Telstar High School ELO Program Connect Students with Post-Secondary Goals and Opportunities

At Telstar High School, Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinator Carrie Lynch helps students engage in authentic, self-directed educational experiences that support their career aspirations. Her work in the ELO program also supports the curriculum development and implementation of 7Peaks, Telstar’s Career Education program along with classroom-based group experiences that can help shape deeper interest in particular subject areas.

“By meeting one-on-one with students, as well as with small groups, the goal is to connect students with local employment or internship opportunities that support their post-secondary goals,” said Lynch.

So far, the program has had some great successes with students. During the course of this year, Lynch has helped place six seniors in internships ranging from working with the District Attorney’s Office in Norway, to Field Electric in Fryeburg, to the National Wildlife Refuge at Lake Umbagog. This fall, she took a small group of 12th graders to York County Community College (YCCC). After touring the campus, one student, in particular, became so excited about the YCCC’s Vet Tech program that she applied to the school the next day. Also, two other students on that trip have now matriculated at YCCC for the fall of 2023.

“Taking visits to colleges is both beneficial and helpful to my post-secondary planning,” said one of the students on the trip. “I get to see where I could possibly be living for the next few years, or cross one off the list!”

Lynch says Telstar’s ELO program has also organized trips in support of science and history classes and career development programs in conjunction with the River Fund and Sunday River. Additionally, all 11th graders have participated in 20-hour job shadows in the community and will start 1-1 meetings to customize schedules and plans for next year.

“The best part of my day is working with students,” said Lynch. “Whether taking a group of students to visit a never-before-seen work site or college to guiding a student in developing a local internship, helping students realize–and become excited about–their post-secondary options is what this program is all about. In the future, I hope that an internship experience will become the norm for most of our students.”

Lynch and Telstar High School would like to extend a big thank you to Rural Aspirations for all they have done to support the work of their ELO program.

Media Release: Maine Department of Education Awards $900,000 in RREV Funding to Support Education Innovation

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) today awarded an additional $900,000 in Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) funding to support education innovation at Rose M Gaffney Elementary School in Machias, Upper Kennebec Valley Jr/Sr High School, North Haven Community School, RSU 10 schools, Union 103 schools, and Trenton Elementary School. These federal funds will be used to invest in strategies to engage students through outdoor learning, extended learning opportunities, and creating multiple education pathways.

RREV investments now total $8.5 million to 45 awardees. The Maine DOE was awarded $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models Funding. As one of 11 States to receive funding, Maine created RREV to support the work of visionary educators to develop innovative pilot programs around remote and outside of the classroom learning, including professional development and pilot design classes. Courses in innovative design process are available through several of Maine’s public and private universities at no cost to Maine educators who wish to participate. In addition to the innovative pilot development classes, the Department is also offering asynchronous, innovative principles webinars which are available to all educators in self-paced, independent modules.

“We are going to be creating kits that teachers can grab and go and take to their outdoor learning space. The kits provide engaging activities to supplement classroom learning. Our goal is to increase the amount of outdoor learning happening at school so that we will see happier kids, kids who are more focused and engaged, and kids who appreciate and respect the environment around us. We’re eager to build a large collection of kits that will be fun and engaging,” said Rose M Gaffney Elementary School 5^th Grade Teacher Kelly Woodward.

“Caring for honeybees has the potential to deepen our students’ connection with nature and drive their passion for making positive changes for their future and the future of our planet. It also has the potential to build a unique partnership with the community that will help build engagement. We believe that this pilot program, using an apiary and partnering with the Western Maine Beekeepers Association, will have a positive impact on attendance, engagement, and wellbeing for our 4^th and 5^th graders,” said RSU 10 teacher Maggie Corlett.

“We are using our RREV pilot to step up our programming on outdoor education, wildlife studies, and agricultural studies. We will use these funds to heat our greenhouse so that our egg studies can continue in the greenhouse year-round, we’re establishing a property use agreement with a local nonprofit ski mountain so that our outdoor studies class will have access to a satellite campus and 50 acres of wilderness to explore, and we will purchase boats and equipment for our wildlife studies program,” said Upper Kennebec Valley Jr/Sr High School Principal James Tyler.

“Our purpose was to spark innovation with our students and provide engaging and inspirational opportunities where they can take ownership of their learning. We built off a lot of programs we already have going and wanted to make them even more engaging and available to all of our students. Students will get to see a new greenhouse where they can watch their projects literally grow from seed to product and be able to work them into recipes in a kitchen and sell to their own community members. We will also have a trail built around the school where students can create products and have opportunities for community members to come and participate as part of the school,” said Jonesport-Beals High School Co-Teacher Leader & English Teacher Becky Coffin.

“We have a makerspace building on our school’s campus and we want to transform that into a lifelong learning hub for our k-12 students to use during the day and bring in adults from our community for classes at night. We have an hour and fifteen-minute ferry ride to get here so we have to do a lot for ourselves. We have to train and uplift from within at the grassroots level. Our RREV grant is going to support this lifelong learning hub to work with our town administration to diversify our workforce and help prepare young people and adults for the different kinds of work and professions that we need,” said North Haven Community School Principal Shaun Johnson.

“We named our initiative TREE—Trenton Rethinking Experiential Education—and it’s a k-8 initiative to get our kids outside learning in the community, not just on our school property. We want to think about how all of our students get their needs met want to increase independence, peer relationships, self-awareness, and kids overall mental health,” said Trenton Elementary School teacher Snow Ross.

Schools will use this funding in a variety of innovative ways, including:

Rose M Gaffney Elementary School in Machias will create and implement pre-k through 8^th grade outdoor education lessons. These lessons will provide learners with the opportunity to use the trail system behind the school and materials to continue their classroom learning in an outdoor setting. The school’s team observed that academic work in an outdoor setting helped learners to be more engaged, happy and focused. By increasing the amount of outdoor learning, students will be supported in their social and emotional growth. RREV funding will be used to create kits with engaging activities for educators to use in an outdoor learning environment and the school will work alongside community partners such as Downeast Coastal Conservancy to implement the lessons.
Upper Kennebec Valley Jr/Sr High School will grow their innovative outdoor-based education program to increase student engagement and better prepare students for their lives after high school. By participating in the program, students will develop and exercise a host of skills including problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, marketing, salesmanship, and financial management. Valley Outdoors will partner with Baker Mountain, a community non-profit, to ensure all students in grades 5-12 have access to nature-based learning opportunities. Under the guidance of teaching staff, students will be able to use the base lodge and over 50 acres of trails and wooded land at Baker Mountain to engage in project-based learning activities. In addition, the school will scale up current greenhouse operations, expand hands-on project offerings, and develop water exploration and research activities for our wildlife studies program. The SAU anticipates 100% of the student body will be able to engage in at least one integrated unit of study.
North Haven Community School will partner with their town administration to support their efforts of economic diversification and workforce development, chiefly in response to the impending impacts of climate change and sea level rise on the long-term viability of the fishing and lobstering industry. In coordination with the community, North Haven Community School will develop programming to support lifelong learning outcomes for both K-12 and adult learners, housed in their auxiliary classroom space dubbed the “Projects Building.”
RSU 10 will pilot a program to support students struggling with adverse childhood experiences. The work will provide strategies to enhance engagement, improve attendance, foster resilience skills, and promote positive behaviors. Meroby Elementary and Mountain Valley Middle School will team up to develop and expand The MV Bee Academy in the RSU#10 School District. A bee apiary and storage facility will be built to provide the infrastructure needed for beekeeping experiences. 4th and 5th-grade students will work closely with a local bee club. As their knowledge base grows, these children will mentor other grade levels and share their knowledge with community members. To maintain the sustainability of this program, students will develop a small business. In it, they will sell queen bees, honey, wax products, and other bee-related items.
Union 103 schools will support creative opportunities and innovative practices for students and teachers at all of their schools. All students and staff will have access to a new greenhouse which will foster creativity and learning through aquaponics and aquaculture. With an outdoor lab, students will also take part in a space dedicated to learning in ways not yet offered inside the four walls of a classroom, such as a native pollinator garden, raised beds, and fruit trees. A new learning lab with access to a multipurpose classroom will provide a much-needed creative and innovative space for students. This space will provide students and teachers with flexibility to help spark creativity and experiential learning as they continue to foster initiatives throughout the year with involvement in marine science activities with Downeast Institute and author visits each year. All students will also have the opportunity to explore a new walking path and outdoor learning trail around Beals Elementary School.
Trenton Elementary School’s TREE-Trenton’s Rethinking Experiential Education is a K-8 initiative that embeds outdoor learning into a child’s school experience that increases independence, peer relationships, self-awareness, and overall mental health. The school will integrate therapeutic services, STEM based learning, and outdoor collaborative experiential learning into the student experiences. They will use field work and place-based learning in the living world in each child’s school day. Students will participate in engaging, outdoor experiences that will help them to build social connections and increase their self-esteem while reconnecting with our natural world. The aim is to increase student attendance, engagement, and self-regulatory skills.

The RREV initiative was also granted a no-cost-extension year, meaning that all 45 pilots will have an extra year to utilize their available funding for their innovative pilots.

For more information on RREV and the pilots, visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/rrev.

Interviews are available with RREV grant recipients upon request as well as the recording of the announcement featuring RREV grant recipients discussing their projects.

Sacopee Valley High School ELO Coordinator Making a Big Impact on Students’ Career Paths

“The best part of my day is working directly with my students,” said Elizabeth Sanborn, Sacopee Valley High School’s Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinator. “It is a lot of fun helping them discover their interests and then create opportunities for them to explore careers.”

Sanborn is invigorated by the students’ excitement and commitment to their experiences with extended learning opportunities. The new initiative also helps reinvigorate schooling and reconnect the students, the school, and the community, especially following the health restrictions that felt like they separated schools and communities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of Sanborn’s recent successes include helping a student make a connection with a local tattoo artist to learn more about the career, including how to run a successful business. Another one of her students got the opportunity to interview several registered Maine guides and is currently studying for his own test in the spring. “He attended a three-day training class back in January and sent in for his Maine guide license just last week,” said Sanborn.

Here are some more student success stories, directly from students:

“I decided to do an ELO to make connections in the law field before going to college for law next year,” explains Abigail Sanborn, a Sacopee Valley senior. “This past semester I was partnered with a local civil law firm, where I went twice a week for an hour. I got to participate in simple drafting of documents, acting as a witness for estate planning, and got to interview several clerks, judges, and lawyers. During this second part of the year I am doing day trips to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s where I’m job shadowing different prosecutors. I am also exploring other avenues of law by doing ride-alongs; I wasn’t expecting to like police work, but that is what ELO’s are for. It’s an experimental opportunity for students to determine what they like and don’t like. Mrs. Sanborn has been a huge part in helping me find these opportunities and is always willing to find you experiences that you may not think of!”

“My ELO journey has been sort of complicated, but Mrs. Sanborn has been the best at getting me where I want to be,” said Elise Hermance, an 11th grader at Sacopee Valley High School. “I started off knowing I wanted to be a dog trainer and breeder. I sat in on a few classes up in Conway, NH. I came back to Mrs. Sanborn after going around three times and told her that this wasn’t for me. I know I want to do something with animals, but I am not sure that dog training is for me. I then did a job shadow at the Sacopee Valley Veterinary Clinic with a vet tech and it was so fun. They were all so nice to me. Now I am applying for a volunteer position at the Animal Rescue League of Greater Portland. I am so excited to have this opportunity in my life. Not just the job shadowing and knowing what I want and don’t want to do but the fact that I have learned so many different skills. I know how to reach out to people that I don’t know. None of this could be possible without Mrs. Sanborn!”

“It is amazing to be able to help a student fulfill a lifelong dream that they weren’t sure how to navigate before Sacopee Valley High School had this program at our school,” said Sanborn.

Sanborn has started to make some great connections with area businesses and hopes to continue that work throughout the year. “We have a lot of industry professionals who are excited to work with our students, and it really will be a win-win situation for all involved,” she added.

Sanborn would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Chris Parent at Sacopee Valley Family Dentistry, Bonnie Gould of Heritage Law, Tasha Berouty at Hallow Point Tattoo, and Wendy McGary and Ashley Blanchard at Sacopee Valley Elementary School, just to name a few!

Student Opportunity: Data Science Exploration Night

Educate Maine’s Maine Career Catalyst and Project Login are excited to partner with IDEXX on Tuesday, March 28th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, to host a Data Science Exploration Night at their Westbrook campus!

This FREE networking event is open to current high school or college students, interns, and young professionals who are interested in learning more about a career in data science in a variety of sectors. The evening includes appetizers, networking opportunities, and a short panel with data science professionals.

Maine Regional Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Workshops

Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) is hosting three upcoming opportunities to learn about Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) in Maine. JMG Coaches will be available and presenting to participants during the workshop along with Maine Department of Education ELO Specialist, Rick Wilson.

“I am proud to be a part of their work and respect their team approach,” said Wilson. “This collaboration is transformative for Maine schools, teachers, students, and communities. Empowering learners and changing lives!”

March 27th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – UMaine Orono
March 28th, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Augusta Civic Center
April 3rd, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland

Register here

Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) are hands-on, credit-bearing courses outside of the traditional classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration. These opportunities are personalized for students and help them explore options for their professional lives. They help students engage in learning through instruction, assignments, and experiential learning. The Maine Department of Education (DOE), along with state-wide partner Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), have made a concerted effort to provide working models, support, and funding opportunities for Maine schools to set up ELO programs within their school communities. To learn more about Maine’s initiatives with extended learning opportunities, visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/learning/elo or reach out to Maine DOE ELO Coordinator Rick Wilson at rick.wilson@maine.gov.

How East Grand School is Helping to Prepare the Next Generation of Maine’s Workforce

As the Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinator for East Grand School (RSU 84), Angela Cowger works with students to create meaningful experiences for students that build a long-lasting framework for the school’s ELO program.

“We are bringing awareness to students, parents, teachers, businesses, and community leaders about what ELOs are as well as working with them to provide varied, high-quality ELOs to students,” said Cowger. “Our goal is to develop an integrated, sustainable, and effective ELO program with a focus on career exploration, meaningful paid work experience, and work readiness skills that prepare students to be the next generation of innovators and small business leaders.”

Cowger says the best part of her day-to-day work is definitely the time she spends with the students. “It is rewarding to see students’ sense of pride and accomplishment when contributing to a community project, work placement, or other hands-on learning,” she said. “The growth and learning students gain from these ELO experiences are exceptional.”

Some recent successes include the experience of East Grand senior Phoebe Foss who is working on an ELO with the local town office on the Danforth Livable Community Program project. She is helping get the program off the ground, by coordinating and providing technology, social, nutrition, and other services. Phoebe is helping to facilitate these services as well as bring awareness about the program to social media and other local communication sources so the community can benefit from the much-needed opportunities and resources for its aging population.

Another student, Alan Emery is gaining hands-on experience and a more in-depth understanding of what it means to become a registered Maine guide, which he aspires to become after high school graduation. Alan recently participated in a week-long trip at a remote northern Maine wall tent moose hunting camp where his chores included working with two camp cooks with meal preparation, serving, and cleanup, fetching water daily from a stream for washing dishes and for hot showers, collecting and cutting firewood to use in the camp wood stoves in the dining and sleeping tents. He also assisted with breaking down camp and packing it away.

“Having Alan involved with our remote Maine moose camp not only provided great exposure and training but also opened the door to future possible employment for him,” said local businessman and registered Maine Guide Dave Conley of Canoe The Wild, who mentored Alan during the experience. “This training was invaluable and something that can’t be learned in a classroom.”

East Grand School is currently in the process of designing and implementing a k-12 Small Business Pathway, connecting Career and Life Readiness, Economics, and Guiding Principle standards at each grade level. The ELO program helps them launch the grades 9-12 work readiness portion of the Small Business Pathway.

“We are looking forward to working with local businesses to further students’ work readiness and entrepreneurial skills, as well as helping students collaborate with community leaders to solve community challenges,” said Cowger.

Cowger also says they already have several business leaders and community partners to thank, including Kiley Henderson at County Physical Therapy, Dave Conley at Canoe The Wild Maine Guide Service, Ardis Brown at the Danforth town office, David Apgar at the Snow Farm, and Sam Henderson and Greg Miller at Northern Maine Realty.

“These businesses and their leaders have been fantastic to work with and we are so thankful for them,” added Cowger. “We have received several optimistic responses as well as offers to connect with students in the future from local businesses. The support has been very positive! We are looking forward to many successful partnerships in the future.”

Belfast Area High School ELO Program Sparks Student Interest in Community Jobs

Belfast Area High School in RSU 71 began implementing an Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) program at the beginning of the school year, and so far, they already have 15 students starting out at a variety of places throughout the community – a veterinary hospital, the fire department, a hair salon, the police department, and the county District Attorney’s office to name a few.

For ELO Coordinator Solomon Heifets, this feat has been one of the biggest success stories in and of itself – just getting the program up and running and getting students connected out into the community.

More recently, Heifets and one of his students experienced one of the best things yet when it comes to extended learning opportunities. As part of an internship set up with the local veterinary hospital, Heifets, the student intern, one of the doctors, and the office manager had a check-in meeting.

“I could hardly imagine a more glowing review,” said Heifets. “The doctor and office manager are thrilled about their intern and are going out of their way to provide her with the best learning experiences they can – teaching her surgical techniques, how to do lab work, how to explain things to the pet owners, and how to manage an office. They are even coaching our student as she works on her college applications,” he added. This type of day-to-day work with students and community members is one of the best parts of the job for Heifets.

Another component of Belfast’s ELO Program is a final project that every student completes. The final project applies what students have learned in an authentic way.

“I feel like this is actually helping me figure out what I want to do with my life, and showing me that I have a lot of options,” said ELO student Kara Richards.

Looking toward, Belfast Area High School is planning a college and career fair and expects to have more than 30 presenters attend. Heifets says that many of the career presenters are also interested in recruiting interns and employees, and he is looking forward to the many ways in which the event will help expand their ELO program.

“As more and more students and community members get engaged with this program, I can already see some big project ideas emerging, and I look forward to the positive impact we will make in our community,” said Heifets.

Belfast Area High School and RSU 71 extend a huge thank you to the following local businesses and organizations: Little River Vet, Belfast Fire Department, Belfast Water District, Waldo County District Attorney’s Office, The Penobscot Marine Museum, and all of the people who have opened their doors and hearts to their students.

Anyone interested in hosting a student intern can contact Solomon Heifets at sheifets@rsu71.org or (207)213-7932.

Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) are hands-on, credit-bearing courses outside of the traditional classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration. These opportunities are personalized for students and help them explore options for their professional lives. They help students engage in learning through instruction, assignments, and experiential learning. The Maine Department of Education (DOE), along with state-wide partner Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), have made a concerted effort to provide working models, support, and funding opportunities for Maine schools to set up ELO programs within their school communities. To learn more about Maine’s initiatives with extended learning opportunities, visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/learning/elo or reach out to Maine DOE ELO Coordinator Rick Wilson at rick.wilson@maine.gov.

RSU 13 Extended Learning Coordinator Creates Student-centered and Enriching Experiences for Oceanside High School Students

“Students are at the core of every move I make, and we create these internship experiences together,” said Molly Staples, Oceanside High School ELO Coordinator. “We treat every challenge as a learning experience and the students are able to dabble in real-world challenges.”

The best part of Molly’s day is hearing about students’ experiences at their internships. “I’m always wanting to unpack their time and hear how it made them feel,” she said. “I also love working through challenges.”

Realizing that oftentimes students don’t really want to make mistakes, Molly works hard to break down that fear of doing things wrong. She does this by encouraging students to test things out and experiment with how to work out a situation and to not be afraid of trying something and if that didn’t work out, then try something else.

“I’m most proud of the diversity in our program,” said Molly. She and others at RSU 13 have created a range of different opportunities for students which all may look a bit different depending on what the student’s needs are. Where some ELOs may be a chance to connect with someone via email, on a video call, or attend a community meeting, other opportunities are more traditional experiences like job shadowing and full internships. It all depends on what the students’ goals dictate. “This allows for lots of wiggle room and time to segue to new experiences,” explains Molly. “It allows students the opportunity to say, ’that isn’t what I want to do,’ and pivot to a new avenue without consequence.”

Here are what a few students from the program had to say about their ELO experiences:

“It definitely impacted me. The stuff I’m working with really gives me a lot to think about.”

“I am really overall enjoying the internship and the work I do.”

“Being at the shelter working with animals takes my mind off of everything else letting me fully focus.”

“I absolutely loved it. I learned so much and I really enjoyed it.”

Here are a couple of parent comments:

“I am so proud of her and excited that she has this opportunity!”

“This program is so neat!”

Looking ahead, Molly is working on expanding the program to allow students to be able to stay on for a second semester to elevate their work in career exploration.

In celebrating the success of the Oceanside High School ELO program, Molly and the RSU 13 school community would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the following community partners who have helped make this all possible: Schooner Bay Taxi, Penobscot Island Air, Somebody Loves Me Bridal, Habitat for Humanity, City of Rockland, Dream Local, Hybrid Fitness, Adventure Advertising, Carleton Investment Properties, Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Miller Turnery Co, Pitch, Flanagan Rec Center, Pope Memorial Humane Society, Officer Bagley and Rockland PD, Gerald Weinand, Architect, Penobscot Bay YMCA, Kim Young, Thomaston Grammar School, New Hope Midcoast, Jesse Rutter, Emily Philbrook, and SO many more!

“I am incredibly excited to see how receptive our local businesses and organizations have been to work with our students,” said Steffany Tribou, RSU 13 Assistant Superintendent. “We are merely building the foundation of this project, and in this work, we are seeing the great potential that it has for our students. There are great possibilities on the horizon for students in the Midcoast.”

To learn more about the RSU 13 ELO program visit their Facebook page.

Windham/Raymond ELO Coordinator Uses ‘Outside the Box’ Thinking to Connect Students to Opportunities in the Community

For RSU 14 Director of Community Connections & Windham High School (WHS) ELO Coordinator Lorraine Glowczak, the best part of her job is working with students. “A very close ‘second’ best part of my day is all the new people I get to meet throughout the state through my community outreach,” she added.

Although extended learning opportunities (a.k.a. ELOs) were officially implemented at WHS during this school year, Glowczak has been working with the Windham/Raymond community for quite some time as the school administrative unit’s (SAU) Community Connections Director engaging with community members and businesses to increase student educational opportunities and support school-related needs. As part of this work, she also carefully collaborates with multiple stakeholders within the SAU and school community, including administration, teachers, counselors, and parents.

“Although available for the whole district, my office is located at Windham High School, where I meet with high school students, assisting them in completing capstone project requirements,” said Glowczak. “I also act as an Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) Coordinator for the high school, coordinating credit-based educational opportunities outside the traditional classroom for students through various methods, including internships, job shadows, and mentorships.”

Glowczak enjoys collaborating with educators and business leaders in both her roles.

“Just as importantly, and what I believe emerges as a benefit, is the ‘thinking outside the box’ creative innovation that is required to make it all happen,” she said. “This, I believe, is a win-win for all and a must for the best education possible.”

This year alone, she has helped coordinate opportunities for students to work in the yacht, filmmaking, civil engineering, architectural engineering, and publishing industries since taking on the ELO coordinator role.

One of those success stories was RSU 14 student, Greta Paulding who took an internship in Civil Engineering with the Town of Windham’s Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). “When I started this job, I wanted to be a civil engineer,” said Paulding Glowczak. “That career path still interests me, but I realized that the in-depth engineering side of things, the math, and physics of a project, is less interesting to me than the big picture.” Pauling has since shifted her career focus to civil architecture, which focuses on building design. “The knowledge I gained helped me to sharpen my view of my future and set my sights on a career I can use to make a difference in my town and beyond,” Paulding added. WEDC Executive Director Tom Bartell was exceptionally pleased with Paulding’s work and offered her a part-time job that continues today.

Another online ELO success story at WHS, is a student who has some training and interest as an electrician and was recently accepted as a paid intern for Sabre Yachts in Raymond. “The student and the business are working together to see if this internship can turn into a full-time job as an electrician upon graduation from high school. So far, it looks very promising,” said Glowczak.

Looking to the future, Glowczak says their ELO program hopes to be able to expand the number of industry options for students to broaden their experiences and career horizons. One strong possibility is paid internships as a lifeguard with the Bureau of Parks and Recreation with the potential to offer students credit. Being able to offer credit-bearing paid internships would be an exciting expansion to RSU 16’s ELO Program.

Glowczak extends a special thanks to the following community partners who have helped with the success of their ELO program thus far: Sabre Yachts of Raymond, Delano Architecture of Saco, The Windham Eagle Newspaper of Windham, Voices of Hope and Dave Packem of Scarborough, Fluky Fiction, a publishing company based out of Rockland, and Windham Economic Development Corporation of the Town of Windham.

Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) are hands-on, credit-bearing courses outside of the traditional classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration. These opportunities are personalized for students and help them explore options for their professional lives. They help students engage in learning through instruction, assignments, and experiential learning. The Maine Department of Education (DOE), along with state-wide partner Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), have made a concerted effort to provide working models, support, and funding opportunities for Maine schools to set up ELO programs within their school communities. To learn more about Maine’s initiatives with extended learning opportunities, visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/learning/elo or reach out to Maine DOE ELO Coordinator Rick Wilson at rick.wilson@maine.gov.

New Extended Learning Position at Noble High School Connects Student with Dream Job

Lynn Kovitch is new to her role as Noble High School’s Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinator. Thus far, she has spent a lot of her time building relationships with local businesses, organizations, and individuals in the community.

In addition to her research and leg work, Kovitch co-leads an ELO Class serving Noble High School’s Multiple Pathways Alternative School housed within the building where they are finding ways to engage students outside of the classroom. “I continue to meet new students, learn about their interests and place them in job shadows, paid work, and internships,” she said. As part of that process, she helps students with job applications and resumes and has conversations about post-secondary options including arranging career and college visits, as well as scheduling and bringing students to volunteer in the community.

“Now that we have a dedicated staff role to help our students find opportunities outside of the classroom, it feels like we are suddenly able to do more, and ideas we had are becoming a reality,” said a teacher from Noble High School Multiple Pathways Alternative School.

In describing a recent success, Kovitch explained that Noble High School has worked with a junior that applied and did not get into vocational school for the Automotive Program. After sharing his interest in working with his hands and learning anything about cars, Kovitch worked to find him a placement at a local garage. She went with him for an informal interview at a small garage this fall and the owner offered the student a job.

“He came up to me during the school day, looked me in the eyes, and thanked me. He gets to build a relationship with the shop owner, learn more about working in the automotive industry, and get the hands-on experience he had hoped for,” explained Kovitch. “This was one of the first of a handful of ‘work-study’ ELO’s and has motivated me greatly to continue helping students find placements- especially for those who did not get a spot in the vocational program.” Noble High School has students placed in many businesses in the area, including in childcare, welding, autobody and cosmetology.

Kovich goes on to explain that moments like these are the perfect example of why she loves her job so much. When students thank her for helping them locate opportunities outside of school that engages them in their passions and interests. “Seeing students genuinely excited to pursue their interest while building their confidence about their future and the many things they are capable of!”

Kovitch says that looking forward, Noble High School plans to grow its group ELO offerings next semester in addition to expanding its ability to transport students. She said they are also working on partnering with local organizations like Cooking Matters and Junior Achievement Maine to offer more life skills like financial literacy, cooking and budgeting in group ELO’s. This is all of course in addition to her continued efforts to match students with local businesses as she has worked so hard to do in the first half of the school year.

“We are excited to keep expanding our program as I settle into the role and get to know the community better,” she said.

Kovich extends a special thanks to some of their new community partners: Berwick Early Learning Center, Cabana Salon and Tanning, True Enterprises, Cabana’s Auto Body, Greater Works Land Trust, Riverside Farm and Another Chance Animal Shelter & Second Hand.

Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) are hands-on, credit-bearing courses outside of the traditional classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration. These opportunities are personalized for students and help them explore options for their professional lives. They help students engage in learning through instruction, assignments, and experiential learning. The Maine Department of Education (DOE), along with state-wide partner Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG), have made a concerted effort to provide working models, support, and funding opportunities for Maine schools to set up ELO programs within their school communities. To learn more about Maine’s initiatives with extended learning opportunities, visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/learning/elo or reach out to Maine DOE ELO Coordinator Rick Wilson at rick.wilson@maine.gov.