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.

Cultivating Collaborative Relationships: Technical Assistance and Mini-Grant Opportunity for Early Care and Education Communities – Info Session 9/19

With the ever-growing understanding of and commitment to serving the whole child and family, the need for relationship building among early care and education providers within communities is even more important. When early care and education providers, such as child care, Head Start, schools, YMCAs, and libraries, get to know the work each does to support children and families during the early years, partnerships can emerge to achieve shared, positive outcomes.

These partnerships can vary in their design and in their intended purposes, depending on the context and needs of the community. Examples of early care and education community partnerships include providing public pre-k, supporting the transition of special education responsibilities for 3–5-year-olds to the public schools, strengthening kindergarten transitions and registration, and offering shared professional development among educators. But how do you start building relationships among community partners? Who do you contact? What are possible partnership opportunities in your community? The Maine Department of Education’s Pathways to Partnership series is designed to help communities answer these questions and build relationships among early care and education providers to benefit young children and their families.

Recognizing that every community’s needs are different, and each early care and education provider brings a variety of important perspectives to the work, the Early learning team is seeking communities open to exploring the benefits of relationship building and community partnerships. Community teams will need to have at least one leadership representative from a school administrative unit (SAU) or school (e.g., principal, assistant principal, superintendent, curriculum coordinator, etc.) as well as at least one licensed community-based provider (e.g., family childcare, center-based care, Head Start, YMCA, etc.) willing to attend a 4-part series to learn about the various partnerships that occur in Maine. Although only these two members are required, teams are strongly encouraged to have broader representation from their early care and education community.

The series will include facilitated and focused planning time for team members. Upon completion of the series, a mini-grant opportunity will be available for communities to secure additional facilitated support to continue the work started during the series. Each 90-minute session in the series will be held over zoom on the following dates. The exact time will be determined after registration information has been reviewed.:

Thursday, October 17^th
Thursday, November 7th
Thursday, December 5th
Thursday, January 16th

To register for the series, follow this link to the application.

For further questions, please reach out to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K partnership Specialist at Michelle.belanger@maine.gov

Applications Open for ‘First 10 Community Schools’ Pilot Project

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from school administrative units (SAUs) and Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT) to be part of a 3-year First 10 Community School pilot project funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Grant. Developed by Education Develop Center (EDC), First 10 Community Schools bring together school systems, early childhood programs, and community partners/agencies to improve care and education for young children and their families throughout the first 10 years of children’s lives. This model works to improve teaching and learning, deepen partnerships with families, and provide comprehensive services for children and families.

Through this opportunity, pilot sites will be supported in developing and implementing First 10 Community School models. To learn more about the model and the pilot opportunity, interested applicants are encouraged to view this recorded First 10 Community School information session.

Additional information about First 10 Community Schools can be found on the Maine Department of Education’s First 10 webpage and on Education Development Center’s First 10 webpage.

Eligible schools that are interested in the First 10 Community School grant opportunity may access the application through the First 10 Community School Request for Applications (RFA).

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

May 17, 2024–-RFA released
May 23, 2024—RFA question submission deadline
June 6, 2024—RFA submission deadline

All questions about the First 10 Community School RFA should be submitted to the First 10 Community School Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to:
Lee Anne Larsen, Maine Department of Education Director of Early Learning, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Applications Open for Public Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant

Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant is supporting the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to offer grant funding to school administrative units (SAUs) to increase the number of eligible 4-year-olds attending high-quality public Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programming through partnerships with licensed community providers (center based and family child care) during the 24-25 school year.

In order to realize its goal of reaching universal access to public Pre-K, Maine will need to increase the number of partnerships with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center based and family child care) to ensure equitable access to high-quality early care and education, especially for our most vulnerable children.

Partnerships with licensed community-based providers support SAUs to achieve full day/full week programming for children and to meet the needs of working families while increasing their offering of Public Pre-K.

The Public Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant RFA will provide funding to support new partnerships with either a licensed center based provider or a licensed family child care provider.

The timeline for the RFA process is as follows:

May 17, 2024-RFA Released
May 24, 2024—Question Submission Deadline
June 6, 2024- RFA Submission Deadline

All questions about the Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant RFA should be submitted to the Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Any additional questions about this opportunity may be directed to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K Partnership Specialist, Michelle.Belanger@maine.gov.

REMINDER: Register Now for Early Childhood Summer Regional Summit Events With Mini Grant Opportunity

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE), was awarded a Preschool Development Renewal Grant (PDG) from the US Department of Health and Human Services in December of 2022. With this three-year grant, the state is implementing initiatives to build greater infrastructure and capacity to create a more coordinated, efficient, and high-quality mixed delivery system for children ages birth to eight and their families. The plan builds upon successful cross-agency work to ensure that all children enter Kindergarten prepared to succeed and are well supported during the early elementary years.

Included in this grant is the opportunity for a summer summit series in 2024 and 2025 to support communities in their local system alignment and coordination for early childhood care and education programming from birth through the early elementary years. Teams accepted to participate in the summit will also be awarded $800 mini grants to support their efforts in developing and implementing action plans to address an identified early care and education need in their communities.

The goals of the Early Childhood Summit include:

Fostering community level coordination and collaboration across the mixed-delivery early care and education system, which includes child care programs, head start and elementary schools, to improve alignment and transitions for children and families.
Strengthening understanding of evidence-based practices that are critical to leverage across the birth-grade 3 span in order to promote whole child development.
Supporting community-based planning and implementation efforts through mini-grants and ongoing technical assistance support.

What will the summit structure be like? 

The content of the summit will include a variety of keynote addresses and workshop sessions connected to the goals outlined previously. Topics will include promoting inclusionary practices and addressing challenging behaviors, promoting play as a foundational learning strategy, and promoting smooth transitions from early childhood education programs into public schools for children and families. Time will also be provided for teams to work collaboratively on action planning.

When will the summits be held? 

The 1-day summits will be held in two regions (see dates/locations below). Teams will apply to attend in one of the two locations. The summits will run from 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 11, 2024, Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Avenue, Portland, Maine
Tuesday, July 16, 2024, Jeff’s Catering & Event Center, 15 Event Center Way, Brewer, Maine

What are the requirements of participation for all team members?

All team members will be expected to participate in the professional development and technical assistance components outlined below.

The components include:	Projected timeline:
One check in meeting prior to the July 2024 Summit	June 2024
Attendance and participation at Summer Summit July 2024	July 11 or 16, 2024
Bi-annual consult with the Departments (1/2)	Fall 2024
Bi-annual consult with the Departments (2/2)	Winter 2025
Attendance and participation at Summer Summit in July 2025	July 2025

What is the composition of teams?

Teams may have up to five members. There must be at least:

one public early elementary school educator and
one child care provider/educator represented (family child care and/or child care center) on the team.

The additional three members may include but are not limited to:

Representative of the local business community
Parent of a child using early childhood services
School Administrator
Home Visitor
Mental health care provider
Head Start Representative
Health care provider
Community librarian
Representative of an organization that supports workforce development
Provider of services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B or Part C
Provider of professional development to early care and education professionals
A faculty member of a career and technical center or higher education institution specializing in early childhood, if available

How will the mini grants work?

Each team will receive an eight-hundred-dollar ($800) grant to support their action planning and implementation work over the first year. Another min-grant will be available following successful completion of the first year and participation in 2025 summit.

To apply: 

Complete the application found here (Word Doc) and return all documents electronically by April 30, 2024 to Andrea Faurot at Andrea.Faurot@maine.gov.

All team members must sign an agreement ensuring team participation.

For additional information, please reach out to Renee Reilly, Maine DOE PDG Manager at Renee.A.Reilly@maine.gov or Andrea Faurot, OCFS PDG Manager at Andrea.Faurot@maine.gov.

Public Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Request for Applications (RFA)

Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant is supporting the Maine Department of Education in offering grant funding to school administrative units (SAUs) to increase the number of eligible 4-year-olds attending high-quality public Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programming through partnerships with licensed community providers (center-based and family child care) during the 24-25 school year.

In order to realize its goal of achieving universal access for students to public Pre-K, the State is supporting SAUs in increasing the number of partnerships with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center based and family child care) to ensure equitable access to high-quality early care and education, especially for our most vulnerable children.

Partnerships with licensed community-based providers support SAUs to achieve full-day/full-week programming for children and to meet the needs of working families while increasing their offering of Public Pre-K.

The Public Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant RFA will provide funding to support new partnerships with either a licensed center based provider or a licensed family child care provider.

The timeline for the RFA process is as follows:

March 22, 2024-RFA Released
April 8, 2024—Question Submission Deadline
April 25, 2024- RFA Submission Deadline

All questions about the Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant RFA should be submitted to the Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Any additional questions about this opportunity may be directed to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K Partnership Specialist, Michelle.Belanger@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Releases Professional Development Grant for 2024/2025 School Year to Promote Climate Education in Maine Schools

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to launch Phase 2 of the climate education professional development grant pilot program. The grant application is due on May 3rd, 2024. The program window runs from July 1st, 2024 until June 30th, 2025. There is $750,000.00 in funding available for local education providers to apply to partner with a community-based organization for climate-related, interdisciplinary professional development. This grant program was designed out of LD 1902 which passed in the spring of 2022.

There have been minor refinements from Phase 1 of this grant program in the fall of 2023. Overall clarity and simplicity of the application have been improved as well as a focus on applicants demonstrating increased access to historically underserved communities. The full RFA and application can be found by following the link below.

This program is overseen by Teddy Lyman, the Maine DOE’s Climate Education Specialist. Teddy will coordinate this program including the application, awards, and contracts. During the RFA application window, Teddy cannot communicate directly with anyone who might benefit from direct communication that is not publicly available.

Questions about the RFA should be emailed to Teddy at: Theodore.Lyman@maine.gov by 11:59 pm on March 29th, 2024. Questions and answers will be posted publicly at the link below. The Climate Education Action Taskforce was also launched this spring to design the future of climate education (more information can be found below).

For more information and updates, check out the DOE climate education webpage.

Worthington Scholarship Foundation 2024 Scholarship Application is Open for Public High School Seniors in Maine

The Worthington Scholarship Foundation is offering scholarships of up to $20,000 to high school seniors from any of Maine’s 134 public high schools, who will attend a Worthington-eligible 4-year college or a community college in Fall 2024.

Applicants must also:

Be a legal Maine resident
Have a B- or higher GPA if planning to attend a 4-year college
Have a C- or higher GPA if planning to attend a community college
Have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $20,000 or less as determined by the FAFSA

Scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need and are renewable for up to eight (8) semesters. Award amounts are up to $20,000 to attend a 4-year college and up to $16,000 to attend a Maine community college with the option of continuing to a 4-year partnering college.

The foundation also provides student support services to its scholars throughout their college careers and works closely with each partner college to help students attain their education goals.

Applications are due April 15, 2024.

For more information and to complete an online application, please visit worthingtonscholars.org. For additional information, email info@worthingtonscholars.org or call 207-596-5800.

Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Informational Session

Is your school administrative unit (SAU) interested in starting or expanding public Pre-K with a community partner for the upcoming 2024-25 school year? If so, the Maine DOE’s Early Learning Team invites you to attend an informational session regarding a Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant opportunity we anticipate releasing this Spring.

Pre-K Partnership Pilot Grant Informational Session

Date: March 13, 2024
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Description: To review the grant and pilot opportunity and anticipated requirements.
Register here

Through funding provided by Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant, the Maine Department of Education intends to conduct a pilot to provide grant funding to School Administrative Units (SAUs) to increase the number of eligible 4-year-olds attending high-quality public Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) programming in licensed community partner settings (center-based and family child care). To realize its goal of reaching universal access to public Pre-K, the state will need to increase the number of partnerships with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center-based and family child care) to ensure equitable access to high-quality early care and education, especially for our most vulnerable children.

Applicant SAUs awarded these grant funds will be required to partner with licensed community-based providers (e.g., center-based and family child care) to provide either full-day/full week or half-day/full week Pre-K programming. For this pilot, Head Start partnerships will not be considered. A partnership is characterized by meaningful involvement in the planning, developing, and delivering of the proposed program for students and families.

The informational session will be recorded in case an interested entity isn’t able to attend. Following the informational session, interested SAUs/community partners should monitor the DOE Newsroom and the Division of Procurement Services site for the release of the RFA.

Questions may be directed to Michelle Belanger, Pre-K Partnership Specialist at michelle.belanger@maine.gov.