Regional Conversations for McKinney-Vento Liaisons and Organizations

Join the Maine Department of Education for in-person Spring 2024 regional conversations for McKinney-Vento liaisons and organizations. During these meetings, participants will:

Hear updates on federal, state, and local policies and resources for students and families who are homeless or have unstable
Learn how to increase your school and district’s capacity to support
Hear strategies to address human trafficking impacting Maine students and families from Hailey Virusso and Celine Guedj, Preble Street.
Brainstorm solution-oriented strategies affecting youth in your school and
Network with colleagues from other schools and organizations in your

Dates and times for schools and organizations in your region!

Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
University of Southern Maine-Lewiston Auburn – 51 Westminster St, Lewiston
Tuesday, March 12 – 9:00 – 11:30 am
Aroostook County
ME Department of Labor – 66 Spruce Street, Presque Isle
Thursday, March 21 – 9:00 -11:30 am
Mid Coast, Kennebec & Somerset Counties
Burton M. Cross Office Building – 111 Sewall Street, Augusta – Room 103 A&B
Thursday, April 25 – 9:00 -11:30 am
Penobscot & Piscataquis Counties
Wings for Children and Families, 900 Hammond St, #915, Bangor
Wednesday, March 20 – 8:05 – 10:30 am
Washington & Hancock Counties
Maine DHHS Regional Office – 38 Prescott Drive, Machias
Wednesday, March 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 pm
Washington & Hancock Counties
Maine DHHS Regional Office – 38 Prescott Drive, Machias
Wednesday, March 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 pm
York & Cumberland Counties
People’s Choice Credit Union – 23 Industrial Park Road, Saco
Tuesday, April 30 – 9:30 am -12:00 pm

No cost to participants ~ Registration is required. Click here to register here for the regional meeting you want to attend!

For More Information Contact:
Signe Lynch, Interim McKinney-Vento State Coordinator at signe.lynch@maine.gov or Susan Lieberman, ARP Homeless Children and Youth Consultant at susan.lieberman88@gmail.com.

ARP funds received from the USDOE support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $795,000 dollars of which 100% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the USDOE or the U.S. Government.

Seeking Educators to Join the Maine Solutionaries Project

Students currently in Maine classrooms will graduate into a world filled with complex, interrelated challenges. Maine educators need access to innovative tools to foster students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills and equip learners with the skills needed to analyze and address multifaceted issues. To ensure that Maine educators have what they need, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Innovative Teaching and Learning is collaborating with the Institute of Humane Education (IHE). Together, both teams are excited to offer Maine’s educators a unique opportunity to delve into professional learning centered around IHE’s Solutionary Framework and Solutionary Micro-credential Program, as well as access to other customized instructional resources.

The partnership between IHE and the Maine DOE seeks to inspire and support educators to cultivate a generation of Solutionaries, change makers capable of effectively addressing and resolving real-world problems. The expanded Maine Solutionaries Project will provide high quality cohort-based professional learning opportunities for teachers to learn how to facilitate inquiry-to-action projects with their students and make available resources to support real-world, transdisciplinary, project-based learning.

“I am so delighted that we have this opportunity to partner with the Maine Department of Education to bring the Solutionary Framework to teachers and students throughout Maine” says Zoe Weil, IHE’s co-founder and president and author of the book used in the course, The World Becomes What We Teach.

The Maine DOE believes it is important for students to develop the agency, optimism, and skills they need to address problems they care about in their schools and communities. Solutionary teaching and learning is a highly engaging flexible approach to improving students’ knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Use this Maine Solutionaries Project registration link to sign up for this exciting project.

Interested in learning more? The Maine DOE and IHE are scheduling two informational webinars for educators.

Wed March 6 3:30-4:30 https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jBR-2FQzRS6TchfaCdsEZQ

Tuesday March 12 3:30-4:30 https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6zCY94ZNTGCjhBQBS6Tdjg

During the webinars you will be able to:

Learn more about the Maine Solutionaries Project
Preview the Solutionary Framework, a flexible process to guide inquiry to action projects
Find out how you can participate in one of the cohorts focused on topics like Climate Change, Food Waste, Plastics Pollution and Water Quality.
Discover the ability to earn educator stipends and additional funding to support Solutionary student projects

The Maine DOE utilized federal emergency relief funding to offer this program to Maine educators.

For questions related to the Maine Solutionaries Project, please contact Kathy Bertini, Interdisciplinary Instruction Team Coordinator, Office of Teaching and Learning/Innovation, at kathy.bertini@maine.gov.

AmeriCorps NCCC’s Summer of Service Program

Volunteer Maine (Maine Commissioner for Community Service) shares that AmeriCorps NCCC has announced that its “Summer of Service” program is returning this year. This shorter summer session returns with projects focused on climate mitigation, affordable housing, and the option to serve where the need is greatest.

Deploy to Aurora, Colo., or Vinton, Iowa, for three months of training and service. Program benefits include food, lodging, a modest living allowance, uniforms, and program-related travel expenses are all covered by AmeriCorps NCCC. In addition, members will receive a post-service education award.

Explore Summer of Service opportunities here (PDF) or visit the AmeriCorps Summer of Service website.

For more information about volunteer opportunities in Maine visit Volunteer Maine’s website.

InnovatED: Igniting Innovation in Education

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) MOOSE team and the Interdisciplinary Instruction team are excited to announce a FREE virtual workshop day with John Spencer, Katie Novak, and Lynn Cuccaro on March 28th. This day-long workshop will feature morning keynotes from all three speakers and your choice of a two-hour afternoon breakout session with either John, Katie, or Lynn.

Sign up here to be part of the virtual workshop. Limited spots may become available for in-person workshops at the Senator Inn in Augusta. If you are interested in this, sign up for the virtual workshop and indicate whether you would be interested in participating in person in Augusta if the opportunity were available.

Descriptions of keynotes and workshops are available on the workshop web page. For further information reach out to

This opportunity is a collaboration between the Maine Online Open-Source Education (MOOSE) project and the Interdisciplinary Instruction Team. The MOOSE project is funded entirely (100%) through Federal money under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) totaling $4,598,000 for the current 2023-2024 funding cycle.

Monthly School Facilities Office Hours Now Available

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of School Facilities is pleased to offer Office Hours for those superintendents who are interested in submitting Major Capital School Construction applications. Sessions are intended to provide a time for questions and answers regarding the recently released application.

Office Hours will be held on the first weekday of the month from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Join the School Facilities Office Hours here.
Meeting ID: 811 4021 2680
Passcode: 27239338

For more information, contact Scott Brown, Director of School Construction at scott.brown@maine.gov.

Webinar: Asking the Right Questions

The “Asking the Right Questions” webinar will review methods and resources focused on the art of framing questions for the best possible student growth. The webinar will offer practical classroom methods and approaches for all grades–from pre-K to high school–that are supported by current research and instructor experiences. It will also include a host of useful resources readily available for teacher use, and end with a Q&A session where participants can explore concepts further, offer their own experiences, and exchange ideas.

When: Thursday, February 29, 04:00 PM – 05:00 PM
How: Register here
Additional Info: Continuing Education credits will be offered.

We hope you will join us for this informative and engaging webinar. For more information reach out to Maine DOE Humanities Teacher Fellowship Team – James St. Pierre James.St.Pierre.@maine.gov and Dorie Tripp Dorie.Tripp@maine.gov.

Asynchronous Course: Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique

In February, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team celebrates the love of the question by hosting a course called Question, Reflect, Repeat: Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique. In collaboration with the Right Question Institute, the Maine DOE is hosting a three-week asynchronous course on the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). The QFT is a questioning strategy that:

Facilitates student curiosity and engagement
Helps students build confidence to ask questions and become empowered to seek answers
Improves student questions that support deeper learning
Improves the skills and strategies students need beyond the classroom

Some of the Learning Goals for this course are:

Understand the what, how, and why behind the QFT
Identify best practices for effective ways to design, facilitate, and adapt the QFT for specific purposes, including interdisciplinary and conceptual learning
Create, revise, and implement a plan for using the QFT in your own setting

On February 29th, the asynchronous portion of the course begins as we leap into the love of questions. On March 5th, there is a Zoom kick-off webinar from 3:30-4:30pm. The live webinar is an active, collaborative, experiential learning experience that lays important groundwork for the rest of the course. If possible, please arrange to attend live. If this is not feasible, the webinar will be recorded and available 24 hours after.

Intended Audience: PK-12 Teachers & Administrators
When: February 29-March 28; March 5th – a live webinar from 3:30-4:30
Where: Maine DOE EnGiNE Platform; one Zoom webinar
Contact Hours: 12 contact hours available upon completion
How: Click here to register.

For more information on this course, please contact Jaime Beal, Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist at jaime.beal@maine.gov

Maine Curriculum Leaders Association to Host Spring Conference in April

Join the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association (MCLA) for a spring conference, “From Obstacles to Opportunities: The Power of Learning!”

The conference features keynote speaker Trevor Ragan, the founder of The Learner Lab, along with various discussions on three key areas as leaders:

Why learning matters
Identifying the individual and group obstacles that can limit learning
Development and exploring the tools to help us overcome these obstacles

In the afternoon the conference will host a series of roundtable discussions focused on various topics including multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), literacy, growth mindset, and more!

MCLA Spring Conference: From Obstacles to Opportunities: The Power of Learning
April 8, 2024
Hilton Garden Inn Freeport
Learn more and register here

For further questions, reach out to MCLA at information@mainecla.org.

Webinar: Becoming a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment or an Orientation and Mobility Specialist

Please join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education, Education Services for Blind and Visually Impaired Children, and Catholic Charities Maine for a joint presentation about how to become a teacher of students with visual impairments or an orientation and mobility specialist.

Do you have a Bachelor’s Degree? Would you like a free Master’s degree? Do you enjoy working with children? Do you like variety in your job settings and enjoy travel? Are you looking to expand your professional skills? If you answered yes to these questions…

Please join us for a webinar to learn more about becoming a teacher of students with visual impairment or an orientation and mobility specialist.

Tuesday, January 30th
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Held virtually via Zoom – Register here

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This webinar will be recorded for you to view at your convenience.

For additional information or questions please contact Amanda Castner at amanda.castner@maine.gov.

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