The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is committed to expanding career pathways that lead students toward meaningful, in-demand professions. In partnership with the Maine Motor Transport Association (MMTA), the Maine DOE is proud to highlight the “Go. Your Way. Maine” workforce development campaign and Career Exploration Unit, an experiential learning resource designed to introduce students to careers in Maine’s trucking industry.
Maine’s economy depends on the movement of goods and services, and the trucking industry offers a broad range of stable, high-growth career paths that extend far beyond the driver’s seat. This Career Exploration Unit—a mobile, interactive learning experience—allows students to explore career paths such as commercial truck driving, diesel and heavy equipment technology, supply chain and logistics, fleet and safety compliance, and dispatch and operations by bringing career discovery directly to school, community events, and workforce programs. Through this unit, students can:
Commercial truck driving
Diesel and heavy equipment technology
Supply chain and logistics
Fleet and safety compliance
Dispatch and operations
The Career Exploration Unit is a mobile, interactive learning experience that brings career discovery directly to schools, community events, and workforce programs. Inside the unit, students can:
Utilize a simulator to experience commercial truck driving.
Test out a virtual reality forklift operation.
Use a video game to disassemble and repair components of a semi-truck.
Gain insight into training pathways and career progression.
Explore the essential careers that fuel local communities and the national economy.
School administrative units (SAUs) that have partnered with MMTA on Career Exploration Unit events report high levels of student engagement, and learners benefit from the hands-on, real-world career exposure. This effort aligns closely with statewide goals for Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs), workforce preparedness, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and post-secondary planning.
“The MMTA commercial trucking simulation gave our students a hands-on look at one of our state’s vital industries,” Michael Routhier, Brunswick High School Off-Campus Learning Center Teacher, said. “Theengagement and curiosity of students show how powerful real-world learning can be in preparing the next generation for high-demand careers.”
Students from the Brunswick School Department echoed Routhier’s enthusiasm, with many commenting on the realism and challenge of the simulator.
“I learned that it’s a lot harder than it looks to drive a truck,” Brook Hinkley noted.
“I learned that it’s very hard to break a semi and why,” Bella Duval added.
The experience was also personally significant for some students.
“It was meaningful because I got to see what it was like when my dad used to drive a truck,” Hinkley shared.
Other Brunswick students, like Quincy Garrett, said they appreciated the career insight that the experience offered, noting, “It was interesting to learn how much you can make in a year.”
The Maine DOE encourages SAUs to explore opportunities to request a visit from MMTA’s Career Exploration Unit. This unit may be requested for visits to schools serving grades 6-12. Other opportunities include:
Career days and job fairs.
ELO programs.
CTE programs.
Student leadership or workforce development events.
Experiential learning initiatives.
Alternative Education programs.
Adult Education programs.
Colleges and universities.
Early exposure to emerging career fields plays a powerful role in student decision-making, and programs like the “Go. Your Way. Maine” campaign expand student awareness of opportunities that offer financial stability, technical skill-building, and long-term growth.
The “Go. Your Way. Maine” website features information about trucking careers, where to attend trainings, and a grant opportunity for students entering the trucking industry. Through the John Austin Trucking Foundation, MMTA awards up to eight grants per month, each valued at up to $2,000, to support training in trucking careers.
To learn more or request a visit, schools may contact Derek Kennedy, MMTA Industry Image and Marketing Coordinator, at dkennedy@mmta.com or 207-623-4128. You can also visit the MMTA website for further details.
Students at Noble High School with an interest in marine biology are getting their feet wet—sometimes literally—through a brand-new Marine Science Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO).
This year-long program combines field experiences, expert guidance, and reflective learning to connect students with the vibrant coastal ecosystem that shapes the economy and environment of southern Maine. Through the Marine Science ELO, students participate in off-campus field trips, hear from guest speakers, and explore a range of career and educational pathways related to marine science. The ELO provides students with authentic, hands-on exposure to the field, while helping them make real-world connections to what they study in their science classes.
Last week, this group took their learning to the water during a visit to the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Coastal Floating Lab in the Gulf of Maine. Students traveled by boat to Gosport Harbor, near the Isles of Shoals, where UNH marine docents led them through a series of interactive learning stations focused on marine ecosystems and ocean science. Throughout the day, students collected and tested water samples, conducted plankton tows, examined dinoflagellates under microscopes, and learned about navigation and nautical charts. They also got up close with Gulf of Maine sea life—including lobsters, crabs, and sea stars.
One rewarding aspect of the experience was seeing students apply classroom learning to real-world science. Concepts like pH, buoyancy, and density—introduced in Noble’s core science classes—came to life as students tested water quality and discussed the physical properties of the marine environment. ELO Coordinators Liam Danaher and Maddie Smith, who co-lead this group, dependent on student interest, shared that, “[We are] truly looking forward to our next adventure and to witnessing what this group does with the knowledge and passion that they gain through this ELO program.”
Left to right: ELO Coordinators Maddie Smith, who is also a science teacher, and Liam Danaher.
“During my time on the UNH Coastal Floating Lab, I learned about the importance of the Gulf of Maine and its ecosystems,” Braiden Smith, a junior at Noble High School, said. “It was interesting to see how different organisms interact and depend on each other—and how we depend on them, as well.”
“The trip was very fun and engaging,” Conner Trieschmann, also a Noble High School junior, added. “Before we started the stations, we got to relax and explore the boat, which was great. My favorite part was definitely holding the different sea creatures—lobsters, starfish, and more. It made me appreciate how much life is out there beneath the surface.”
As the year continues, students will have additional opportunities to explore the coastal economy, marine research, and ocean stewardship through future trips and projects. The Marine Science ELO at Noble High School is not only building scientific knowledge; it’s inspiring curiosity, career exploration, and a lasting connection to Maine’s coastal environment.
Noble High School is a recipient of the Maine DOE ELO Expansion grant 2.0, which started in 2025 to expand ELOs in Maine. For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities, please visit the Maine DOE ELO webpage or contact Lana Sawyer, Maine DOE ELO Coordinator, at lana.sawyer@maine.gov.
In the middle of downtown Belfast, a new space has opened its doors. It is made for teenagers, by teenagers and is aptly named the Belfast Teen Center. In a time when it has become increasingly difficult for young people to find a safe, welcoming place to hang out, this is a rare and vital resource: a community hub where teens can gather after school.
The idea grew from conversations at Belfast Area High School. Nadejda Stancioff, a school social worker, recalled how a handful of students experiencing homelessness described feeling isolated in their individual experiences. She asked if they would be interested in getting together as a group, and they agreed to that idea. That small gathering quickly helped the teenagers to feel less alone. This group went on to serve as an advisory board for But Still I Am One, a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering young adults who are experiencing homelessness in Waldo County.
The students had plenty of ideas for how to better support youth like themselves, but one issue stood out above the rest: the need for a space to gather. They pointed to a critical gap in their day—the hours between school dismissal and bedtime when many had nowhere to go. Their vision was simple but powerful; they wanted a space within walking distance from school where teenagers could hang out, do homework, charge their phones, and grab a snack or a hot meal. The space would not be limited to teens experiencing homelessness; it would be open to anyone who wanted a place to go.
One of the students in this group pitched the idea as an Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) project—a center for teenagers that she called, “Freely You.” In this ELO, this student conducted community organizing, event planning, and marketing, culminating in a trial run consisting of a one-night event that she organized and hosted. Her vision quickly gained traction; what began as a student-led ELO grew into a full-fledged community project.
“I think it’s so important that this is a project that grew organically from student efforts. Kids had the ideas, and a few adults got interested and took the idea seriously,” Solomon Heifets, the Belfast ELO Coordinator, said. “Then, a few more adults and a few more students got involved, and it has very quickly snowballed into a true community collaboration.”
Stancioff said she imagines the Belfast Teen Center as a one-stop shop—always staffed by caring adults—where teenagers can find toiletries, food, warm clothes, and other essentials. For Stancioff, the project feels energizing and full of possibility. Her focus is on ensuring that it is sustainable.
Stancioff shared that a lot of the inspiration for the Belfast Teen Center came from The Landing Place in Rockland, a resource hub that also began in response to community need. The Landing Place provides transitional housing for youth from 18 to 25 years old and offers essentials like free clothing and food.
“I’m excited about having a similar space in Belfast; something that can be a true resource hub,” Stancioff said. “For example, when a student needed a backpack, I called the Belfast Teen Center, and they had one right there in their care closet.”
Much of the center’s momentum has come from community support. In the spring of 2025, a group of students, school staff, and local residents began meeting biweekly to form the Teen Center Board, which includes community members like Chris Battaglia, co-owner of Torchlight Media, who offered the use of his downtown studio as the center’s physical home, and Janet Proulx, a member of First Baptist Church in Belfast, who helped to coordinate volunteers from her congregation to provide regular hot meals for visiting teenagers. Other community members, namely Barbara Gage and Neva Allen, offered to operate under the umbrella of But Still I Am One, while working to incorporate the center as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Sarah Carey, an interior designer, volunteered her time to work with several groups of students to design the center. Once she had gathered all of their input, she ordered and donated furniture based on their suggestions.
“There are nice people, and it’s safe,” Caleb Curtis-Dufresne, a junior at Belfast Area High School, said about the center.
In Belfast, teenagers have not had a dedicated space of their own since The Game Loft closed in February of 2025. While the Belfast Free Library and Waldo County YMCA remain welcoming, neither space was created specifically for teenagers. At the Belfast Teen Center, two adults are always present to ensure safety and support—but the center itself belongs to the teenagers. They decide how it functions, what activities take place, and how it grows.
The center provides consistent support—warm meals, basic resources, and caring adults who show up—creating a hub where youth feel comfortable and free to be themselves. Edward “Orange” Newcombe, a sophomore at Belfast Area High School, described it as “a place where you can be open, and you can be yourself.”
“It’s important because it’s a place where you can be free from responsibility, and it makes it easy to relax because it’s a dedicated space to just relax,” Ash Richards, a senior in the area, shared about the center.
The Belfast Teen Center’s open house, held on June 10, was well attended by families, students, and community members. Torchlight Media partnered with students to make a short promotional video for the open house. This fall, the center formally opened on Wednesdays from 2-6 p.m., with the goal to expand hours in future years.
Anna Walker, the center’s director, emphasized the importance of listening closely to teenagers’ ideas, as they plan themed nights like “Pizza and Puzzles” or watercolor painting sessions.
“The goal is to create a place that’s safe, welcoming, and truly designed for teens,” Walker explained. “It’s somewhere they can just show up as they are, have a meal, and know they’re supported.”
Looking ahead, Walker said she envisions a sustainable, youth-led community hub at the heart of Belfast, where every teenager feels resourced, supported, and inspired.
“We want it to be more than just a hangout,” Walker said about the center. “It should be a cozy, creative space where teenagers feel empowered to shape their own experiences, build confidence, and discover new possibilities.”
Over time, Walker and her colleagues hope that the Belfast Teen Center will grow into a permanent downtown home, consistent and innovative, woven into the fabric of the community, ensuring that teens remain a priority in Belfast for generations to come.
The community is invited to stop by the Belfast Teen Center on Wednesdays between 2 and 6 p.m. Anyone interested in connecting with or supporting the center can contact Anna Walker directly at thebelfastteencenter@gmail.com.
Belfast Area High School was an awardee of Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan grants, which started in 2022 and supported 26 programs across Maine, covering 13 counties, as well as the Maine DOE ELO Expansion grant 2.0, which started in 2025. For more information about ELOs, visit the Maine DOE website or contact Maine DOE ELO Coordinator Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov.
Additionally, every Maine school administrative unit (SAU) has a McKinney-Vento liaison who supports students who are experiencing homelessness. For questions about McKinney-Vento rights and services, please contact Maine DOE McKinney-Vento Specialist Signe Lynch at signe.lynch@maine.gov or find your local liaison using the Maine McKinney-Vento Contact Lookup.
This summer, 20 ambitious students from Portland, Deering, and Westbrook High Schools did something extraordinary: They started training to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) before even entering their junior or senior years.
As part of a new summer program hosted at Portland High School, through the Extended Learning Opportunities program run by Andrea Levinsky, students dove headfirst into the world of healthcare, balancing rigorous academics with hands-on clinical experience to earn their CNA certification. This program, which came out of a pilot last year with Fallbrook Commons (formerly Saint Joseph’s Rehabilitation and Residence), offers students a head start on a meaningful, high-demand career path while they’re still in high school—and it’s already changing lives.
This unique initiative opens real-world opportunities to students, simultaneously fostering a deep sense of purpose and professional direction. Twenty students took part in this cohort, but not all of them will go on to become CNAs immediately. Eleven are participating in the clinical state exam on September 3 to become certified. Others want to take the class again to gain a greater understanding before doing the clinical. This program allows for that flexibility.
None of this would be possible without an incredible network of community supporters:
Portland Adult Education generously provided access to their medical lab, giving students a real-world training environment, and also provided guidance about how to set up a CNA program.
Maine Veterans’ Homes served as the clinical site, offering students invaluable hands-on experience with patients.
MEMIC, Maine C3, Martin’s Point, and the Maine Community Foundation helped to fund this program, ensuring accessibility for all participants.
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center donated essential equipment—including stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs—to outfit the next generation of healthcare professionals.
The “Make It Happen” staff at Deering and Portland High Schools helped to identify students who would be a good fit for the program.
At a time when healthcare systems are facing critical workforce shortages, programs like this not only empower students; they strengthen entire communities. By jump-starting healthcare careers early, students gain confidence, skills, and a head start toward roles in nursing, medicine, and beyond.
With its first summer class a resounding success, this pioneering CNA program is expected to grow. Community members and educators alike have already set up funding for next year to continue to provide early access to healthcare careers, diverse representation in medicine, and tangible pathways to success for Maine students.
To the new CNAs from Portland, Deering, and Westbrook: Your journey has just begun—and Maine’s future is brighter because of you.
This story was written in collaboration with Portland Public Schools.To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.
Pictured (left to right): John Post, Kameron King, Danica Wooster, Kay Fearon, and Arnold Bulley.
At the core of teaching is a central question: How can we ensure that every student gets the best education possible? This was the theme of the Maine Department of Education’s Inclusive Education Conference, focused on supporting students with disabilities throughout their pre-K-12 schooling and into meaningful adult lives.
Held at the Augusta Civic Center, the conference provided an opportunity for attendees to sit in on a variety of panels and workshops, centered around some key questions: How can we rethink classroom spaces to make them more accessible to students who are receiving special education services? How can we rework individualized education plans (IEPs) to ensure inclusion across all settings? How can we ensure that students with disabilities have the same opportunities in school as other students?
One such panel was on the topic of “Dignity of Risk for Students with Disabilities.” The panelists included a variety of people from different backgrounds, including educators, employers, employment specialists, and a young employee with lived experience, each offering valuable perspectives on how risk impacts the development and success of students with disabilities.
Liam Danaher, ELO Coordinator at Noble High School, discusses the dignity of risk and supporting students in their journey with career exploration.
Janet May, Coordinator of Transition and Adults at the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, opened the discussion asking panelists, “What is dignity of risk?” Each panelist responded with varying perspectives on the discussion; however, a common thread emerged: Students should be allowed to take risks, make mistakes, and fail, because it is often in that moment of failure that people truly grow. Panelist John Post, a vocational rehabilitation counselor said, “It is okay to have a negative impact from a risk. What’s important is to learn how to come back from it.”
Each panelist shared their own experiences, encouraging students to embrace manageable risks. Kamron King, who works in an apprenticeship program for high-skilled labor jobs, shared that starting out in the program was tough, but being allowed to fail helped him to grow. Danica Wooster, a Student Support Specialist at the Mid-Coast School of Technology, is a woman working in a male-dominated field. She emphasized the importance of pushing yourself and learning from personal challenges; Arnold Bulley, a Human Resources and Safety Manager at Shiretown Solutions in Houlton, noted that he always sets goals for students to help them grow, letting them take risks. Liam Danaher, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at Noble High School, recalled his six-year-old son learning how to mountain bike with the mantra, “No risk, no reward.”
The panel went on to address many other questions about the balance between growth and support. In the end, it was a productive conversation about how to tackle these delicate and necessary challenges.
Another panel question involved striking the right balance between providing necessary support, while still allowing for the dignity of risk and personal growth. As discussed by Wooster and Danaher, this balance is rooted in the belief that meaningful learning and growth happen through experience, especially through mistakes. The support should be individualized and dynamic, adapting to each student’s needs. King’s experience further emphasized this. He talked about how his vocational rehabilitation counselor supported him in his journey to becoming a welder at a shipyard, which, with many ups and downs, demonstrates how support helps individuals to flourish.
Bulley added, “To me, a balanced support means pulling back on those parents and job coaches and employment specialists in order to let a person learn and grow.”
Ultimately, balancing support with risk is about building a toolkit that, as Kay Fearon, Diversified Occupations Instructor at Portland Arts and Technology High School described, helps students to adapt and find their own ways of achieving success, even in the face of limitations and challenges.
Conference panelists emphasized that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about guiding students to recognize their strengths, confront their fears, and know that setbacks are part of the path to confidence, independence, and personal fulfillment.
For both employers and individuals alike, inclusive workplaces are essential. When people with disabilities and other diverse backgrounds are fully included, organizations across industries unlock greater potential—for their teams, individual employees, and the broader workforce.
This article was written by Vagni Das, a rising senior at Yarmouth High School. As part of her extended learning experience, she is working as an intern at the Maine DOE.
For the first time, the Maine Department of Education Extended Learning Opportunities team is hosting two students to participate in its own extended learning opportunity (ELO). These interns are funded through the Maine Career Exploration Program, and both are earning credit at their respective schools. They will be helping the Maine DOE to spread the good news of exciting developments in ELOs throughout the state, honing their communication and writing skills, and learning about their local state government.
Vagni Das is a junior at Yarmouth High School. She was born in India and has lived in Maine for seven years and in America for 15. In school, Vagni especially likes learning about history and science. Apart from her regular courses, she enjoys doing theater, Model UN, and debate. In her free time, she loves watching movies and singing. Vagni is so excited to be working at the Maine DOE as an intern/ELO student!
Olivia Haralson, a senior at Brunswick High School, will be attending New York University in the fall to major in Film and Television. She is excited to write articles through the Maine DOE about ELO programs at high schools statewide. In her free time, Olivia enjoys filmmaking, thrifting, and writing.
As part of their internship, Vagni and Olivia are starting a collaborative project: producing an ELO “storybook” that will feature student profiles and serve as a resource for those interested in seeing the diverse ELO opportunities that students have completed throughout the state. Vagni and Olivia are inviting any school, ELO Coordinator, and other ELO students to share their ELO experience via this short survey.
Vagni and Olivia are also working on independent projects. For example, Vagni and Olivia—both from Midcoast Maine—wrote articles about ELO programs in Washington County, shining a light on the powerful ELO work happening in rural regions. In late May, Olivia will practice her filming and interviewing skills at Vagni’s high school ELO showcase, featuring the work of Yarmouth High School’s ELO students. Last month, Vagni participated in the Maine DOE’s Inclusive Education Conference at the Augusta Civic Center
Vagni Das visits the Hall of Flags at the Statehouse
To learn more about ELOs, or for questions regarding the ELO storybook, please contact Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov. To learn more about implementing a paid, meaningful work opportunity through the Maine Career Exploration Program, please contact Karen Morin at karen.morin@maine.gov.
(Pictured: Youth at the DownEast Teen Leadership Camp.)
Thanks to an Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Expansion grant from the Maine Department of Education (DOE), Healthy Acadia is working to provide more ELO opportunities to young people in Washington County in a variety of ways.
Last July, forty-three teenagers from Downeast Maine enjoyed Healthy Acadia’s 2024 DownEast Teen Leadership Camp (DETLC), a weeklong overnight summer camp experience at the Cobscook Institute in Trescott. DETLC is primarily a camp for youth, led by youth. The program challenges and empowers youth by providing them with the skills necessary to be leaders and workers in their communities.
The program begins months before the actual summer camp experience in January, when a youth advisory team takes the lead in planning the camp’s activities, ensuring that campers have a say in shaping their own experiences. This unique approach allows for the camp to feel personalized, as activities and discussions are specifically designed to reflect the interests of the participants.
Throughout the week, campers engage in various activities to promote leadership, community bonding, and holding space for healthy discussions. Students participate in workshops sponsored by regional and statewide businesses and organizations, as well as other physical team-building exercises that further build self-confidence and community. These immersive activities help campers to explore new interests, push their comfort zones, and form lasting connections.
“One of my favorite parts of camp as a youth staff member is the family groups,” Naomi Eyerman, DETLC 2024 Student Staff Media and Arts Coordinator, shared. “It’s great to get to know campers on a more personal level. Family groups really foster connections and are safe spaces where campers can have fun, as well as open up and get deep. DETLC overall has so many unique experiences that make camp truly memorable.”
Family group time plays an important role in the overall philosophy and structure of DETLC. Through Community Sessions and Mini-Workshops, students begin to develop an awareness of relationships, coping skills and issues with substances and other sensitive topics. Family Group is a place to question, discuss, and put into practice what campers learn in the community sessions and mini-workshops. This can be done by questioning and discussing workshop content, relating issues to their personal lives, sharing thoughts and feelings, practicing life skills, and building on their self-esteem.
ELO coordinator Corrie Hunkler, who works for Healthy Acadia, spearheaded DETLC. In her recent endeavors, Hunkler has also worked with the Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology (CWCIT) and Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) to further her work with ELOs in Washington County and the surrounding areas.
Hunkler is helping to create tangible pathways for students to explore their interests and career aspirations. This hands-on support is reflected in the 53 students she has helped to engage in meaningful work opportunities, such as coordinating the Washington County Leadership Challenge, which allows students, teachers, and civic leaders to collaborate to formulate plans and create goals to address relevant local civic issues; and group trips like the Maine Youth Leadership Conference, which brings eight students to Augusta, providing workshops and guest speakers to help participants learn valuable leadership skills.
Through programs like these, ELOs continue to open doors for young people in the region. The Early Childhood Education program at CWCIT has embedded ELOs into its Wednesday class time, for example, ensuring that even more students are introduced to these vital opportunities—and that those opportunities remain accessible to all students in the region.
Students at the Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology.
“We don’t have classes on gender studies; we don’t have classes on environmental science; and so it’s [ELOs] allowing kids who maybe have an interest or passion to be able to do what they’re interested in, and I think that’s so important,” Hunkler said. “This work is just so key in places that don’t have as much access to things.”
Corrie Hunkler presents on ELOs at the Youth Development Summit held at Washington County Community College on April 29, 2025.
These efforts are integral to broadening the horizons of students in Maine who may otherwise lack the resources and opportunities to explore their passions. Providing these pathways for personal and academic growth is vital for creating a more inclusive and empowered future generation, especially in rural communities like those in Washington County.
Students at Maine Youth Action Network.
To view a short clip of ELOs in Washington County and to learn more about Healthy Acadia and its ELO community support, contact Corrie Hunkler at corrie.hunkler@healthyacadia.org.
For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities, contact Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov. Healthy Acadia was an awardee of Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan grants, starting in 2022, that supported 26 programs across Maine, covering 13 counties.
(Pictured: East Grand School Student Emily Pride at the Danforth Town Hall, where she interned and completed an eight-hour new clerk training, certifying her to handle registrations and essential paperwork for the town)
The East Grand School’s Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) program is cultivating diverse business partnerships, enhancing students’ career development, and community engagement in the Danforth area.
“It’s hard to put into words the growth that is observed in students throughout the ELO process. The confidence gained as these students navigate the working world is huge!” Angela Cowger, East Grand School ELO Coordinator, said.
Many of the East Grand School students participating in the ELO program have displayed growth in several different areas. Cowger said she has observed improvement in their personal responsibility and work skills, such as students showing up for work on time, taking ownership of their schedules, and communicating with their ELO employer/mentor. She said she also sees growth in students’ social skills, including improvement in interpersonal skills and increased confidence. Additionally, students have gained hands-on, real-world knowledge about their chosen, specific career pathway, as well as an increased understanding of how businesses operate in general.
Collaborations have included local organizations in and around Danforth, and as far as Houlton and Calais, such as East Grand School’s maintenance and after-school programs, Maple Lane Family Child Care, Knight’s Yankee Grocer, CCA Auto, Canoe the Wild, the Snow Farm, and Modern Beauty. Students have also been placed in ELOs with Stair Welding RL Inc. in Hodgdon, the Aroostook County Action Program, Houlton Regional Hospital, and Serendipity Embroidery & Design. East Grand collaborates with Washington County Community College, too, to expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
ELO and career prep students have broadened their professional perspectives through field trips, including to Washington County Community College, Louisiana-Pacific Building Solutions, and a job fair at Northern Maine Community College, which featured more than 70 employers in Presque Isle. The program has hosted several guest speakers and local business leaders from institutions and sectors, such as the Maine Guide Service, health care, and outdoor recreation.
While the Danforth program has successfully established these partnerships, geographic challenges remain. The nearest automotive service center is 34 miles away in Houlton, posing a transportation barrier for students without a driver’s license. East Grand Schools, however, has used some of the funding received through a Maine Department of Education (DOE) ELO Expansion grant to address these transportation barriers. Through that effort, five students have since completed driver’s education and obtained their permits and are now working toward their licenses.
Cowger has also been instrumental in removing barriers for her students. The East Grand School ELO program has a van, which allows her to transport students. Additionally, the Region Two School of Applied Technology program has generously provided a few East Grand-region students the opportunity to be dropped off at work sites near their bus routes, which has allowed for a few of these ELO students to be placed in Houlton. The geographic remoteness will continue to be a challenge, as jobs and resources are limited in the East Grand area, but the school continues to adapt and think outside of the box.
One notable success story is that of Emily Pride, who moved to East Grand School during the final months of her sophomore year. She was unsure of what she wanted to do after high school, so she enrolled in a Career Exploration ELO. She completed coursework and job shadows in real estate, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and a local daycare. Her exploration led to an internship at the Danforth Livable Community Center, where she assisted with organization, scheduling, meal preparation, and administrative duties at the town office. Pride also completed an eight-hour new clerk training, certifying her to handle registrations and essential paperwork for the town.
Pride’s dedication led to a summer job offer from the town office, an opportunity she said she viewed as a valuable learning experience that gave her insight into local governance and inspired her to consider pursuing a career in this field.
“With the knowledge I have gained from all these opportunities, I am able to apply them to my future!” Pride said.
This spring marks an exciting advancement for the East Grand School ELO program with the completion of a new business innovation center at the school. Funded by a Maine DOE Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) grant, the center features a business learning lab designed for ELO and career preparation classes. This initiative supports the school’s decade-long effort to promote a small business pathway. Students have utilized the space for career preparation classes and ELO projects. The goal is for students to develop and execute business plans and use the lab as a launchpad for entrepreneurial endeavors.
Recently, an ELO student, with the help of a mentor graphic design artist, used the lab to create an art studio.
The business innovation center is now a hub for East Grand School’s small business pathway, which includes four dual-credit college courses and 8th- and 10th-grade career preparation classes. These classes include components such as personal finance, cooking and other life skills, entrepreneurial guest speakers, career exploration, and other curricula. These developments represent significant strides in preparing East Grand students for their future careers and fostering individual growth and community engagement.
Eighth-grade students participate in a career preparation class.
East Grand School was a 2022 awardee of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) ELO grants, which supported 26 programs across Maine, covering 13 counties. This year, East Grand received a Maine DOE grant to further ELO expansion by establishing a “Missing Jobs Pathway.” This new pathway helps students to identify in-demand jobs/businesses that are missing in their community and supports them in developing the skills to meet the demand and remain in their home community.
Since its launch in the fall of 2022, the Maine Career Exploration Program (MCEP) has connected more than 6,000 participants with paid work experiences. With funding from the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, this program offers opportunities for Maine’s youth, ages 16-24.
These are a couple of student highlights from the report.
Ryan | From feeling uncertain and worried to confident and clear
Oceanside High School, Knox County – Work Experience Placement: Blake Vets
When the principal offered Ryan, then a rising senior at Oceanside High School, the choice of a fourth-period study hall or an internship class, Ryan picked the class.
“I asked him about it,” Ryan recalled, “And he told me a little bit about it, and I was like, ‘I want to do this. This sounds really cool.’ I was worried, because it was my senior year, and I had no idea what I was going to do.”
Now, he knows.
The class led Ryan to Blake Vets in Northport, where he found that his natural affinity for animals was a key asset.
“I have a big connection to animals,” he explained. “I always have. I love all types of animals. I just feel like a strength that I brought is my compassion and care when it comes to pets and people, as well. People are very happy seeing their pets warm up to me.”
Ryan’s love of pets also created challenges. It made him care — a lot — about doing things right during his internship at the practice. That created pressure when things went wrong.
“A skill that I learned was how to manage high-stress scenarios,” Ryan said when explaining why one picture he took showed a dog upside down on a table. The dog in the photo had woken up before surgery began and had to be anesthetized again. “There are so many things that can go wrong during the preparation for surgery.”
Ryan recalled when he witnessed a pet reacting with fear during a necessary procedure.
“I had to remind myself that this is helping the animal, even if they’re scared and they’re angry. Reminding myself, and the people that were around me, helped me get through this.”
The professionals at the practice encouraged him, as he learned about the realities of healing pets.
“Having a doctor who has been a veterinarian for years and years tell you that she sees that you can also become one — it meant a lot to me,” he said.
Ryan has been accepted into the University of Maine at Augusta veterinary technician program. The vets he interned with assured him that, if he applies for a job after he graduates, they’ll give him preferential consideration. He has also lined up work for the summer at an animal shelter.
“With the internship and with Molly [my ELO Coordinator] and with all the connections that I’ve made, it has just further cemented the fact that I want to be this, even after seeing the good and the bad,” Ryan said.
His confidence blossomed, too. When asked to identify the most important lesson he took from his ELO placement, Ryan replied, “How to speak for myself.”
He explained that before this experience, “I was just kind of like, ‘I’m fine. I’m doing good. I’m okay with everything,’ even if I wasn’t entirely sure I was. I’m a lot more independent, and I say what I want and how I feel a lot more now.”
Ryan added: “There are so many things that I also want to talk about on top of this – like how I’ve truly opened up and become a more social person during this period of this year. At the beginning of the year, I was very reserved. I didn’t say much about me; I didn’t talk that much. I’ve really started to open up and show who I am as a person, and those are a couple things that I’ve just learned throughout the year.”
The internship and the class, he said, helped him find his way.
“When it comes to normal classes, it’s like, you learn something, you remember it, you do a test on it. It’s just a linear path,” Ryan said. “When it comes to ELO, it’s like, some days … if you’re not feeling it, you don’t have to do something, and if you want and you’re willing to, you can grow so much in the span of just a little bit.”
Ryan also explained: “You have to put in energy to get as much out of this as you want to. This ELO and everything, it’s a lot more oriented toward you, and the path of growth is dependent on what you decide it to be.”
“Something that I connected with and that helped me, like a resource, was just seeing the help that … these people have done to animals like this. This is a rescue cat that was found on the side of the road with a broken leg. They give her all the support and love that she needed, and she’s very happy right now. This is her reaching — I was rubbing her as much as I could through the bars. This is me starting to walk away and she tries to get more. Just seeing how lives are impacted, not just animals but people’s lives … with this really helped.” – Ryan
“This is Dr. McGill, one of the doctors who was at Blake Vets for the four or five times that I visited. She and I really connected. She told me that I have the skill that I was born with, like, to connect with animals. … She supported me as soon as she met me. She was excited to hear all about me, what I planned to do, what I wanted to do there. She listened to that, and she gave me help in doing what I wanted to do.” – Ryan
Natalie | A river of connection, communication, and growth
Yarmouth High School, Cumberland County – Work Experience Placements: Wabanaki First Nations, Royal River Conservation Trust
“The reason you start your ELO does not define your ELO,” noted Natalie. “I started this for fun to learn a language because I was bored with the Romance languages in school. Then it turned into something so much more.”
Natalie’s first ELO placement led to a river of experiences that connected the Yarmouth High School student with her heritage, transformed her into a passionate communicator, and introduced her to a bevy of community organizations that welcomed her into their work.
“I’m more naturally quiet, so it’s kind of weird to be, like, this leader, this big public figure that apparently people like to consider me now,” she said.
Recently selected by the Portland Press Herald as one of the top ten graduates to watch in the state of Maine, Natalie has been accepted at Dartmouth College.
“I know, realistically, I probably wouldn’t have gotten in without all of the stuff I’ve done, but also … It shifted my life goals,” she said of the ELO program.
“I’m a Maliseet Native American from Tobique First Nation, but I’ve lived here my whole life,” Natalie explained. “I started my ELO as a thing investigating my language and my culture with Imelda Perley, who is my mentor. … She’s an amazing person. She basically started the whole language conservation program at the University of New Brunswick [and is] just a really inspiring person.”
Perley, a Maliseet elder, met with Natalie every week.
“Having that personal connection to so many people on the reservation up in New Brunswick and having the opportunity to meet with Perley every single week is something I wouldn’t have gotten to do if I was a different person,” Natalie said. “My grandmother grew up on the reservation, but none of the rest of my family really did. Since she went to residential school, she didn’t want her oldest children to have to go to it as well, so she moved to New York. So, it’s not something that my part of the family has been really connected to in a while.”
Impressed with Natalie’s work, her ELO Coordinator talked about her during a meeting of an equity task force that included some members from YCARE, the Yarmouth Community Alliance for Racial Equity. Some of its members attended Natalie’s ELO presentation and invited her and her parents to join them. The meetings were held at the headquarters of the Royal River Conservation Trust, which eventually offered Natalie a paid internship, her second ELO.
While her first ELO connected Natalie with her Native American heritage and extended members of her own family, her second taught her how to share that indigenous knowledge and history back out, leading hikes along the Royal River with new mentors the trust introduced her to — experts in ethnobotany — and working with kids and nature.
“Luckily, it’s a situation where everyone is interested in learning,” Natalie said of the hikes she and her mentors led. “It’s not like they’re forced to be there. So, it was a very welcoming community, but it was still talking in front of people that I didn’t know, or at least, didn’t know very well. [It was] pretty much unlike anything I’ve ever done before. It was definitely a learning curve.”
Natalie already was working on one Royal River project through YCARE. That group’s effort to formally give a Penobscot name to what is locally called First Falls brought Natalie’s linguistic knowledge into play and taught her some hard lessons about bureaucracy. Although the waterfall didn’t have a legal name, applying one required buy-in from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Penobscot Nation, and the town, and the project raised historical language issues that led Natalie to seek guidance from Perley.
“The fact that simple things can be such a pain anyway — even if they don’t necessarily need to be, they find a way to be,” Natalie said with a smile. “I guess messing with bureaucracy is something I’ve had to do. That’s more of a challenge than a skill at this point. [I’m] still working on that.”
Through her work with the Royal River Conservation Trust, Natalie learned of the Royal River Alliance and got involved with its dam removal effort. She spoke about their progress at the alliance’s World Fish Migration Day at Royal River Park in May. Other activities have included being on a panel for Youth and Climate Action and participating in monthly Wabanaki youth group meetings in Freeport.
Natalie said that her Native American heritage was the most important thing she brought to the ELO program. It provided unique opportunities for growth and connection that, in turn, fostered a desire to share what she was learning.
“Having that inspiration and that history I guess makes me much more passionate about the project and the kind of stuff that I’m doing. … I think it gives me more interest in doing it than a lot of other people — more reason to, more motivation.”
Her heritage also influenced how she learned.
“I’d say I used a couple of random Google searches and a couple of books that were my grandmother’s or that people have recommended to me, but for the most part it has just been talking with people,” Natalie explained. “We have a very strong oral tradition in general, so those are kind of the biggest ways in which I’ve actually learned anything.”
When asked whether her ELO experiences have affected her future path, Natalie said, “I think this is probably the most influential thing I’ve ever done. … I would say it’s hard for me to picture what my life would be like right now if I hadn’t done it because it has been so integral to what I’ve been doing. It has changed both what I’ve been able to do in the future and what I want to do in the future because linguistics and Native American stuff is so much more important than I expected it to be. … It’s something that I really want to make a part of my future no matter what I end up doing.”
“The majority of these are from some hikes I’ve led with the Royal River Conservation Trust, which is where I’m doing my internship… It’s definitely something that I would say I’ve gotten a lot better at. I think part of that is just practice but also being in an environment like this where people want to be there and want to hear what I have to say.” – Natalie “I guess they represent something more important than just pictures. … I’m not doing it for credit. I’m doing it because it’s something that needs to be done, and it’s something that’s important. It’s actually making an impact on the world, not just on me but on the community. These pictures are just representative of the ways this has helped me help other people, and I think that’s something that’s just really important, especially nowadays.” – Natalie
To learn more about the Maine Career Exploration Program, please reach out to Karen Morin at karen.morin@maine.gov. For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities, please reach out to Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov.
(Pictured: Scarborough High School students participated in the Portland High School Extended Learning Opportunities CNA program.)
A new after-school program has given Portland-area students the opportunity to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), thanks to a partnership between Portland High School Extended Learning Opportunities, Fallbrook Commons (formerly Saint Joseph’s Rehabilitation and Residence), and the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine.
At age 16, Portland High School students can earn their CNA certificate through Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS), the local Career and Technical Education (CTE) center. For years, however, these students have expressed interest in having that same opportunity through a class that takes place after school. This is the first program to meet that request.
Many high school students already work part-time, after-school jobs – often not in fields related to the career they hope to pursue. This program changes that trajectory, helping to strengthen the current healthcare workforce and allowing high school students to jump-start their healthcare careers and gain valuable experience.
Between the 2024 spring and summer sessions, this program graduated 25 fully-licensed CNAs, directly addressing the healthcare workforce shortage in Maine. Saytun Abdullahi, a junior who took the classes, says she has been interested in becoming a CNA since her freshman year.
“I liked how informative our teacher is,” Abdullahi said of the program. “She would go over something in class several times just to prepare us for the test.”
Abdullahi currently works as a CNA at Maine Medical Center.
“The class gave me a lot of understanding on how the healthcare field works, what CNAs do, and how they are helpful to the healthcare field,” Abdullahi expressed.
The after-school program also welcomes students from the surrounding area. Joel Rogers, a Portland High School alum and administrator at Fallbrook Commons, designed the class based on previous success he had working with adult multilingual learners in CNA programs. In addition to funding the teachers and materials, Fallbrook Commons paid the students to participate in this class and is committed to making the program as accessible as possible. The Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine hosted the class.
“This program could be a model for other similar programs throughout the state and has the potential to make a great impact,” Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at Portland High School, said.
This program took students 170 hours to complete, and Levinsky and her colleagues are currently in the process of planning the next class.
To learn more about this program, or if you are a provider interested in supporting the next session, please reach out to Andrea Levinsky at levina@portlandschools.org. For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities, please reach out to Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov.
Scarborough High School students participated in the Portland High School Extended Learning Opportunities CNA program.
Maine DOE Newsroom 