Grant Funds Available to Rural SAUs through 2026 Aspirations Incubator Requests for Proposals; Submissions Due January 12

The Rural Youth Institute has announced the release of two 2026 Aspirations Incubator Requests for Proposals (RFP): a planning grant RFP and a seed grant RFP. Rural SAUs are encouraged to apply. The submission deadline for both RFPs is January 12, 2026.

The Aspirations Incubator is a transformative, evidence-based mentoring model designed to elevate aspirations and foster a strong sense of belonging among rural middle and high school students. Developed over six years ago in five rural Maine communities, this place-based model thrives through deep school-community partnerships and innovative mentoring practices. By engaging youth where they naturally are—at school, in the community, and in nature—the Aspirations Incubator creates authentic, lasting connections that empower the next generation.

Planning Grant RFP: The Aspirations Incubator planning grant is designed to help communities assess their readiness to adopt an Aspirations Incubator long-term youth development and mentoring model that partners with local middle and high schools. Through this process, grantees will form a planning team, conduct a community needs assessment, ensure organizational capacity, and develop an Aspirations Incubator conceptual design. The total available funding for planning grants is $10,000.
Seed Grant RFP: The Aspirations Incubator Seed Grant is designed to provide financial support to new organizations committed to implementing the six-year Aspirations Incubator model. This grant will help organizations to establish the program and ensure its successful launch. The total available funding for seed grants is $20,000.

Both grant processes will follow this timeline:

RFP release date: December 1, 2025
RFP submission deadline: January 12, 2026
Review period: January 13-26, 2026
Notification of awards: January 30, 2026
Grant period: February 1-October 1, 2026

For more information, visit www.aspirationsincubator.org or contact Meg Taft at meg@ruralyouthinstitute.org.

Back-to-School Grants Available for School Employees through LifeChanger of the Year

LifeChanger of the Year, an annual national recognition program for educators and school employees, is excited to announce a back-to-school grant opportunity for teachers, as they prepare for the 2025-2026 school year.

This summer, LifeChanger of the Year will be awarding 10 $500 Back-to-School Supply Grants to K-12 public, private, and charter school employees nationwide. These grants are designed to help cover the out-of-pocket costs that educators often spend on school supplies.

Applications are open from July 1 through August 15, 2025. All strong applicants will automatically be considered for the 2025-2026 LifeChanger of the Year program, with a chance to win up to $20,000 to split with their school.

Please fill out this form to apply for this grant opportunity.

LifeChanger of the Year is sponsored by the National Life Group and the National Life Group Foundation. Since its inception in 2006, the goal of the National Life Group Foundation is to do good in the communities in which we live and work by supporting nonprofit and educational organizations.

For questions about this grant opportunity, please contact the National Life Group.

Maine Expanding K–12 Cybersecurity Grant in the 2025-2026 School Year; SAUs Must Opt in by June 20

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that the state will continue its participation in the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) for a second year. Building on the success of Year One, this initiative will further strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure across Maine’s public K-12 schools. The multi-year SLCGP provides dedicated resources to help school administrative units (SAU) enhance their cybersecurity infrastructure and preparedness.

Action Required by June 20, 2025

To participate in Year Two, all Maine public K-12 SAUs must complete the Year Two Local Consent Form and Opt-In Survey by June 20, 2025. Opting into the grant does not bind a school to participate but is required for participation.

Eligible SAUs received a notification email on April 30, 2025, with a direct link to the form and survey. The survey can also be accessed here.

Benefits of Participation

Participating SAUs will receive access to no-cost cybersecurity services designed to protect students, staff, and institutional data. These services may include:

Migration support for .gov domains
Cyber incident response planning
Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Security awareness training for staff

Year Two Highlights

Funding Available: $4.35 million in state-allocated funds will support local cybersecurity efforts, with a strong focus on K-12 readiness.
No Cost to SAUs: Services are provided at no cost to participants..

Year One Accomplishments

With broad participation in Year One, Maine achieved several key milestones:

Distributed more than 22,000 cybersecurity training licenses to 122 local entities.
Deployed more than 11,000 MFA keys to strengthen security.
Established statewide governance and planning committees.
Completed comprehensive cybersecurity capability assessments.

These accomplishments have laid the foundation for continued progress in Year Two of the grant program.

Questions?

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact slcybersecurity.grant@maine.gov.

Year One Participating SAUs:

Acton Public Schools
Auburn Public Schools
Bangor Public Schools
Biddeford Public Schools
Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor CSD
Brunswick Public Schools
Calais Public Schools
Cape Elizabeth Public Schools
Community Regional Charter School
Ellsworth Public Schools
Eustis Public Schools
Glenburn Public Schools
Gorham Public Schools
Great Salt Bay CSD
Hancock Public Schools
Jonesport Public Schools
Kittery Public Schools
Lamoine Public Schools
Limestone Public Schools
Lisbon Public Schools
MSAD 27
Madawaska Public Schools
RSU 01 – LKRSU
RSU 02
RSU 03/MSAD 03
RSU 04
RSU 05
RSU 06/MSAD 06
RSU 09
RSU 10
RSU 11/MSAD 11
RSU 14
RSU 16
RSU 17/MSAD 17
RSU 18
RSU 19
RSU 20
RSU 22
RSU 24
RSU 25
RSU 28/MSAD 28
RSU 29/MSAD 29
RSU 33/MSAD 33
RSU 38
RSU 39
RSU 40/MSAD 40
RSU 44/MSAD 44
RSU 45/MSAD 45
RSU 52/MSAD 52
RSU 53/MSAD 53
RSU 55/MSAD 55
RSU 56
RSU 60/MSAD 60
RSU 61/MSAD 61
RSU 68/MSAD 68
RSU 70/MSAD 70
RSU 73
RSU 74/MSAD 74
RSU 78
RSU 83/MSAD 13
Saco Public Schools
South Portland Public Schools
St. George Public Schools
Veazie Public Schools
Wells-Ogunquit CSD
Winthrop Public Schools
Yarmouth Schools
York Public Schools

Maine Department of Education Expands Kindergarten Entry Inventory Project

During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 30 Maine kindergarten teachers participated in the first phase of the Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI) project, funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Grant and designed to help teachers gather valuable insights into children’s development across multiple domains. Since then, these teachers have tested various KEI instruments in their classrooms, using information collected to better support individual learning needs.

Now, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is preparing for the launch of the next phase of KEI during the 2025-2026 school year. The expansion of this project will pilot KEI instruments in approximately 100 kindergarten classrooms throughout the state. Ultimately, aggregated KEI data will help to strengthen Maine’s early care and education system by identifying trends in growth and areas of continuous improvement.

The Maine DOE is inviting kindergarten teachers to participate in this exciting initiative by applying for a Kindergarten Entry Implementation Specialist position! Kindergarten Entry Implementation Specialists will pilot a KEI tool in their kindergarten classroom during the fall of 2025. Selected participants will receive a stipend for their work. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, participating in training in the KEI tool administration protocol, piloting KEI with students, offering timely feedback, and attending periodic in-person and virtual meetings.

Your expertise and perspective are needed. All interested kindergarten teachers are welcome to complete this application. Applications are being accepted through May 9.

An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 1, from 3:45-4:45 p.m. Please use this link to join.

If you have questions or need additional information about the KEI project, please contact Karen Mathieu, Maine DOE Kindergarten Entry Inventory Specialist, at karen.mathieu@maine.gov.

Applications Open for Transition to Kindergarten Planning Assistance and Mini-Grant Opportunity; Informational Session on February 25

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Early Learning Team, in partnership with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Child and Family Services, is pleased to announce that applications are open for a second round of Transition to Kindergarten planning assistance with mini-grant funding to support the development of high-quality kindergarten transition teams and plans. The deadline to apply is March 7, 2025.

This opportunity is designed for school administrative units (SAUs) seeking to strengthen partnerships among children, families, community providers, and schools to ensure successful transitions into public kindergarten classrooms. The focus is on fostering family and community engagement and equitable access to transition supports.

The transition to kindergarten is an exciting yet often overwhelming time for young learners and their families. Thoughtful transition plans that include strong community partnerships help schools and educators to meet children and families where they are. This opportunity will support SAUs and community partners in building Kindergarten Transition Teams and Kindergarten Transition Plans through a structured technical assistance program that guides the strengthening of community partnerships, promotes equitable practices for families, establishes a shared understanding of kindergarten readiness, encourages consistent school attendance, and creates a sustainable support system.

Participants will:

Engage in monthly technical assistance sessions.
Receive individual support, as needed.
Form a Kindergarten Transition Team.
Develop a year-long transition plan to support children and families before, during, and after the transition to kindergarten.
(SAUs will) become eligible for mini-grants to support their implementation through the 2025-2026 school year upon finalizing transition plans in spring of 2025.
Participate in follow-up technical assistance sessions in September of 2025 and October of 2025.

All interested representatives from SAUs and community early childhood programs are invited to join an informational/Q&A session to learn more about this opportunity on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, from 4-5 p.m. Please use this Zoom link.

Participants interested in the opportunity must complete the registration form by March 7, 2025. The registration form should be completed by an SAU representative and requires identification of preliminary team members (at a minimum, representation of one SAU or school leader, one school educator/staff member, and one potential community early childhood provider) and assurances for building community partnerships and engaging in the technical assistance meetings.

If you need assistance locating childcare providers in your area, please visit Child Care Choices.

Technical assistance meetings will be held on the following dates:

March 18, 2025, from 4-5:30 p.m.
April 15, 2025, from 4-5:30 p.m.
May 27, 2025, from 4-5:30 p.m.

The Early Learning Team is part of the Maine DOE Office of Teaching and Learning. For further questions, please reach out to Marcy Whitcomb, Maine DOE Public Pre-K Consultant, at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.

Additional Climate Education Professional Development Grants Available for 2025-2026 School Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to release the third round of Climate Education Professional Development grant funds for climate-related professional learning for Maine educators and local education providers. The grant application is due March 21, 2025. Awarded programs will take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

The Maine DOE Climate Education Professional Development Grant Program was designed as a result of LD 1902, which the Maine Legislature passed in the spring of 2022. The program continues to expand its reach and impact statewide by encouraging the partnership of schools and community-based organizations for climate-related, interdisciplinary professional learning.

In this third round of grants, the program has been refined to include two different types of professional learning models. This is based on learnings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 grant applicants and awardees in 2023 and 2024.

Program type 1 focuses on an individual local education provider, allowing only the local education provider’s educators and staff to work with a partner organization with a budget between $5,000 and $30,000.
Program type 2 is designed to be a professional learning summit where the local education provider and partner host an event or events that are open to educators and staff in a broader region – e.g., multiple school administrative units (SAUs), county(s), statewide, or other. Awarded type 2 programs may have a budget between $5,000 and $100,00

A total of $650,000 has been allocated for this third round of grant programs. Applications are available starting January 14, 2025, and are due March 21, 2025. Programming may run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

To view the Climate Education Professional Development Grant RFA, please visit the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services webpage and search for RFA #202412219. More information can be found on the Maine DOE website.

As the Climate Education Professional Development Grant Program continues, the program’s impact throughout the state is becoming more evident. Seven programs from Phase 1 in the spring and summer of 2024 worked with 126 teachers and 17 partners and reached more than 4,000 students in Maine. More information about the overall impact of those programs and their individual narratives can be found here. Ten phase 2 programs are currently underway throughout the state. Learn more about those here.

Questions about the RFA should be emailed to Teddy Lyman, Maine DOE Climate Education Specialist, at Theodore.Lyman@maine.gov by 11:59 p.m. on February 7, 2025. Questions and answers will be posted publicly on the Maine DOE Climate Education webpage.

The Climate Education webpage also contains additional information and resources. Interested partners may also consider joining the upcoming Maine Climate Education Quarterly Winter Meeting.

Grants for Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs Now Available; Applications Due April 2, 2025

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce the release of a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids from organizations interested in implementing comprehensive afterschool and summer learning programs in 2025-2026. It is anticipated that roughly $2.5 million will be available to issue grant awards this spring.

Authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Act of 2015, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program provides competitive grant funding to support before school, after school, and summer learning programs that focus on improving the academic performance of students in pre-K through grade 12.

The primary purpose of the 21st CCLC program is to provide funding for school and community partnerships that establish or expand community learning center programs. These programs provide students in high-need, economically-disadvantaged communities with academic tutoring and enrichment opportunities, designed to complement their school-day academic program. In addition, these programs can provide a broad array of additional support services related to overall student health and well-being.

Local 21st CCLC programs – which can be located in elementary schools, secondary schools, or similarly-accessible community facilities – provide high-quality support services to students during non-school hours. As such, these programs also support working parents and families by providing safe, supportive learning environments for students at times when school is not normally in session.

The request for proposal (RFP), which includes information regarding eligibility, program requirements, and more, is available on the Maine Office of Procurement Services website (Search for RFP #202412216.)

An informational webinar for this RFP will also be posted to the Maine DOE Grants4ME website on January 22, 2025. It is strongly recommended that interested organizations view this presentation in its entirety prior to submitting a proposal for 21st CCLC program funding.

Below is the anticipated timeline for the Maine DOE current 21st CCLC grant competition:

January 8, 2025 – RFP released to public
January 22, 2025 – informational webinar posted online
February 5, 2025 – deadline for submission of questions in response to RFP
February 26, 2026 – interested organizations submit intent to apply form
April 2, 2025 – proposal deadline
April 2025 – formal peer review of proposals
May 2025 – grant award notifications
July 1, 2025 – grant award start date

Please be advised that the dates above are subject to change. Interested organizations must consult the RFP document for the most accurate dates and deadlines regarding this opportunity.

For more information about the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program, please contact State Coordinator Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov.

Literacy Learning Grant Opportunity Open to Pre-K through Grade 3 Maine School Teams

In the summer of 2024, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) offered educators free access to professional literacy learning through Steps to Literacy modules from the AIM Institute for Learning & Research. Nearly 650 educators completed more than 20,000 hours of professional learning in the science of reading, phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, language expression, writing, emerging literacy, vocabulary, dyslexia, and English language learning.

In response to overwhelmingly positive feedback from summer participants, and as a result of the Maine DOE’s continued dedication to supporting high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction in Maine schools, the Maine DOE is pleased to now be offering a new grant program for schoolwide implementation of this effort. This opportunity is designed for school teams who will be provided access to three AIM literacy modules and who will participate in virtual community of practice sessions for six months. That work will help to support literacy leadership and the implementation of the Steps to Literacy best practices in classrooms.

At the completion of this project, each participating school will receive $5,000 for further schoolwide capacity building and implementation of evidence-based literacy practices.

To be eligible for this grant, schools must register a minimum of three staff members, including at least one general education teacher, one special education teacher, and one literacy leader (a specialist, administrator, or lead teacher). This project will prioritize applications from pre-K through grade 3 school teams. A school administrative unit (SAU) with multiple elementary schools applying should complete a separate application for each school.

Special consideration will be given to schools serving populations of students with identified achievement gaps (i.e. those related to race, income, etc.) and with identified reading proficiency achievement gaps, including, but not limited to, special education in a reading-specific learning disability, reading achievement gaps for economically-disadvantaged students, and racial and ethnic populations.

Interested applicants from schools with fewer than three school staff members should please contact Dee Saucier at danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov to discuss options. Future opportunities will be available for educator teams in grades 4-12.

Applications are due Friday, December 20, 2024.

AIM Pathways™ is a unique, interactive digital teacher training platform, designed to deliver research and evidence-based content in the science of reading. Each Steps to Literacy module provides teachers with engaging learning opportunities organized in a “learn, practice, apply” introductory cycle and contains teaching techniques, videos, and printable resources from the comprehensive AIM Pathways courses to develop participants’ understanding and application of new techniques into classroom practice.

The modules offered as a part of this grant project include:

Module 1: Overview of the Science of Reading (nine contact hours)
Module 2: Phonological Awareness (seven contact hours)
Module 3: Decoding & Spelling (seven contact hours)

To learn more about this literacy module project, you may attend a virtual informational meeting at 3:30 p.m. on December 10, 2024 by registering here. This session will be recorded. Please use this link to complete the Project application.

For additional information, please contact Dee Saucier at danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

Applications Due November 15 for Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking applications from Maine school administrative units (SAUs) and community-based organizations partnering with SAUs for the Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0. The purpose of this funding is to develop new Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) programs or to expand current ELO programs.

To be eligible, applicants must be an SAU, Career and Technical Education school, Adult Education diploma program, or a community-based organization partnering with a local SAU.

The 2024 ELO Expansion 2.0 Request for Applications (RFA), also known as grants or grant RFA, is available here. (See RFA 202410182.) Applications are due Friday, November 15, 2024.

The Extended Learning Opportunities team at the Maine DOE recently partnered with Black Fly Media to produce a short video that shows the impact of ELOs throughout the state. Watch the video below to hear from ELO coordinators, students, school leaders, and employers as they share about ELOs in their communities!

Reminder: Deadlines Approaching for Early Learning Mini-Grant and Other Professional Learning Opportunities

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Early Learning Team is sending a reminder of the following opportunities with deadlines approaching soon:

Kindergarten Transition Mini-Grant Opportunity: This technical assistance program focuses on bringing students, families, schools, and communities together through high-quality transition to kindergarten plans. See the original newsroom article for more information about this mini-grant opportunity and/or watch the recorded information session. Register for the opportunity here.

Maine DOE Early Learning Team office hours are offered on the first Thursday of every month. Find more information about the schedule and the link to join office hours here.

For more information or questions regarding any of these opportunities, you may email Marcy Whitcomb, Maine DOE Public Pre-K Consultant, at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.