students in MLTI school districts. |  More

Nominations Open Now Through Jan 31 for State & County Teacher of the Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine announced that nominations are now open for the 2024 County Teachers of the Year and 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine. |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Scarborough HS Learning Commons Gives Students the Power to Reframe Discussion on Social Awareness and Society

Scarborough High School’s school library, the Learning Commons is celebrating current fiction to encourage curiosity, discover ideas and perspectives, and inform self-understanding and awareness of the world we live in. It was part of this learning journey that students recently engaged in a book event that helped empower them to reframe the way we think about the society we live in. |  More

‘Curious About College’ Program Gives Adult Learners a Taste of Post-Secondary Education

Portland Adult Education recently launched a new program, “Curious About College,” that aims to empower adult learners interested in embarking on their higher education journey. Adult Education in Maine has offered Maine College and Career Access (MCCA) programming since 2001 (formerly called College Transitions) to provide readiness for pathways to postsecondary education and careers. With increased enrollments in community colleges across the state and the opportunity of “free college,” student preparedness programs and collaborative partnerships are needed now more than ever.  |  More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Listen & Learn

PBIS is “an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health that creates safe, positive, equitable schools, where every student can feel valued, connected to the school community and supported by caring adults.” (Center on PBIS, 2024). |  More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

 

Scarborough HS Learning Commons Gives Students the Power to Reframe Discussion on Social Awareness and Society

(Pictured: Scarborough High School Students pose with Maine Department of Education Director of Strategic Partnerships Ayesha Hall.)

Scarborough High School’s school library, the Learning Commons is celebrating current fiction to encourage curiosity, discover ideas and perspectives, and inform self-understanding and awareness of the world we live in. It was part of this learning journey that students recently engaged in a book event that helped empower them to reframe the way we think about the society we live in.

Two years ago, School Librarian Deirdre Dupree had the idea of creating book events to encourage, support, and celebrate reading. In the first year implementing the book events Dupree, along with Library Ed Techs Mackenzie Crouse and Jeff Ertman began by using, among other standards, the CASEL framework beginning with self. They held four events throughout the year using memoirs, set the book event “curriculum” with an essential question, and solicited staff from different departments to help them facilitate and deliver their curriculum.

Held during one of the school’s four blocks in the school day, students participate through two pathways, either teachers can sign up to bring their class to the event or students who have a scheduled study hall during the block the book event is taking place can sign up to attend individually.

This year the team moved on to social awareness and society and have been working with folks who have expertise on these two social issues. Recently they called on Maine Department of Education Director of Strategic Partnerships Ayesha Hall, a school psychologist and former SEL & Equity Resource Coordinator for Lewiston Public Schools to help them host their most recent event.

With 70 students and staff present, the group embarked on a guided discussion of the young adult book, “The Unkindness of Ghosts” by Rivers Solomon.

As part of this discussion, students were asked the question: Is it important for societies to be fair?

As the conversation began, Hall explained what happened next, “Students were like ‘What kind of question is this? The only people who would answer no to this question are the individuals who benefit from the unfairness in the first place.’,” remarked Hall. “I was blown away…”

Getting curious, Hall asked the students to pose a more appropriate question to which the students worked together to come up with the following: How do we break down/analyze systems to ensure they are equitable?

The discussion helped the students reframe the question in a way that digs deeper into the question of equity in society but also helps work toward a solution.

“Engaging with literature allows readers to empathize with the experiences of characters in humanizing ways. This allows for reflection and understanding while honoring each individual’s journey as we move in the world,” Dupree concluded.

“It was an honor to host the conversation with them!” Hall added.

Dupree says the Scarborough Learning Commons’ next event is tentatively scheduled for the end of March.

Seeking Student Submissions for MLTI Student Conference 2024 T-Shirt Design Competition

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Learning Through Technology team is seeking student artwork for this year’s in-person MLTI Student Conference that will be held at UMaine on May 23rd.  Past winners from Gray-New Gloucester High School, Waterville Junior High School, Auburn Middle School, and Southern Aroostook Community School have been able to see their designs exist beyond their computer screens. This contest is open to all students in MLTI school districts.

This year’s theme is “Camp MLTI,” so judges will be looking for an entry that focuses on camping. This t-shirt will be worn by more than one thousand students and educators who will be joining us at this annual event. The winners will be recognized during the event. Submissions are due no later than February 1st. Winners will be announced within two weeks of submission.

Click here for more information, including the submission guidelines and link to submit.

For questions about the MLTI Student Conferences, please contact the MLTI Project Manager, Bethany Billinger, bethany.billinger@maine.gov

‘Curious About College’ Program Gives Adult Learners a Taste of Post-Secondary Education

(Pictured: Heather Wood, Dean of Instruction at Portland Adult Ed helping students at a reading and writing station during a recent “Curious About College” workshop.)

Portland Adult Education recently launched a new program, “Curious About College,” that aims to empower adult learners interested in embarking on their higher education journey. Adult Education in Maine has offered Maine College and Career Access (MCCA) programming since 2001 (formerly called College Transitions) to provide readiness for pathways to postsecondary education and careers. With increased enrollments in community colleges across the state and the opportunity of “free college,” student preparedness programs and collaborative partnerships are needed now more than ever.

Anja Hanson, Academic Advisor at Portland Adult Education shares some history and context about “Curious About College”:

We started meeting last year because we felt that prior orientations, meetings, and classes didn’t fully communicate to students what we wanted learners to understand about college in the U.S. This is true for both first-generation and multilingual students. Why should they understand? Preparing for college is so abstract, complicated, and baffling. 

Simulated College Experience

We wanted to find a way to make it more concrete. This is how “Curious About College” came to be. We wanted students to do all of the following:

    • Handle current college textbooks 
    • See the pages of a single psychology textbook chapter spread out on a wall
    • Listen to a lecture and take notes 
    • Find information on a syllabus 
    • Figure out which math class their degree program would require at SMCC 
    • Plan a week’s schedule that includes all the obligations that work and family demand of adult students
    • Know what fees they would have to anticipate 

Since most of our students are planning on attending SMCC, we used materials in current use there, and we set up 6 stations so that students could engage in activities and ask questions. We gave them checklists to take notes on what they noticed or learned. What we observed last spring and during our recent fall session is that students at various levels of English proficiency and sophistication about college can all get something from this event.

Hanson shared that as they moved about the room, students helped each other. They looked overwhelmed. They looked intrigued. It’s not as though they could learn everything they needed to know in this brief event, but they could discover that they had more to learn, which is precisely what they must understand if they want to go to college.

This photo is from a Time Management station 15 minutes after the event officially ended. Hanson shared that, “it suggests something about how much students need opportunities like these to grapple with what their dreams and goals will demand. We’d love to see other high schools and adult education programs offering Curious About College events.”

Alice Shea (College and Career Success Coordinator) at a time management station.
Alice Shea (College and Career Success Coordinator) at a time management station.

Feedback from Learners

Students observed how fast the English lectures were when they had to take notes while translating mentally. They noted the amount of time they’d need to commit for reading, planning and completing assignments, the costs of textbooks, how all the programs require math, and the heavy amount of writing. One learner noted that every [degree] program at SMCC requires math. After the event, some learners reflected that it would not be easy, but with practice, they can succeed while others decided they were not ready yet. All learners left the event more aware of college requirements and what it would require to be successful.

Empowering Adult Learners

“Curious About College provides a strong foundation where I can discuss the realities of college and the college system with students, said Alice Shea, College and Career Success Coordinator at SMCC. “I would love it if all students entering college had the opportunity to experience Curious About College. The event empowers students to understand their strengths and limitations and make decisions that will help them be successful in the college system. It takes me out of the role of ‘advising’ students and moves me into the role of a professional colleague engaging in a guided conversation with a student where they decide what works best for them.”

Shea is one of seven College and Career Success Coordinators (CCSC) located at each Maine community college and employed by local Adult Education programs funded by the Maine Jobs Recovery Plan. These roles serve prospective and current community college students as they work toward their goals at the college. Priorities for the CCSCs are Adult Education learners and enhancing the collaboration between Adult Education and their respective community colleges.

Heather Wood (Dean of Instruction at Portland Adult Education) and learners at a Reading and Writing station.
Alice Shea (College and Career Success Coordinator) at a time management station.
Carmen Moreno-Diaz (Intercultural Center Director at SMCC) at a What is Free with Free College Station.

Current and Future Endeavors

Portland Adult Education, Hanson, and Shea seek to expand this opportunity for learners in their community and are demonstrating a mock event for other Adult Education programs in Cumberland County to see the model in action. Shila Cook, ABE/ELL Coordinator at Westbrook Adult Education, and colleagues are holding a Curious about College event for Westbrook High School students and Adult Education learners in late January.  Shea’s College and Career Success Coordinator colleagues across the state are working on similar programming to support their adult learners in their college endeavors. At Eastern Maine Community College, Brian Loring, the Success Coordinator there, will offer monthly sessions to interested Adult Education learners, especially HiSET graduates at EMCC. At Kennebec Valley Community College, Carolyn Haskell and colleagues are preparing a “Brighter Futures Day” for March. This is an event for Adult Education learners to come to campus and learn more about what being a student there requires as well as their opportunities and resources. This semester, Adult Education’s MCCA through Turner Adult Education, will hold their class at Central Maine Community College to immerse learners in the college environment.

Learn more about the College and Career Success Coordinators.

Learn more about Portland Adult Education.

Learn more about the Maine Community College system.

Learn more about the Maine Jobs Recovery Plan.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Listen & Learn

Is your school administrative unit (SAU) and/or school interested in implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)?

PBIS is “an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health that creates safe, positive, equitable schools, where every student can feel valued, connected to the school community and supported by caring adults.” (Center on PBIS, 2024).

Maine PBIS offers a 3-year intensive training and coaching model to support districts and schools in implementing Tier 1 PBIS with fidelity. To learn more about Maine PBIS and the training model please join the Listen and Learn Session and explore the resources below.

PBIS Listen and Learn Session
February 1, 2024, 1-2 PM
Register here

APPLY BY MARCH 8, 2024

For questions, reach out you the PBIS team at PBIS@maine.edu.

Media Release: Mills Administration Announces $10 Million in Literacy Grants for Maine Schools 

Grants Support the Development, Expansion, and Enhancement of Evidence-Based Core Literacy Instruction and Targeted Interventions for Maine Students 

The Mills Administration announced a $10 million literacy grant opportunity for schools to support the development, expansion, and enhancement of evidence-based core literacy instruction and targeted interventions for Maine students. These literacy grants through the Maine Department of Education (DOE) are intended to build the capacity of year-long, core literacy instruction for all students and support core literacy instructional components, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Grant funds can be used by schools to compensate educators for participating in evidence-based literacy professional learning opportunities and internal instruction and program review processes, for professional learning opportunities on evidence-based literacy practices, to train instructional coaches, and to purchase evidence-based literacy materials.

       “Literacy is a foundational skill that enables students to thrive in school, work, life, and as citizens in our democracy. This investment in literacy will help schools and educators provide all students in Maine with evidence-based core literacy instruction and interventions. It’s an investment in the future of our state,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.  

The grants were developed following the work by a Maine DOE workgroup of literacy specialists to analyze early literacy programs in Maine to understand better which assessment measures, programs, resources, evidence-based practices, and educator supports have yielded strong student growth. The Maine DOE workgroup created recommendations, which were provided to the Maine Legislature in December 2022. This $10 million grant initiative was designed out of LD 1526, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, to increase student reading proficiency in Maine.

       “The literacy grant the DOE is providing is giving schools the opportunity to participate in the much needed and requested professional development around the science of reading. These funds will allow us to provide vital training in this area and the opportunity to purchase classroom materials for literacy instruction. In RSU14, this means we can train more staff than we budgeted for using local funds. We are grateful to have this opportunity to support our staff,” said Christine Hesler, Director of Curriculum for RSU14.

       “The Maine DOE literacy grant is a great opportunity for many districts to reach their goal of all students becoming readers. Through providing professional development, purchasing additional resources and materials that are focused on research-based literacy strategies, this goal is attainable.  These funds will supplement the financial investment districts already commit to literacy instruction,” said Deb McIntyre, Executive Director of the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association.

The grants also build off extensive efforts by the Mills Administration to strengthen child literacy skills in Maine, including investing $10 million through the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan to create and expand pre-k programs across Maine. In 2022, the Maine DOE released, Literacy for ME 2.0, a revamped state literacy plan grounded in research-based literacy practices and organized around key components central to building comprehensive literacy programs.

Recognizing the vital importance of foundational literacy development and in response to school system inquiries related to early literacy program development, the Maine DOE and a team of Maine educators and educational partners, developed guidance to support School Administrative Units in designing and implementing systematic and explicit early literacy instruction. This guidance is designed as a supportive tool for early elementary educators, administrators, and literacy leadership teams to reflect on current practices and to potentially adjust educational design to support high-quality and evidence-based early literacy learning for all PreK to Grade 3 students. The Maine DOE also provides interdisciplinary instructional programming and resources around literacy for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade.

The Maine DOE has obtained a preschool development grant through the federal government to support   professional learning in birth through grade three literacy practices grounded in science and the Department is working to secure access to on-demand literacy modules that cover a wide variety of literacy content grounded in science for elementary educators, including content related to brain development, instructional practices connected to the essential components of reading and writing, dyslexia, and multilingual learners.

Last month, the Mills administration expanded the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, with 4,500 eligible Maine children currently receiving free, high-quality, age-appropriate books through the program. The Maine DOE recently announced a partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books to provide Welcoming Libraries to 16 schools across Maine, with each library containing 60 books featuring stories of immigrant families and the diversity of America. The Maine DOE also hosts the Read to ME Challenge every February to encourage adults to read aloud to children and Read to Ride Summer, a contest that qualifies students who read at least 500 minutes over the summer a chance to win one of 48 donated bikes and helmets.

The DOE has also created several literacy-related educator groups, for educators and education organizations across Maine to share and develop resources and guide the state’s literacy work, including the State Literacy Team, Maine Association for Improving Literacy (MAIL) Network, State Dyslexia Advisory Group, Screening Project & Dyslexia Plan, and the Higher Education Pre-Service Literacy Faculty Group. These groups also share information, facilitate text studies, and offer training related to dyslexia awareness, the Science of Reading, the neuroscience of the reading brain, systematic and evidence-based Tier I instruction to lower special education referral rates, support for striving readers, alignment and collaboration between general and special education for IDEA, and inclusive literacy instruction for students identified as having specific learning disabilities.

Literacy grants will be allocated to school administrative units (SAUS) and Education in Unorganized Territory (EUT) schools based on a formula model and the Maine DOE will be contacting SAUs & EUT directly through the Grants4ME platform with more information about their participation in the literacy grant program. Federal emergency relief funding was used to support these grants.

Maine DOE Update – January 12, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Reminder: Quarter 2 Reporting is Open – Validation Due January 15

Attendance, Behavior, Bullying, and Truancy reports for Quarter 2 (October, November, and December) are open as of January 1st. |  More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Media Release: Maine DOE Awards $300,000 in Climate Education Professional Development Grants

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) awarded $300,000 in climate education professional development grants to support partnerships between 14 school administrative units (SAUs), schools, and community organizations to strengthen climate education opportunities for students across Maine. |  More

Get Ready to Read: Maine DOE Preparing for 9th Annual Read to ME Challenge

For the 9th consecutive year, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will collaborate with community organizations and schools to promote the Read to ME Challenge, a month-long public awareness campaign held during February across Maine. |  More

Grants for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs Now Available, Application Deadline April 10, 2024

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce the release of a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from organizations interested in implementing comprehensive afterschool and summer learning programs in 2024-2025. It is anticipated that roughly $3.5 million will be available to issue grant awards this spring. |  More

PUBLIC COMMENT: School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund

As a result of Public Law 2023, Chapter 457 which enacts 20-A MRSA §6664, the Maine Department of Education is proposing a new rule to guide the administration of the School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund. |  More

Media Release: Hampden and Caribou Students Selected for United States Senate Youth Program

Maine high school students Ryan Hafener and Claire Elizabeth Ouellette were selected to represent Maine during the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Washington Week from March 2-9, 2024. Ryan Hafener of Hampden and Claire Ouellette of Caribou were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study. |  More

Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey 2023 Data Highlights

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) jointly released the 2023 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) results on Friday, December 15, 2023. The MIYHS data provides schools with up-to-date trends around health behaviors and experiences for Maine middle school and high school students. Results of the survey also give educators an important snapshot of adolescent well-being connected to key health topics. |  More

Nominations Open Now Through Jan 31 for State & County Teacher of the Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine announced that nominations are now open for the 2024 County Teachers of the Year and 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine. |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Getting to Know Community Schools in Maine: Welcome to Cape Cod Hill Community School

Nestled in the woods off a back road in western Maine you will find Cape Cod Community School. Part of the Regional School Unit (RSU) 9 of the Mount Blue area, Cape Cod Hill takes a different approach to serving its community. It is one of just a handful of Community Schools located in Maine.  |  More

Interdisciplinary Unit Prompts Nokomis Students to Create Small Businesses to Raise Money for Class Activities

On an abnormally warm December day at Nokomis Middle School in Newport, the 8th-grade class is having a fundraiser called “The Maine Sampler.” This fundraiser is more than students asking for money; it is an interdisciplinary unit that spans multiple disciplines and allows students to practice their communication skills, perseverance, creativity, and reflection.  |  More

New Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Program at Buckfield Jr/Sr High School Expanding Thanks to School and Community Partners

Gretchen Kimball has been working on getting a new ELO program up and running at Buckfield Jr/Sr High School this school year. Serving the communities of Hartford, Sumner, and Buckfield, Kimball has her plate full working with all interested students to coordinate extended learning experiences that enrich their learning.  |  More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

MaineCare in Education Bootcamp

Please join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of MaineCare Services for MaineCare in Education Bootcamp. This one day workshop is presented in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual opportunities on February 9th and 16th from 10 – 2 pm at the DHHS Building located at 109 Capital Street in Augusta. In person attendance is limited to 40. Light refreshments and coffee will be served. Lunch will be on your own. |  More

Community Schools Informational Session

Is your school or district interested in learning about how schools can partner with families and community-based organizations to provide supports so that every child has access to what they need to reach their full potential? Have you considered becoming a Community School? In many communities throughout Maine, not all families have access to healthy food, stable housing, vision care, or dental health services their children need. The impact of these challenges doesn’t stop when students step into the classroom. Community Schools work with families and community-based organizations as partners to provide comprehensive supports and opportunities to meet the needs and interests of students and families. |  More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

 

Getting to Know Community Schools in Maine: Welcome to Cape Cod Hill Community School

Nestled in the woods off a back road in western Maine you will find Cape Cod Community School. Part of the Regional School Unit (RSU) 9 of the Mount Blue area, Cape Cod Hill takes a different approach to serving its community. It is one of just a handful of Community Schools located in Maine.

A community school model, as defined by the Coalition for Community Schools, is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Community schools exist in all regions of the United States and their numbers are growing fast.

In Maine, the community school model was first recognized by Maine Legislative Action of the First Regular Session of the 127th Legislature (2015-2016), in the budget bill Public Law 2015, chapter 267. At that time, the Maine DOE was authorized to fund a limited number of community schools, established under 20-A MRSA Chapter 333. Currently, three schools in Maine receive funding from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to support their community school strategies: the Gerald E. Talbot School in Portland, Old Town Elementary School in Old Town, and the Cape Cod Hill Community School in New Sharon.

In its second year of implementation, Cape Cod Hill Community School has already put a lot of resources and strategies into place with big plans for many more to follow. Principal Carol Kiesman along with Social Worker Amanda Clark and School Nurse Jesstine Meader are the force behind these big changes and they work as a team to tackle the role of Community School Coordinator. An essential part of the success of a community school.

To accomplish a community school model, the team at Cape Cod Hill has garnered countless resources through ongoing partnerships throughout the Franklin County region and beyond to offer students and their families support beyond academics. Resources like behavioral health by way of counseling services for families and children through an outpatient counselor who comes to the school to see children in addition to case management through Maine Behavioral Health Organization. Also now available are dental health services offered to every child right at school, food and nutrition resources available through the school’s food pantry, and many more partnerships that bring in community members, resources, and services that benefit students and families.

“In the past things were more academic-centered, this is more community-centered,” explains Kiesman. “This is looking at the whole child and what can we offer to the children and the families besides academics. Yes, academics are huge, they are important, but we know that there is more to children’s lives than just academics.”

One of the most successful and new programs started by the school is its no-cost before and after-care program which runs from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm on school days. The program allows parents to work without having to find care for their children for those couple of hours before and after school that never seem to line up just right with the average workday. This program has been a game-changer for many of their families and the fact that there is no income threshold makes it that much more accessible for everyone. The Community Schools grant funding provided by the Maine DOE made this program possible.

Pictures from the Before and After-Care Program:

One of the ongoing programs the team has up and running is its food pantry, which also serves as a clothing and book pantry as well as bringing much-needed resources to the community. The pantry has been around for a while but the team at Cape Cod Hill has gotten innovative in maximizing its impact in recent years by creating discrete access to the pantry via a side door to the school, giving community members a way to grab what they need without having to make a grand entrance. They’ve also been able to utilize the help of community partners like Good Shephard Food Bank who help with food donations and have welcomed help from community members who come in regularly to keep the pantry organized and stocked with foods and other resources that families need and want.

Other ongoing partnerships include Franklin County Adult Ed providing monthly classes at Cape Codd Hill Community School on things like cyber security, social-emotional learning topics, and multi-tiered systems of support/response to intervention components that can be implemented at home. They have also invited the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department over for monthly “lunch and jokes” in which members of the Sheriff’s Office get to dine with the students at lunchtime and exchange good-humored stories and jokes.

“We are going beyond our four walls,” said Clark. “Maine schools are providing a lot of these things and they are doing amazing work. I think, for us, the community school initiative and model gave us that extra layer of support to be able to provide the things we felt like we were missing.”

Community schools foster a shared vision for student success and thoughtfully engage the community in making the vision a reality. Over time, community schools become the center a of community where everyone belongs, works together and thrives. They become the hub of their neighborhoods and communities, uniting families, educators and community partners toward student success.

To hear directly from the team at Cape Cod Hill Community School, check out this 5-minute video interview where Kiesman and Clark talk about their journey to becoming a community school and their plans for the future:

Maine DOE has welcomed Community Schools Consultant Ann Hanna, who has joined the Maine DOE Office of School and Student Supports. Hanna proudly served as the principal of the Gerald E. Talbot Community School in Portland where she led the school through a transformative process to become a Community School. Hanna will be working on advancing Community School strategies in interested schools across Maine by providing technical assistance and support as needed.  The Maine DOE is also working on the next application for funding for SY 24-25, and information on that will be shared via Newsroom in the coming days.

To learn more about community schools in Maine, please contact Ann Hanna, at ann.c.hanna@maine.gov.

Media Release: Maine DOE Awards $300,000 in Climate Education Professional Development Grants 

Grants Allow Maine Schools to Partner with Climate and Environmental Community Organizations to Strengthen Climate Education for Students 

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) awarded $300,000 in climate education professional development grants to support partnerships between 14 school administrative units (SAUs), schools, and community organizations to strengthen climate education opportunities for students across Maine.

Grant funding will allow educators to learn from experts and organizations that have created, sustained, and grown outdoor and environmental education opportunities and programs that are tailored to their local region’s assets and needs. Educators will be able to bring what they’ve learned back to their classrooms and schools to expand innovative and engaging climate education opportunities to more Maine students.

“These grants provide Maine educators and schools with the tools, resources, and partnerships they need to provide students with engaging, hands-on climate and environmental education. From the mountains to the coast, Maine has enormous natural resources for students to explore and learn from so they can be effective environmental stewards and leaders,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. 

School Union 93, Central High School in Corinth, Fryeburg Academy, Greenville Consolidated School, Saco, Biddeford and Dayton Schools, RSU 12, and Vinalhaven and North Haven Schools all received grants in this first round of funding. They plan to engage in the following programming:

  • All five schools in School Union 93 will partner with Maine TREE and the Woodlawn Museum this spring on interdisciplinary climate education instruction, a district-wide climate education plan, and professional learning about Project Learning Tree for Pre-K through 8th grade students.

  • Central High School will partner with Hirundo Wildlife Refuge to run professional development programming on Pushaw Stream. Teachers will learn about forest ecology, macroinvertebrate sampling, as well as receiving Educational Trip Leaders and Wilderness First Aid certifications. These will all be combined to enable Central High School teachers to guide students on and around the Pushaw Stream waterways.

  • Fryeburg Academy will partner with a wide range of community-based organizations throughout the Western Maine Region and New Hampshire, with teachers working with partners individually and in small groups to design projects and curriculum for students in and out of the classroom.

  • Greenville Consolidated School will partner with the Rural Aspirations Project to create elementary and middle school place-based science maps, align their curriculum, and design middle school climate intensive units.

  • Saco, Biddeford, and Dayton Schools will collaborate with the Ecology School, with one cohort of teachers meeting virtually during the spring to cover climate change-specific content areas and align them with the curriculum and a teacher institute in June that will bring together teachers from all three schools to cover climate change content and design curriculum for the fall.

  • Sheepscot Valley RSU 12 educators will participate in a three-day professional development workshop with community partner Friends of Cobbossee Watershed. Educators will adapt and align existing watershed-specific curriculum with school standards and develop a rich foundation of region- and lake-specific environmental and climate content knowledge for use in the classroom.

  • Teaching Resilience: Professional Development for Climate Curricula is a program Vinalhaven and North Haven Schools have designed with community partner Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. This program will build teacher capacity and curriculum for both schools to engage meaningfully with local community partners on student projects.

“Teachers of School Union 93 are excited to collaborate with community partners to develop and deliver a professional development program to educate teachers on climate change, its impact on the environment and surrounding peninsula, and how to instruct students to explore climate-related topics. This work will result in a Union-wide climate education plan that will serve as an everlasting resource for the schools on the peninsula,” said Dawn McLaughlin, Assistant Superintendent of School Union 93.  

“Maine (TREE) is ecstatic to work with School Union 93 to bring climate and forest-based education to schools on the Blue Hill Peninsula. This collaboration between the School Union, Maine TREE, and Woodlawn Museum will provide a long-lasting impact on the students in the region and provide a model for how to develop regionally designed climate education programming for students in rural parts of Maine,” said Logan Johnson, Executive Director of the Maine Timber Research & Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE).

“Although educational research shows that an interdisciplinary and project-based approach offers many advantages, especially when it comes to the study of global issues such as climate change, there are significant challenges to meaningful implementation in the classroom, coordination across the faculty, and engagement with the community. At Fryeburg Academy we immediately recognized the value of this grant for closing some of those gaps,” said Dylan Harry, Director of Outdoor Learning and Research Center at Fryeburg Academy. 

“Teaching students about the environment that they live in is vital. Part of that teaching comes in the form of climate education.  Climate changes greatly impact each and every one of us in one way or another. Having the opportunity for hands-on, experiential learning brings these issues to the forefront for students. I am excited to work with a team of local experts, both environmental and educational, on designing a curriculum that brings more awareness of Climate Change and its impact on our lakes, ponds, and rivers to the students,” said Jana Diket, Middle School Teacher at Windsor Middle School.

“The Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed is really pleased to be partnering with RSU 12 and the Maine State YMCA Camp on this Climate Education Professional Development.  With the challenges we are experiencing due to the effects of climate change, we are excited to bring together educators from across the region to form a network for ideas and best practices. Utilizing the watershed lands and waters as the classroom brings the power of experiential and hands-on teaching pedagogy into the hands of the teachers on the front lines,” said Tom Mullin, Executive Director of Friends of Cobbossee Watershed. 

“RSU 64 in Corinth is excited and grateful to have received funding to provide professional development to our staff through the Climate Change Grant offered by Maine DOE.  We will be holding training in Wilderness First Aid and for the certification as an Educational Trip Leader for up to 20 of our staff and from RSU 34 as well. This is a critical need for us because we have a very active outdoor community in our towns and we want to capitalize on those interests by opening the door to water-based activities for students,” said Dr. Rad Mayfield, Principal of Central High School.  

“The Climate Education Professional Development Partnership offers our schools an amazing opportunity for teacher collaboration and student learning.  Vinalhaven School, North Haven School, and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership will all work together, thanks to the financial support from the [Maine DOE] Office of Innovation. I look forward to seeing the project implementation in the coming months,” said Monte Selby, Superintendent of Vinalhaven School.

Maine continues to be a leader in outdoor learning and climate education. The Maine DOE’s Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) initiative, funded through a $16.9 million federal grant, has supported the expansion of outdoor education classrooms, programs, professional learning, partnerships, and spaces across the state. Schools across Maine utilized federal relief funding to expand outdoor learning spaces and programs. Governor Mills’ Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative has provided thousands of Maine middle and high school students with coastal and inland forestry learning and career exploration opportunities during the summer. The Maine DOE recently hired a Climate Education Specialist to support and expand this work with educators, schools, and community partners across the state. You can learn more about the Maine DOE’s climate and outdoor education work here.

The grant initiative was designed out of LD 1902, which was passed by the Legislature in 2022 and signed by the Governor to establish a pilot program to encourage climate education in Maine public schools. Priority was given to communities historically underserved by climate education, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, and interdisciplinary, place-based, and project-based learning activities. A second climate education RFA will be announced early in 2024.

Get Ready to Read: Maine DOE Preparing for 9th Annual Read to ME Challenge

For the 9th consecutive year, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will collaborate with community organizations and schools to promote the Read to ME Challenge, a month-long public awareness campaign held during February across Maine.

The Read to ME Challenge is intended to bolster enjoyment in reading and to support children’s literacy growth by challenging adults to read to and/or with children for at least 15 minutes during the month of February. Challenge readers are invited to capture the moment via a photo or a video and post it on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter with the hashtag #ReadtoME.  They are also encouraged to continue the impact by challenging social media friends to read to children and spread the impact across the state. Maine DOE encourages you to tag us on social media posts by including a X/Twitter tag at @mdoenews, a Facebook tag @MaineDepartmentofEducation1, and/or an Instagram tag @mainedepted.

While anyone can participate in the Read to ME Challenge, this initiative offers a wonderful opportunity for schools, child cares, libraries, and many other community organizations to plan engaging strategies for completing the challenge and demonstrating commitment to reading to children. In the past there have been a variety of student and adult groups that have organized impactful reading events. These include college and high school sports teams, civic organizations, library programs, recreation departments, and educational organizations.

The Read to ME Challenge will run for the month of February, leading up to Read Across America Day on March 2, 2024. Learn more about the Read to ME Challenge on the Maine DOE Website and be looking for more details about the kick-off soon.

For questions about the Read to ME Challenge, contact Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov, Maine DOE Director of Early Learning. To share your reading photos and videos with the Maine DOE tag us on social media and we will share your post!