Category: Funding

Computer Science Professional Development Grant Application

The Maine Department of Education is thrilled to announce the release of the Computer Science Professional Development Grant Application! 

Maine’s 130th legislature, through a bill sponsored by Senator Pouliot, created a pilot grant program to provide funding for high-quality, teacher-developed or teacher-led professional development for PK-12 computer science pedagogy and content.  

Priority will be given to applicants that: 

  • Do not currently offer computer science learning opportunities; 
  • Serve socioeconomically disadvantaged school districts; 
  • Prioritize student populations traditionally underrepresented in computer science; 
  • Demonstrate a commitment to pursuing high-quality educator professional development that emphasizes integration of computer science into other course work and curricula or establishes or expands access to courses that offer college credit and other certificates of value, or both; and 
  • Collaborate or partner with other entities, including but not limited to other local education agencies, the business community, nonprofit organizations and private entities. 

The Fall application window opens Friday October 8th, 2021 and closes November 5th, 2021. Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. All applicants will be notified of their application status within two weeks of the application deadline.  

There is no limit to the grant amount awarded per applicant; however, funds will be dispersed equitably across all applications based on county and throughout PK-12. There is a total of $25,000 available for this grant in the Fall. 

A Spring application window will become available in January 2022. A minimum of $25,000 will be available in the Spring. 

Have questions? Want to learn more? We are hosting three informational sessions, October18th, October 25th, and November 1st. 

Interested in applying? Check out our website to register for an informational session, learn more about the grant, and submit an application: https://maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/computerscience/grant

Need assistance applying? contact Emma-Marie Banks, Computer Science Specialist & Secondary Digital Learning Specialist emma-marie.banks@maine.gov 

National Board Salary Supplement and Scholarship Information FY22

National Board Certified Teacher Salary Supplement Request Due October 15, 2021

Do you have National Board Certified Teachers on your staff? Awesome! We are sending along a reminder to those fortunate superintendents, or directors of a publicly-supported secondary school or Career and Technical Education (CTE) region, with eligible staff who have attained National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification prior to July 1, 2021. Please let us know so we can provide you with their legislatively allocated salary supplement!

In order to qualify for the salary supplement, eligible staff must be currently employed by a Maine public school, or by a publicly-supported secondary school or CTE region in Maine. Eligible position titles include classroom teacher, special education teacher, literacy specialist, math specialist, long-term substitute teacher, library media specialist, school counselor, and teaching principals who have attained certification with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization.

The amount of the salary supplement for fiscal year 2021-22 is $5000 for teachers employed in a school in which 50% + students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch, and $3000 for teachers employed in a school in which fewer than 50% of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch, unless proration is necessary.

The submission form and further information is available on our National Board Certification Salary Supplement page: https://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/cert/nationalstandards/salary

National Board Scholarship Applications Due October 31, 2021

Are you a Maine public school, or a publicly-supported secondary school, or CTE school teacher who is interested in becoming National Board Certified? Are you a district who is eager to offer this exceptional professional learning opportunity to your teachers?  State law, 20-A MRSA Section 13013-A subsection 5 & 6; as amended by PL 2012 c. 702, established the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund to encourage teachers to apply to, and enroll in, the certification program offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization.

A school administrative unit, or a publicly supported secondary school or CTE region, may request scholarship funds on behalf of its teachers who meet the requirements.

In fiscal year 2021-22, Maine DOE will allocate $75,000 to the scholarship fund, and shall award an amount equal to the cost of the certification program, less any other funds received by the applicant to not more than 30 teachers accepted into the program annually. Priority will be given to teachers who have already begun the process and teachers employed in high needs schools. For more information and eligibility requirements, please visit our National Board Certification Scholarship page: https://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/nationalstandards/scholarship

If you have questions about the National Board Salary Supplement Program or the National Board Scholarship Program, please contact Tamara Ranger at Tamara.Ranger@maine.gov.

Reminder: School Revolving Renovation Fund Deadline is Oct 29

As a reminder, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications to receive funding for school renovation projects through the School Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF). The application deadline is October 29, 2021.

The Maine DOE will be able to approve approximately $45 million in SRRF loans. A portion of each loan will be considered a grant and will be forgiven. The remaining portion will be paid back over either five or ten years with no interest. The maximum loan amount is limited to $1 million per school building per priority in any five-year period.

Applications for “Priority One” and “Priority Two” projects will be accepted. Eligible Priority One projects will receive funding preference over Priority Two projects.

  • Priority One projects include indoor air quality improvement, structural roof repair, hazardous material abatement or removal, ADA compliance upgrades, and other health, safety and compliance renovations.
  • Priority Two SRRF projects include school building structures, windows and doors, and water and septic systems.

The SRRF 2022 application and additional information are available on the Maine DOE’s SRRF website. For more information or technical assistance, contact Ann Pinnette at (207) 624-6885 or email ann.pinnette@maine.gov.

FY 21-22 Talent Development Applications 

In an effort to minimize the workload for our schools during the 2021-2022 school year, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will not require a Talent Development (G/T) application for school units  continuing their programming in substantially the same format as school year 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. 

Subsidy allocations for school units with approved programs will be calculated using the same methodology, comparing budget costs to actual costs, therefore it is important that school units enter their financial data in the NEO Financial module, per the model chart of accounts for Gifted and Talented programs, available at the following link in the “Regular Instruction” box:  https://www.maine.gov/doe/funding/accounting/handbook. 

If your Gifted and Talented Coordinator is unsure of what constitutes an allowable cost or if your business office is unsure of what constitutes an allowable cost for State subsidy, please refer to Rule Chapter 104 or contact andrea.logan@maine.gov. 

If a school unit did not have an approved program in school year 2020-2021, but plans to have one in school year 2021-2022, please contact andrea.logan@maine.gov or you can visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/mtss/funding/gpa/gt for more information. 

MEEA Mini-Grants Available for Outdoor Learning – 9/27 Deadline

Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) recently opened a new grant application for the 2021-2022 school year for their Mini-Grants for Outdoor Learning Program.

Applications from all public schools Pre-K – 12 are accepted for up to $1,500 to support their outdoor learning projects. Last year the Maine Environmental Education Association funded over 150 schools with an impact of over 10,000 students across the state.

Funding can be used for any type of project that advances outdoor learning in your classroom or school in the 2021-2022 school year.  Most commonly this funding is used to buy gear and/or supplies needed to support outdoor learning activities, but this funding can also be used for professional learning to advance your outdoor learning teaching skills, to support a collaboration with a community partner organization on a nature-based project or experience, and/or adaptive gear that supports ALL kids having access to outdoor learning in your school.

Application closes on September 27th at 11:59 PM.

For more information and to apply visit the Maine Environmental Education Association Website.

For further questions contact MEEA at (207) 619-1609 or info@meeassociation.org

 

PRIORITY NOTICE: Toolkit of Resources Available to Promote the Meal Benefit Application

As schools across Maine prepare for the 2021/2022 school year with many changes, including the implementation of free school meals and the challenges of COVID-19, we are aware of the increasing difficulty you face with asking families to fill out the Meal Benefit Application.

Families, schools, communities, and our state can greatly benefit from the data that is gathered from the application, which includes key funding for school resources and additional resources for families in need.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has created a Meal Benefit Application Toolkit for schools/districts to help inform and promote the application within your school community:

Meal Benefit Application Toolkit for Schools

We hope that having these resources laid out in this toolkit can ease some of the burden to create your own promotional and informational materials. Here are some of the resources you will find in the toolkit:

  • Social Media Graphics – short informational graphics that can be shared on your district/school social media platforms.
  • Translated Informational Materials – a one-page info sheet that can be printed and distributed to families (translated versions available), info for teachers and school staff, and a letter to families expressing the importance of the Meal Benefit Application.
  • Meal Benefit Application Form Options – links to the original printable application, an online option, and an alternative sample form that can be used to help inform state subsidy calculations.

We recognize and appreciate all your hard work as you prepare for the start of the school year. Please contact Maine DOE for questions and/or additional resources:

  • If there is a specific additional resource you’d like to see in this toolkit, please contact Caroline Bennett (caroline.bennett@maine.gov) and Rachel Paling (rachel.paling@maine.gov).
  • For questions regarding application collection and SSO (Seamless Summer Option), please contact David Hartley (david.hartley@maine.gov).
  • To add your district to the web-based application via Nutrilink (we HIGHLY recommend this to increase accessibility of application), please contact Sarah Platt (sarah.d.platt@maine.gov).

Maine Agriculture Education PK-12 Grants Available – Deadline Approaching!

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) has earmarked $60K for education agriculture grants in 5 categories in 2021! This support of Maine agriculture education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 is a direct result of the Maine Agricultural Specialty License Plate.

Grants are available in a number of categories such as Agriculture Awareness, School Garden & Greenhouse, Statewide Agricultural Education Organization, and Agriculture Leadership. Grants are up to $2,000 and the deadline to apply is 4:00pm on August 23rd.

To see the grants, get more information, and apply visit: https://me.agclassroom.org/programs/grants/ 

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is a grassroots program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture, and housed at the Maine Department of Agriculture. Our goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society so that they will become citizens who support wise agricultural policies and local agriculture endeavors.

If you have questions please email maitc@maine.gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: Maine DOE to Announce Over $2M in Innovative RREV Pilot Awards on Aug 4th

WHAT: The Maine Department of Education (DOE) will be hosting a live virtual event to announce over $2 million in pilot implementation funding for Maine schools that have created innovative pilot programs as part of the Rethinking Remote Education Ventures (RREV) project. The pilots feature innovative new ways to deliver education to students including a yurt classroom, a remote learning pathway, a maker space, place-based education programming, experiential outdoor learning connected to higher education credits, addressing the social emotional needs of virtual learners, and more!

WHO: Representatives from the 9 pilot programs that will be awarded funding (9 public schools including one charter school, located across Maine). Also in attendance will be Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin, Maine DOE Chief Innovation Officer Page Nichols, RREV Director Martin Mackey and other representatives from the Maine DOE.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 4th at 1:00pm

WHERE: Live YouTube Event! Tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/MaineDOEComm
A recording of the announcement will be available following the event.

Background Info:
Last year, 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 embarked on a project called Rethinking Remote Education Ventures (RREV) which offers a multi-pronged solution with a primary goal of generating innovative remote and responsive learning models to provide equitable access to high quality learning opportunities for all students.

The awardees will use the funds to further develop an innovative pilot program that they created through a design thinking process, in collaboration with a Maine higher education partner. These Maine developed projects are designed to be adapted and used in any school setting across the state. The pilot programs have the potential to impact over 13,000 students statewide through innovative ideas imagined by teams of educators right here in Maine.

WEBINAR: New Technology Funding Available Through Federal Emergency Connectivity Fund

Colleagues from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will share information regarding the Emergency Connectivity Fund in an upcoming webinar on July 22 at 2:30pm.  The event will go over information about how your district, school, or library can apply for technology reimbursement, answer common questions they are receiving from district leaders, and will have experts on hand to answer questions from participants. Participants are encouraged to submit their questions in advance when registering for the webinar.

Webinar Info:

July 22, 2021, 2:30pm EDT
Register here

The pandemic has brought equity-related issues such as home connectivity to the forefront, and the need for remote learning forced district leaders to invest more funds for technology than ever before. Fortunately, additional help is on the way.

Are you applying to get your fair share of the federal funds being provided to offset the costs of remote learning? Purchases between July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 for student or teacher home use are eligible for this reimbursement, including:

  • Up to $400 per laptop or tablet
  • Up to $250 per Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Monthly service is not capped but is expected to be in the range of $10-$25 per month

Learn more about the Emergency Connectivity Fund and how your district, school, or library can apply. The application deadline is August 13, 2021.

Webinar Guests

  • Allison Baker, Policy Advisor, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission
  • Travis Litman, Acting Chief of Staff, Federal Communications Commission
  • Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools (moderator)
  • Ramesh Nagarajan, Acting Wireline Advisor, Office of Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission

Register here. For questions about the webinar, contact Lia Dossin.

MEDIA RELEASE: Call to Action for Maine Parents: Complete the Meal Benefit Application at School This Year – Even if School Meals are Free

Maine needs all parents and caregivers to take action this school year––by taking the time to complete the confidential Meal Benefit Application through your local school, even if school meals are already free for all students. Families, schools, communities, and our state can greatly benefit from the data that is gathered from the application, and this application is important for a number of reasons.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when school meals became complementary, there has been a significant drop in Meal Benefit Application returns––meaning less families are filling out the application.

The family income data provided by the application informs key funding for school resources. This includes school meal reimbursements, funding for Title I programs, funding and resources for after school programs, funding provided to schools from the Maine State Legislature for essential programs and services at school, funding for special education, teacher loan forgiveness, and much, much more!

Federal and state government use the aggregate data from the application to distribute education funding to schools across the county and state of Maine. In other words, if there is no data to inform the needs of the community, it could result in less education funding for your local district and for Maine.

By completing the Meal Benefit Application, you are directly investing in your child’s education and the children and families in your community.

Specific programs that are funded by the data collected from Meal Benefit Application:

How can I complete the Meal Benefit Application?  The application is available through your local school administrative unit (SAU) school nutrition program and it is completely confidential. Most SAUs have the application available to be completed online. Follow this link to access your SAU’s online application (if your school district is not listed, please contact them directly). A printed version of the application is also required to be available––it will often be part of beginning of year paperwork that comes home with your child.

This past school year has certainly had its challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are thrilled that, despite these challenges, all Maine children have had the opportunity to access free healthy school meals on a daily basis. We would like to extend our gratitude to Maine parents and caregivers who have participated in their SAUs’ meal programs. We know that with the continued support of Maine’s incredible families, we can ensure the best for our children.