Media Release: College and Career Success Coordinators Provide Academic and Career Supports and Help Students Transition to College

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Community College System announced that current and prospective community college students across the state now have access to College and Career Success Coordinators to provide them with academic and career supports and assist them with the transition to college. Through Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) funding, the Success Coordinators have already served more than 1,000 students and helped nearly 400 students develop career and academic plans.

College and Career Success Coordinators work alongside existing community college staff to provide students with:

Academic support, including navigating learning platforms, goal setting, creating academic plans, and time management strategies.
Transition support for students entering community college.
Advising, including success coaching, course collection, troubleshooting, promoting self-agency, career planning, and getting to college completion.
Resource referrals on and off campus, including tutoring, financial aid, Adult Education services, housing services, scholarships, workforce opportunities, and community supports.

“The transition to college can be daunting, but now Maine students have access to College and Career Success Coordinators to help them manage that transition with ease and get the help they need to succeed at school and beyond. Success Coordinators are there to help students problem solve and assist them with everything from academic planning to housing and job opportunities,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

Maine Adult Education awarded more than 1,000 high school credentials to adult learners last year, and many of these learners continued their education at Maine’s community colleges. Students earning their high school credentials in 2020-25 qualify for up to two years of free community college, paying nothing in tuition or mandatory fees. Success Coordinators refer students to resources on campus, the state’s Adult Education programs, or partner agencies in the community to help them succeed in their college studies.

Prospective and current students can find the dedicated College and Career Success Coordinator in their county here.

“The College and Career Success Coordinator was a huge help to me,” said Jessica Piela, a student in the Respiratory Therapy Program at Kennebec Valley Community College. “She helped me navigate college without making me feel ashamed or judged. I may not have continued my career path if it wasn’t for her and her support.”

“I’ve worked in adult education and college academic support for over 15 years, and I am so happy to continue to serve these students as they take the next steps on their educational journey,” said Audrey Kimball, the Success Coordinator for York County Community College.

Since the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan took effect in October 2021, the Mills Administration has delivered direct economic relief to nearly 1,000 Maine small businesses, supported more than 100 infrastructure projects around the state to create jobs and revitalize communities, and invested in workforce programs estimated to offer apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 22,000 Maine people.

For more about Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, visit maine.gov/jobsplan.

To read the bios of Maine’s Career Navigators and College and Career Success Coordinators, and learn more about the programs, click here.

Invitation to a Conceptual Conversation Regarding Adult Education Rule Chapters 221, 225, 229

Since 1979, Rule Chapters 221, 225, and 229 have outlined the processes by which high school equivalency credentials are conferred to Adult Education students. Much has changed since 1979, therefore, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is working on updating Rule Chapters 221, 225, and 229.

The Department intends to take the following steps with respect to review of these rules:

Rule Chapter 221 – Adult Education Administrative Cost Reimbursement
Rule Chapter 225 – Adult High School Completion Programs
Rule Chapter 229 – Adult Education Fees

We will hold three regional meetings focused on ideas and goals relating to Adult Education regulations in a general sense. These meetings will be held across the state and will have Zoom links available for regional folks who are unable to attend in person. Stakeholders are invited to attend and provide input. These conversations will be facilitated by Maine DOE Director for Adult Education Megan Dichter, along with the Maine DOE rulemaking liaison Laura Cyr. Other Maine DOE members may join the conversations as their schedules allow. These conversations will be guided by the following discussion prompts.

What does high-quality Adult Education look like?
What aspects of Chapter 225 present barriers to delivering high-quality Adult Education programs leading to high school completion?
What aspects of Chapter 225 support the delivery of high-quality Adult Education programs leading to high school completion?
As Adult Education continues to expand collaboration with high schools, post-secondary institutions and industry partners, does Chapter 225 support or hinder these collaborations?
How does Chapter 225 align with current instructional practices related to high school completion?
Does your Adult Ed Program accept external credit? If so, does Chapter 225 reflect your experience?
Are there challenges with Chapter 225 that impact program delivery leading to high school completion?
Do the categories in Chapter 221 adequately cover administrative costs for adult education programming?
Does Chapter 229 adequately describe the ways in which your program collects and utilizes fees?

Dates and locations for these conversations are as follows:

Monday, July 24th (3pm-5pm) Presque Isle Adult Education, 79 Blake Street, Suite 2, Presque Isle; Zoom Link
Wednesday, August 16th (3pm,-5pm) Kennebec Valley Community College, 92 Western Avenue, King Hall, Lower Campus Center, Fairfield; Zoom Link
Tuesday, August 22nd (3pm-5pm) Biddeford High School Library, 10-20 Maplewood Ave , Biddeford; Zoom Link

Taking into consideration the insights gained from these discussions, the DOE will propose updates to Rule Chapters 221, 225, and 229 and begin the Maine Administrative Procedures Act (A.P.A.) routine technical rule process pursuant to Title 5 MRS §8052 (public notice of filing, public hearing, open public comment period). Once the proposed rules have been filed, the public will be notified of the scheduled public hearing and comment period.  This will be an opportunity to provide written and oral comments regarding the proposed rules. The DOE will review all comments and respond accordingly.  Updates to the rules will then be submitted for review as to form and legality before final adoption.   

For more information about the conceptual conversations for Rule Chapters 221, 225, or 229, contact Laura Cyr at laura.cyr@maine.gov.

Career Advancement and Navigation Specialists Attend Employer Summit

Three out of the four Adult Education-based Career Navigators attended the Employer Summit in Augusta in late May.

The Navigators are part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) which has committed $6 million dollars to address the workforce development needs of those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Maine’s Department of Education, Adult Education team is using these funds to help eligible adults and employment sectors recover from the stresses of the pandemic through a variety of academic and job training supports including Career Advancement Navigators and College and Career Success Coordinators.

Kate Points and Karen Morin shared their expertise in connecting with and supporting the re-entry community with employment with employers. Cassie Robichaux shared her expertise in how to create appealing entry-level jobs with flexibility and opportunities to advance.

Here are the four Career Navigators at a meeting in front of the State House in Augusta.

Adult education-based Career Navigators serve primarily in geographic areas of the state with less access to post-secondary and other educational opportunities as well as support services. These areas include the counties of York, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Oxford, Lincoln, Waldo, Knox, and Sagadahoc. Navigators help people in their communities to take the next step in their careers.

To learn more about the Career Navigators and how to contact them click here.

Media Release: Maine DOE Awards Additional $800,000 in ‘Strengthening Maine’s Workforce’ Education and Training Grants

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) announced funding for six additional Strengthening Maine Workforce grants to develop workforce training initiatives, build employer partnerships to address workforce shortages, and expand English language acquisition services.

In total, grants for Strengthening Maine Workforce Projects now totals $4 million invested in 14 projects. Funding for these initiatives is through Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, her plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.

Through these grants, Bangor Adult & Community Education will expand English language acquisition programs in the Bangor area, Augusta Adult & Community Education will offer an English as a second Language classes for Maine General Health employees and reduce barriers to employment, OOB/Saco Adult & Community Education will increase career pathways and allow students to earn industry-recognized credentials, Lewiston Adult Education will expand workforce training in healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing, Mid Maine Regional Adult & Community Education will create a Medical Assistant certification program, and Merrymeeting Adult Education will prepare new Mainers with language acquisition, healthcare certification courses, and partnerships with employers.

“These grants will provide Maine workers with the skills, knowledge, and pathways they need while helping employers address critical workforce shortages. Adult Education programs serve as a hub connecting learners and employers and strengthening Maine’s workforce,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

“We are excited to be awarded this grant and are proud to serve our community. Our goal as the local adult education program is to strengthen the community and economy through workforce training opportunities,” said Kayla Sikora, Director of Augusta Adult and Community Education.

“We are thrilled to be a recipient of the MJRP grant, which will directly benefit the growing multilingual learner population in our region. This funding will allow us to provide augmented academic and advising services, and most importantly, enable us to better assist our learners with workforce training and employment opportunities,” said Dave Durkee, Director of OOB/Saco Adult and Community Education.

Strengthening Maine Workforce Project Grant Recipients:

Bangor Adult & Community Education: Increasing ELL Opportunities in Greater Bangor
Total award amount: $93,396
Bangor Adult & Community Education will partner with Las Palapas and other area restaurants to provide intake, assessment, advising, and instructional time with a national standards-based curriculum to English Language Learners. This project will more than double the access to Multilingual learner services for adult learners in the Greater Bangor Area.

Augusta Adult & Community Education: Maine General Health ELL Programming
Total award amount: $91,602
Augusta Adult and Community Education will partner with Maine General Health to provide English as a second Language classes to Maine General Health multilingual employees as well as the addition of a new pre-health class. The program will reduce barriers that may affect their employees from participating in programming by funding transportation, childcare, and technology costs for employees in environmental services and groundskeeping for career advancement and life skills.

OOB/Saco Adult & Community Education: Healthcare and Retail Career Pathways for New Mainers
Total award amount: $200,000
OOB/Saco Adult & Community Education will expand career and retail opportunities for Multilingual Learners through existing employer partnerships, and by increasing the capacity of urban programs. Participants will earn industry-recognized credentials of value in Healthcare and Retail Management.

Lewiston Adult Education: Integrated Skills-Based Pipeline Pathways to Employment
Total award amount: $200,000
Lewiston Adult Education will partner across Androscoggin and Oxford counties to expand workforce training to the healthcare, hospitality (restaurants and lodging), and manufacturing industries. Lewiston Adult Education will develop and expand adult programs for workforce training and pipeline pathways that can more effectively meet the needs of employers throughout the region. These workforce programs will prioritize the development of the foundational skills that lead to industry-recognized credentials of value, employment, and may also allow for renewal of certifications. The creation of these programs will both expand the HUB’s capacity to provide more training in these identified areas, and it will allow for the creation of new programs that are not currently part of the adult education offerings.

Mid Maine Regional Adult & Community Education: Clinical Medical Assistant Program Expansion
Total award amount: $82,650
Mid Maine Regional Adult Community Education will partner with Maine General Health to create a comprehensive, earn-to-learn Medical Assistant certification program to fill one of their largest employment gaps.

Merrymeeting Adult Education: Healthcare Certification Courses for New Mainers
Total award amount: $129,126
Merrymeeting Adult Education will prepare new Mainers with language acquisition, healthcare certification courses (CNA), and practical experiences to help learners connect with healthcare community partners and help fill the healthcare worker shortage in Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties.

The Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team funded 8 projects in the first round of funding last October.

Since the Jobs Plan took effect in October 2021, the Mills Administration has delivered direct economic relief to nearly 1,000 Maine small businesses, supported more than 100 infrastructure projects around the state to create jobs and revitalize communities, and invested in workforce programs estimated to offer apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 22,000 Maine people.

For more about Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, visit maine.gov/jobsplan.

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Augusta Adult Education Partnerships with Maine Veteran’s Home to Offer FREE CNA Training

Augusta Adult and Community Education is partnering with the Maine Veterans’ Homes-Augusta to offer an, “Earn While You Learn” Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program. The purpose of the partnership is to increase and strengthen Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training in the Augusta area and prepare participants for employment within the healthcare industry within the state.

The first cohort of Certified Nursing Assistants who participated in the partnership graduated on February 10, 2023.

“This is an exciting time to become part of the Maine Veterans’ Homes-Augusta team at their new state-of-the-art facility at 35 Heroes Way,” said Kayla Sikora, Director of Augusta Adult and Community Education in a news release. “Augusta Adult and Community Education is honored to partner with Maine Veterans’ Homes-Augusta.”

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed into effect on December 1, 2022, between Augusta Adult and Community Education and Maine Veterans’ Homes-Augusta to offer “Earn While You Learn” CNA Training.

To learn more about this program visit, “Earn While You Learn” CNA Training. or contact the Augusta Adult and Community Education Program.

Augusta Adult and Community Education Partner with Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec

(Picture Left to Right: Kayla Sikora, Director of Augusta Adult and Community Education, Virginia Marriner, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec, and Kelli Gilzow Stowell, Community Enrichment Coordinator at Augusta Adult and Community Education)

Augusta Adult and Community Education is pleased to announce their partnership with Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec to provide literacy support in the classroom for learners who have been identified with low literacy levels. Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec will work with students individually and/or in small groups to help them with reading comprehension and assigned classroom work.

In addition to volunteering in the classroom, Literacy Volunteers will also be partnering with Augusta Adult and Community Education and the Buker Community Center to offer Community Scrabble Events. Participants can play individually or with a team and we will host a Scrabble Tournament on April 1st, 2023.

Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec and Augusta Adult and Community Education were both participants in the United Way of Kennebec Valley’s IMPACT2032, a process to develop a vision to improve the lives of the people of Kennebec County across the domains of health, education and financial stability. It is through this type of partnership and working together that we can improve the well-being of our community.

“Partnering with Literacy Volunteers offers an extra layer of support that many of our students need. Being able to provide our students with free tutoring is a step in the right direction to help our students achieve their education goals. Taking our partnership with Literacy Volunteers a step further and offering Community Scrabble Events is another way to help promote lifelong learning and community engagement. I believe in the power and importance of lifelong learning and community engagement. As the director of Augusta Adult and Community Education, I could not be more excited about this partnership.” -Kayla Sikora, Director of Augusta Adult and Community Education

“To be able to bring Scrabble back to our community is exciting. LV Scrabble Events have not taken place since March of 2020. Tutoring is exceptional for our students but Scrabble is fun!”- Kelli Gilzow Stowell, Community Enrichment Coordinator at Augusta Adult and Community Education

“Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec is very pleased to be able to continue a collaborative relationship with Augusta Adult and Community Education. The Memorandum of Understanding with Augusta Adult and Community Education supports a strong collaboration with the teaching staff and Director of Augusta Adult Education to provide literacy support.

Improving adult literacy can have a significant positive impact. Adults with less education are more likely to have incomes below the poverty threshold and in the general Kennebec Valley area of those age 25 and older, nearly one-third (29%) of those without a high school diploma are living in poverty. This collaboration can help to change those numbers for the better, helping people to have equal access to education.”- Virginia Marriner, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec

Maine DOE Adult Education Team Awards $3.2 Million in Strengthening Maine’s Workforce Education and Training Grants

The Maine Department of Education’s Adult Education Team has funded 8 Strengthening Maine Workforce projects as part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Program (MJRP).

The federal funding, awarded through a statewide competitive grant process for adult education providers, will enable programs statewide to:

Develop, implement, continue, and/or expand, workforce training programs in collaboration with employers
Partner with employers to address workforce shortages in employment sectors such as manufacturing, restaurants, lodging, healthcare and retail trade industries identified as suffering deep economic declines due to COVID-19
Develop and provide English language acquisition services
Improve availability, relevance, and access to English language acquisition courses, including reducing waitlists for English language acquisition services

Hub 7 Adult Education – Bridge to Employment
Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties
Total award amount: $378,077

Bridges to healthcare training, hospitality/retail Employment, and manufacturing training will focus on workforce training in collaboration with employers. Existing programs will be expanded, and new programs will be developed and implemented with significant input from area employers. Bridge or gap funding will be provided to eligible students who don’t already meet eligibility requirements through other sources. The bridge to employment for immigrants will focus on the goal of workforce training but will also be directed towards developing and providing English language acquisition services; and improving availability, relevance, and access to English language acquisition courses. A hub-wide training for ESOL/ML conversation partner volunteers will be developed and provided as a means of sustainable capacity building. These services will further aid workforce training and English language acquisition students by providing financial support in areas of transportation, childcare, and training costs not covered under WIOA partner and Department of Health and Human Services financial resources. These will include gas cards, taxi vouchers, on-site childcare, childcare reimbursement, and training scholarships for students while attending adult transitions or college transitions classes, certification programs, or on-the-job training programs. In addition, earn-as-you-learn incentives will be offered to those eligible students who do not qualify for employer or grant-sponsored coverage of their time that would otherwise be spent working to support themselves and their families.

SAD 1 Adult & Community Education – Aroostook Hospitality Workforce Training Program
Aroostook County
Total award amount: $398,408

The goal of the Aroostook Hospitality Workforce Training Program is to develop sustainable and reliable career pathways within the hospitality (lodging and restaurants) industry in Aroostook County that will provide entry level employees, both current and prospective, the opportunity to receive high quality and meaningful training in order to grow and enhance the skills necessary to excel at their job. The focus will be on building skills in customer service, industry specific technology and skills, as well as leadership training opportunities. In addition, education regarding the wide variety of careers available in the hospitality industry as well as an individualized career ladder plan will help participants meet their professional goals.

RSU 25 Adult Education – Healthcare Pathways
Hancock and Washington Counties
Total award amount: $486,080

The project supports expansion and improvement of allied healthcare training across Adult Education Hub 1 in collaboration with regional healthcare partners. This project will allow the expansion of currently established healthcare pathways to address barriers and skills gaps identified in the pilot phase as well as create new healthcare pathways to address industry needs identified during and because of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Expanded healthcare pathways will include hybrid course offerings that address healthcare skills gaps and include stronger and earlier employer connections and offer participants across the Hub an interrelated pathway to certifications, stackable credentials, and engagement with local employers.

New healthcare pathways will include Certified Clinical Medical Assistant curriculum that will include multiple entry points across the Hub.

All pathways supported with these funds will include resources both in and out of the classroom to assist students to address barriers to success in a timely manner.

South Portland – Adult Multilingual Program Expansion
Cumberland County
Total award amount: $260,450

This program will The program will seek to build a culture of success by 1) providing scheduling and transportation that fits with the needs of parents who have children enrolled in school, 2) developing a childcare program for children too young for school, 3) translating materials and using language interpreters as needed to conduct outreach, recruitment and evaluation 4) increasing the relevance of English language acquisition courses by using a culturally aware model that builds towards readiness for workforce participation. address the English language needs of immigrants and asylum-seekers who have little or no English language proficiency.

Westbrook Adult Education – Luke’s Lobster Workplace ESOL
Cumberland County
Total award amount: $199,319

Adult Education will partner with Luke’s Lobster to build an employer-based and contextualized English Language Acquisition program for multilingual learners employed at the Luke’s Lobster production facility in Saco, Maine. Funding for the start-up of the program is being applied for.

Luke’s Lobster employees are in need of English Language Acquisition that fits with their constantly changing schedule and needs. The production schedule varies from day to day depending upon the amount of product coming in from the boats. This will require a flexible program with various training options from onsite training to virtual training, both including various online tools, i.e. EnGen, Zoom. With their ever-changing schedule, transportation and childcare become constant barriers for employees to attend area adult education program’s English Language Acquisition classes. In addition to the waitlists at various programs.

Portland Schools/Portland Adult Education: Extended Language Access Project
Total award amount: $489,850

The Extended Language Access Project will enable Portland Adult Education, the largest adult education provider in Maine, to extend English language learning opportunities to a greater number of students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through innovatively addressing the waitlist, expanding English instruction, and addressing barriers to participation.

Portland Public Schools/Portland Adult Education: English and Digital Skills Integration
Total award amount: $490,650

The English and Digital Skills Integration programming will increase relevance and accessibility of English language acquisition and workplace preparedness through 1) improving remote instruction, 2) adequate access to loaner devices and hot spots and 3) integrating a multi-pronged approach to digital skills building at all levels of the organization that includes a digital skills lab, targeted workshops and digital skills integration into traditional ESOL classes.

Portland Public Schools/Portland Adult Education: Healthcare Pathways
Total award amount: $500,000

Portland Adult Education’s Healthcare Pathways Program will create English language acquisition and workforce training opportunities in the healthcare industry for individuals disproportionately affected by COVID-19 including people of color, individuals with low-incomes, low English literacy levels, and women who may also be unemployed or underemployed, or currently out of the labor force. Portland Adult Education will work closely with healthcare employers to design and implement programming and connect students to employment opportunities. Portland Adult Education will take a customized approach to meeting students’ education and training needs by offering a range of healthcare focused training opportunities and supports, and ensuring appropriate placement based on English level, professional backgrounds, and career aspirations.

Governor Mills Proclaims September 18-24 Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

While adult education provides so much more than just the high school equivalency, it is certainly a milestone for adult learners who have have grit and determination. They are fighting for a better future for themselves and their families! The Maine Department of Education joins Governor Mills to celebrate their hard work as well as the work of adult education professionals who show up everyday to empower their learners.

Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed September 18 – 24 as Adult Education and Family Literacy Week in the State of Maine – view the proclamation here.

Maine Adult Education programs offer classes and tutoring sessions to help adults acquire and improve their skills in reading, writing, mathematics, English language proficiency, and problem solving to become self-sufficient and to participate effectively as workers, family members and citizens.

For more information on the local adult education program near you, please contact Amy Poland, amy.poland@maine.gov or view our Maine Adult Education Directory or visit The Maine Adult Education Association’s Website.

NMRC/PAE Education Academy Program Accepting Applications

A new Education Academy offered at Portland Adult Education is now accepting applications. The Education Academy prepares people who were teachers in their home country to be teachers or educational technicians here in Maine.

The Portland Public Schools launched the Education Academy as part of the Teach Portland initiative in January 2022 to build and diversify its educator workforce. This new intensive program, targeted specifically at foreign-trained teachers, will be offered by the New Mainers Resource Center (NMRC) at Portland Adult Education starting Jan. 7. It is designed to build on the skills and experience that these teachers bring with them from their home countries.

The Education Academy will combine coursework with intensive English and a student classroom experience. It will prepare students in the program to work as educational technicians and substitute teachers. It will also provide the guidance and support they need to ultimately apply for and pursue teacher certification. Students may be eligible for scholarships and other supportive services that will help them with the costs of any college courses they may need for teacher certification.

Education Academy which is now accepting applications for classes that start this September.

This program prepares people who were teachers in their home country to be Teachers or Educational Technicians here in Maine
It is also a good program for people with other backgrounds and degrees who are interested in entering the teaching profession
It provides an overview of education in the US including: classroom management, teaching methods, becoming a Maine educator, and teaching exceptional students
The program includes a practicum, or practical experience in a classroom, and also advice and assistance applying for teacher certification and jobs

Here is a link to more information about the program and its requirements: Education Academy Slideshow.

Here is a link to the Education Academy Application.

For more information about the Education Academy, go to the New Mainers Resource Center website at: www.nmrcmaine.org or call Portland Adult Education at: 207-874-8155

Maine DOE Hosts First ‘Teachers of Adult Multilingual Summer Institute’ Drawing in Rural Districts Eager to Support New Learners

As the housing crisis felt across Maine has driven some of Maine’s newest multilingual residents out of urban areas and into rural parts of our State, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Maine’s adult education multilingual learning programs are right there to provide the support they need.

The first-ever, “Teachers of Adult Multilingual Summer Institute” was held in Sugarloaf and virtually recently. Hosted by Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team and endearingly referred to as, “Camp Sugarloaf,” the gathering featured nationally renowned educator and speaker Jayme Adelson-Goldstein who led a workshop, which took place over the course of the three-day institute, on implementing high-leverage practices and differentiation in virtual and in-person multilingual classrooms with interactive activities that enabled participants to get to know each other and dig into valuable content and best practices for educating adult learners who are multilingual.

In addition to Adelson-Goldstein’s full group sessions, the institute also offered various breakout sessions led by educators working in some of Maine’s more urban adult education programs.

While Rochelle Yanike Hale from Portland Adult Education led a session on “How to Increase Student Writing in a Remote Class,” Virginie Akimana from Portland Adult Education hosted a session on, “Considerations for Working with Adult Multilingual Learners,” and Tekia Cox from Augusta Adult & Community Education hosted participants for a Roundtable Discussion on Orientation for Multilingual Learners. Also offering sessions were Kelli Park from University of Southern Maine (USM)/Merrymeeting Adult Education, Elizabeth Cuccinello DiLalla from RSU 13 Adult & Community Education, Moira Taylor from Portland Adult Education, Lisa Parisio from Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Amy Hatch from Lewiston Adult Education, and Anya Enright from EnGen.

Members of Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team also hosted various other sessions on everything from CASAS (assessments) to community resources, and the Teaching the Skills That Matter (TSTM) Toolkit. In addition, the institute also provided participants with ample opportunities for networking, relaxing, and communicating and collaborating with each other across the three-day event.

Meet the Adult Education Team:

Back row: Kelley Heath- Adult Ed Data/High School Education Coordinator, Amy Hatch-Adult Ed MaineStars Data Entry, Christy Le-Adult Ed Micro-credential Assistant, Tammy Ranger- Director, Workforce Development & Innovative Pathways

Front row: Megan Dichter- Adult Ed Workforce Development/ESL Coordinator, Amy Poland- Adult Ed Prof Dev/ME College Transition Coordinator, Monique Roy-Director Adult Education

While this is the first official Summer Institute hosted for Maine’s adult educators, the Maine DOE’s Adult Education Team hopes to plan a summer institute annually each year going forward.