Career and Technical Education Students of the Year Honored

The Maine Association of Career and Technical Education (MACTE) held its annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Student of the Year Award Ceremony on April 29 at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s The Green Ladle restaurant.

The event featured a keynote address from Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau, in addition to an awards ceremony honoring a student from each of Maine’s 27 CTE Schools for their exemplary work in their respective program.

Students Honored:

Hannah Albert Health Occupations St. John Valley Technical Center	Molly Bennett Firefighting Tri County Tech – Dexter	Abigail Crammer Digital Media Foster Tech – Farmington
Eric LaPlante Machine Tool Van Buren Tech	Kobe Saunders Business St. Croix Tech – Calais	Cadence Allen Building Construction Technology Oxford Hills Tech – Norway
Evan Margison Agriculture and Commercial Drivers License Caribou Tech	Dustin Taylor Culinary Arts Coastal Washington Tech – Machias	Wyatt Smith Automotive Technology Region 9 – Mexico
Dane Driscoll Farm Mechanics Presque Isle Tech	Desmond Gonzalez Auto Collision and Composites Waldo County Tech – Waldo	Kristen Little Culinary Arts Lewiston Tech – Lewiston
Timothy “TJ” Fitzpatrick Auto Collision Region Two – Houlton	Wyntyr Herrera Culinary Arts Somerset Tech – Skowhegan	Taylor Dastoli Law Enforcement Lake Region Tech – Naples
Robert Bowker Computer and Networking Systems Sandford Tech – Sanford	Daniel Whitman Mass Media Communication Mid Maine Tech – Waterville	Victoria Hersey Pre-Apprenticeship 21/22 and CNA 20/21 Region 10 – Brunswick
Alyssa Stanley Registered Medical Assistant Region Three – Lincoln	Elias Libby Outdoor Leadership Mid Coast Tech – Rockland	Emily Cheung Biomedical and Health Science PATHS – Portland
Samual T. Meyers Health Occupations – CNA United Technologies – Bangor	Iassc Hayden Electrical Technology Capital Area Tech – Augusta	Dawson Ramsdell Heavy Equipment Operation/CDL (A) Westbrook Tech – Westbrook
Amber Rae Pesek Biomedical Science Hancock County Tech – Ellsworth	Lucas Martin Carpentry Bath Tech – Bath	Grace Sommer Teaching and Early Education Biddeford Tech – Biddeford

Special recognition goes to Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) culinary arts students for food preparation and service, to LRTC mulitmedia technology students for program design, and to Somerset Career and Technical Center (SCTC) digital graphics students for their design of the award certificates.

Thank you to the Maine Administrators of Career & Technical Education (MACTE), the Maine Department of Education, the Maine State Board of Education, and the hard-working educators, students and staff at Maine’s CTE schools!

Two Maine Students Named 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the 58th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.

The Maine scholars include (hometown, scholar, school, location):

ME – Bar Harbor – Sirohi G. Kumar, Mount Desert Island High School, Mount Desert, Maine.
ME – West Gardiner – Brett J. Palmer, Gardiner Area High School, Gardiner, Maine.

“Our 2022 Presidential Scholars represent the best of America, and remind us that when empowered by education, there are no limits to what our young people can achieve,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Today, I join President Biden to celebrate a class of scholars whose pursuit of knowledge, generosity of spirit, and exceptional talents bring our nation tremendous pride. Throughout one of the most trying periods in our nation’s history and amid our recovery from the pandemic, our students have once again demonstrated their strength and that they have so much to contribute to our country. Thanks to them, I know America’s future is bright.”

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.

Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2022 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.

As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education.

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored over 7,900 of the nation’s top-performing students. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

The Presidential Scholars Class of 2022 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.

A complete list of 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars is available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine’s 2022 County Teachers of the Year Announced

Governor Janet Mills, Education Commissioner Pender Makin, Education Leaders Honored the Teachers at the State Capitol

Augusta, ME—Sixteen Maine teachers were announced as 2022 County Teachers of the Year today at a ceremony in the Hall of Flags at the Maine State Capitol Building. Governor Janet Mills joined Education Commissioner Pender Makin, Educate Maine Executive Director Jason Judd, State Board of Education Chair Fern Desjardins, 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova, and Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association Co-President Shana Goodall to announce the new class of County Teachers of the Year.

As part of the Maine Teacher of the Year Program, hundreds of teachers across Maine are nominated by a member of their school community. Through a rigorous application process, one teacher from each county is selected as a County Teacher of the Year by a panel of teachers, principals, and business community members within the county.

“It is a privilege to congratulate Maine’s 2022 County Teachers of the Year,” said Governor Janet Mills. “As the daughter of a long-time public school teacher, I know how hard each of these teachers works every day to make sure our kids have the best shot at success. I am so grateful for all they do for our students, our communities, and our state, and I promise that my Administration will do all we can to support them.”

“It’s such an honor to celebrate these extraordinary teachers and elevate them as true ambassadors for all Maine teachers and the teaching profession,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “These teachers were nominated by students, colleagues, and parents for the difference they make every day in the lives of their students, for their innovation and leadership, and for their commitment to their schools and communities. You are all true heroes, and the Maine Department of Education is so grateful for all you do.”

“We are so proud of the 2022 County Teacher of the Year cohort. They are truly remarkable teachers and we look forward to working with them throughout their year of recognition,” said Educate Maine Executive Director Jason Judd.

2022 County Teachers of the Year:

Androscoggin: Kelsey Boucher, Robert V. Connors Elementary School, Lewiston

Aroostook: Heather Anderson, Caribou Community School, Caribou

Cumberland: Matthew Bernstein, Casco Bay High School, Portland

Franklin: Stacey Augustine, W.G. Mallett School, Farmington

Hancock: Rebecca Edmondson, Conners-Emerson School, Bar Harbor

ademy, Monmouth Hancock: Rebecca Edmondson, Conners-Emerson School, Bar Harbor — Kennebec: Seth Mitchell, Monmouth Memorial School and Monmouth Academy, Monmouth

Knox: Bethany Goding, Prescott Memorial School, Waldoboro

Lincoln: Tracy (Trae) Stover, Wiscasset Elementary School, Wiscasset

Oxford: Ashley Bryant, Sacopee Valley Middle School, Hiram

Penobscot: Emily Albee, Hampden Academy, Hampden

Piscataquis: Nycole McEwen, Milo Elementary School, Milo

Sagadahoc: Kathleen (Katie) Clark, Bath Regional Career and Technical Center, Bath

Somerset: Debra Susi, Maine Central Institute, Pittsfield

Waldo: Nancy Nickerson, Captain Albert W. Stevens School, Belfast

Washington: Alyssa Stephens, Woodland Elementary School, Baileyville

York: Melissa Luetje, Kennebunk High School, Kennebunk

Maine County Teachers of the Year serve as ambassadors for teachers, students, and quality education state-wide throughout the year. The Maine County Teachers of the Year are available to make presentations to local and regional organizations. Throughout the summer, they will continue to participate in an intensive Maine State Teacher of the Year selection process.

The Maine Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year Program is administered through a collaborative partnership with Educate Maine. To learn more about the Teacher of the Year Program visit: https://www.mainetoy.org/. The event was also broadcast live on the Maine Department of Education’s YouTube page.

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Nominations Open for John Lewis Youth Leadership Award

The Maine Secretary of State’s Office will be accepting nominations for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award. The award recognizes one Maine resident, age 25 or younger, who demonstrates leadership abilities, has a passion for social justice, and is improving the quality of life in their community.

The John Lewis Leadership Award is named for the late Congressman John Lewis, who was known for his courageous achievements during the Civil Rights Movement and his long tenure of public service. The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) established this award in February 2021, inviting Secretaries to recognize a gifted, civic-minded young person in their state each year.

Please consider nominating a student or community member. Visit the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award webpage for more information. Submissions are due Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

Nominate an MLTI Educator for the End of Year Expo!

MLTI is launching an End of Year Expo event to celebrate educators and the work they do to support the use of technology in teaching and learning. Are you or someone you know an MLTI educator using technology in fun and innovative ways? Submit an entry to the expo and join us to share these achievements at our exhibition!

The exhibition will take place at the University of Maine in Orono, at the Collins Center for the Arts, on June 25, 2022. All entries will have the opportunity to present at the expo and share their work with other educators. The expo will be free and open to all MLTI educators. Exhibiters will be treated to a luncheon and an awards ceremony after the exhibition to celebrate their exciting use of technology in teaching and learning.

The MLTI End of Year Expo features six categories of recognition. To learn more about these categories, check out this infographic and nominate an educator using this form!

For more information about the MLTI End of Year Expo, check out our website.