Category: Grants

2024 Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative (MOLI) Grant Information Sessions

Start your scope of work now! The Maine Department of Education (DOE) will soon be seeking applications for the next round of Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative grants.  These grants support hands-on, engaging, interdisciplinary outdoor learning and career exploration opportunities that connect students with Maine’s amazing natural bounty. See a Newsroom story about 2023 Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative Grants.

With massive expansions in eligibility, this funding can potentially be used to facilitate outdoor learning programs before, during, or after school; on weekends; during school breaks and/or over the summer. The Request for Applications (RFA) is slated to be published December 1, 2023.

Join Maine DOE staff for a series of open office hours in November to learn more about the application process and how your organization can maximize this opportunity for students.   Make sure you sign up for these Open Office Hours sessions.  After the RFA is published on the State website, the Maine DOE will not be able to field questions outside of the formal Procurement process.

Join the Maine DOE Open Office Hours to brainstorm how your school or organization can take advantage of this one-time federal funding.

The significant expansion of the eligibility rules beyond non-profits to include most local education providers, makes many schools in Maine eligible for this funding.  For 2024, schools, private and nonprofit organizations, municipal Parks and Recreation Departments that are current members of the Maine Recreation and Park Association, and public libraries can apply.  In this sense, “schools” include charter schools, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers or Regions, Education in Unorganized Territories (EUTs), approved private schools located in Maine, and school administrative Units (SAU). Applications will also be considered for schools and organizations who wish to use the funding to enhance or expand existing outdoor programming.

The Maine DOE expects more than 60 applications. In 2023 our non-profit partners reached 1,500+ students. In expanding the eligibility and length of the 2024 grant, we expect to reach 2,500+ students with meaningful outdoor educational experiences.

The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative was created by Governor Mills in 2022 to connect Maine’s young people to the outdoors through engaging summer learning opportunities. The initiative has grown each year in scope and the number of students served. Click here to learn about the 2022 and 2023 Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative programs. The initiative is supported through Federal Emergency Relief Funding.

 

Semester of Service $1,500 Grants to Support Youth Action

Maine youth have shown they want to take action on things that matter in their community. That is why Volunteer Maine, the state service commission, is offering $1,500 mini-grants to support youth-led projects through its Semester of Service grant program. Applications are due on or before November 2, 2023.

Youth groups in schools, faith communities, service organizations, and nonprofits are eligible to apply and participate. The Semester of Service begins on Martin Luther King Day of Service in January 2024 and ends with National Youth Service Day in April 2024. Proposals that tackle issues related to climate, mental or physical health, and housing are encouraged.“Youth-led” means individuals 17 or younger take the lead in all aspects of the initiative (research, decision-making, design, implementation). Advisors over 18 years old are resources and process facilitators. Youth-leadership is critical because it develops young people’s knowledge, skills and confidence to be catalysts for positive change within their communities.Participating youth groups are asked to learn what Dr. King meant by the “Beloved Community” and reflect on what their actions can contribute to making it a reality in their locale. “The Beloved Community” is a term first coined in the early 20th Century by the philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce, b1855 – d1916. For Dr. King, the Beloved Community was not an altruistic goal but rather a realistic, achievable goal. It could be attained by people working together to end poverty, hunger, homelessness, racism, prejudice, violence, bullying, and other conditions that divide or weaken a community.

Proposals for youth-led projects will be accepted from organizations with youth programs or youth constituents, 17 years old or younger, that are Maine public or private nonprofits, state/county/local units of government, higher ed institutions, faith-based organizations, Indigenous communities, and local schools.

Regardless of the type of youth group, the legal applicant must have an employer identification number (EIN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN) and, if selected, accept responsibility for signing the grant agreement, accounting for grant funds, and submitting a report on the outcomes of the project. Awards will not be made to individuals.

Application instructions and additional information can be found here.

For more information contact Maryalice Crofton, Executive Director of Volunteer Maine at (207) 624-7792 or maryalice.crofton@maine.gov.

About Volunteer Maine
Volunteer Maine, the Maine Commission for Community Service, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service.

Applications Open for Comprehensive Electronic Health Record Pilot Grant Program – Request for Applications (RFA #202305111)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from school administrative units (SAUs), publicly supported secondary schools, and Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT) that meet eligibility requirements stated in RFA# 202305111 as an ongoing open application period.

Using American Rescue Plan, and state reservation funds, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will cover the costs of implementing a comprehensive electronic health record of up to $6000 which includes a nominal stipend for an SAU designated EHR champion. This widespread pilot aims to show that maintaining an electronic health record is beneficial to both local schools and the State of Maine as it will increase the efficiency of services provided, decrease the burden of reporting health data, allow for data-informed decisions and policy, and increase revenue possibilities with MaineCare.

Proposals submitted that meet the requirements will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis until funds are no longer available or by May 31, 2024.

Eligible school administrative units that are interested in the Comprehensive Electronic Health Record Pilot Grant Program opportunity may access the application and the previously released question/answer document through the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

All questions about the Comprehensive Electronic Health Record Pilot RFA should be submitted to the Grant Coordinator: Emily Poland, Office of School and Student Supports, Emily.Poland@Maine.gov

Requests for Applications (RFA) for the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC) Grants

The Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education at the Maine Department of Education is now accepting applications from school administrative units for the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC) grants. The purpose of these grants is to provide students with disabilities the necessary support and resources to seamlessly transition to post-secondary education or employment.

To qualify, applicants must demonstrate innovative and sustainable partnerships among multiple agencies to provide inclusive transition services such as vocational training, job readiness, financial literacy, and advocacy.

The MeTRIC initiative also encourages inclusive transition opportunities like apprenticeships, work based learning, mentoring, and community college partnerships. Applicants must facilitate a forum for sharing best practices and resources with students and agency participants.

The Maine DOE, Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education applied and received a $$750,000.00 ESSA grant award to develop regional transition collaboratives. Each SAU applying and approved will receive a minimum of $100,000.00 each to establish their seamless and sustainable coordinated set of transition program(s) in their region. The number and size of awards will depend on the number of applications received and available funds. The Department reserves the right to eliminate the lowest scoring application(s) and/or make awards for amounts less than requested, whichever is in the best interest of the State.

Eligible schools interested in the Maine Transition Regional Collaboratives (MeTRIC) Grant Program opportunity may access the application through the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

Deadline Action Steps
Fri      – 06/30/23 Questions due date from SAUs emailed to titus.orourke@maine.gov
Mid July Answers will be posted to the public via Procurement
Wed   – 07/26/23 RFA Applications due

All questions related to the Maine Transition Regional Interagency Collaborative (MeTRIC)  RFA should be submitted to:

Titus O’Rourke, Transition Specialist, Office of Special Education and Inclusive Education, titus.orourke@maine.gov no later than Friday, June 30, 2023.

MLTI Launches Cyber Performance Grants!

The Maine Department of Education’s Maine Learning through Technology Initiative (MLTI) will release Cyber Performance Grants to help districts bolster network security and safety as defined by CISA’s 2023 recommendations to K12 schools.

Districts can apply for support and assistance with cybersecurity needs to better align themselves with CISA recommendations.   A few examples include:

  • Upgrading Firewalls, Switching, and Access Points
  • Multifactor Authentication Implementation
  • Student Data Privacy Actions
  • Incident Response Plans (Creating/Enhancing)
  • Transitioning to Cloud Services
  • Vulnerability Scanning and or Assessments
  • Cybersecurity Planning and Professional Development
  • Patch Management
  • Phishing/Malware/Ransomware Training
  • Awareness Campaigns
  • Minimizing Public Facing Exposures
  • Data backup upgrades
  • Alignment with CISA’s Cross-Sector Cyber Security Performance Goals (CPG)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) report, Protecting Our Future– Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats is a required component of the federal Cybersecurity Act of 2022.  The report findings and recommendations to schools can be found within the report and toolkit for schools.

The report begins, “Malicious cyber actors are targeting K–12 education organizations across the country, with potentially catastrophic impacts on students, their families, teachers, and administrators. A new report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) helps schools reduce the risks of a cyber catastrophe.”

CISA’s recommendations include investing in the most impactful security measures and building toward a mature cybersecurity plan, recognizing, and actively addressing resource constraints, and focusing on collaboration and information sharing.

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received, and awards will be made based on impact, presented needs, and alignment with CISA recommendations.

Important Dates:

Informational sessions:

  • Wednesday, May 24th at 12:30 pm
  • Friday, May 26th at 12:30 pm
  • Tuesday, May 30th at 9:00 am
  • Tuesday, May 30th at 12:30 pm

Applications are due Friday, June 23rd

For more information about MLTI initiatives, go to https://www.maine.gov/doe/Learning/LTT/MLTI/2.0

Have questions? Want more information? Contact James Chasse, Infrastructure Specialist:  james.chasse@maine.gov

Seeking Applications for the Innovative Instruction and Tutoring Grant

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking applications to provide funding to local education providers to encourage the facilitation of innovative instruction and tutoring programs that address learning loss or unfinished learning through the use of project-based learning and other interdisciplinary approaches.

Applicants must be local education providers as defined in Title 20-A M.R.S.A Chapter 320 which is a school administrative unit as described in 20-A M.R.S.A §1, 26, a school in the unorganized territory under 20-A M.R.S.A Chapter 119, a public charter school under 20-A M.R.S.A Chapter 112, or a school/program established under 20-A M.R.S.A. Part 4, Subpart 2 (Applied Technology Education). Additionally, applicants must either have a poverty certification rating of 40 percent or greater or be identified as “rural” through Title V status (federal or state).

The Maine DOE plans to award up to ten grants, each with a value of up to $40,000. Programming must be completed by Friday, September 1, 2024.

A copy of the RFA, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to the RFA, can be obtained at: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/grants.

State of Maine
Department of Education
RFA# 202304073

Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services, via e-mail, at: Proposals@maine.gov.  Any questions must be submitted by e-mail to the RFA Coordinator, Beth Lambert, beth.lambert@maine.gov, by April 13th, 2023, no later than 11:59 p.m., local time. Application submissions must be received no later than May 3rd, 2023 no later than 11:59 p.m., local time.  Proposals will be opened the following business day. Proposals not submitted to the Division of Procurement Services’ aforementioned e-mail address by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for contract award.

 

Dance education grant announced for Aroostook County

The following is an announcement from the Maine Arts Commission 

The Maine Arts Commission has awarded a grant, “Hopes for the Future,” to provide dance education to K-12 students in Frenchville and St. Agatha in the northern most part of Aroostook County. The $2,650 award to Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 33 will give the district’s 240 students and teachers a unique opportunity to participate in the dance making process.

Continue reading “Dance education grant announced for Aroostook County” →

Maine students invited to enter Verizon STEM challenge

Maine middle and high school students can compete to win $20,000 for their school and the latest Samsung tablet as part of an innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) challenge from Verizon.

The Verizon Innovative App Challenge was first launched in 2012 as a collaborative competition to encourage students’ interest in STEM.  Verizon believes student achievement in STEM is critical to U.S. economic growth and competitiveness on the global stage.  Continue reading “Maine students invited to enter Verizon STEM challenge” →

Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance receives grant for extracurricular STEM learning

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) has been awarded a five-year $2.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to increase access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for rural youth during their out-of-school time.

Continue reading “Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance receives grant for extracurricular STEM learning” →

Boothbay-Tasmania water project on tap

Boothbay Region High School science and environmental science teacher Lauren Graham, second from right, prepares with other teachers from around the country for the water quality pilot project with Tasmania, Australia this month.
Boothbay Region High School science and environmental science teacher Lauren Graham, second from right, prepares with other teachers from around the country for the water quality pilot project with Tasmania, Australia this month.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Simon Costanzo

Thanks to the Boothbay Register for sharing this article, by staff writer Lisa Kristoff, with the Maine DOE for publication.

“I am so beyond excited,” Lauren Graham said last week.

What’s she so jazzed about? How about the fact that Boothbay Region High School juniors and seniors in her ecology and oceanography classes will be participating in an international pilot water quality project: the USAUS-H20 (U.S.-Australia Virtual Environmental Partnership).

Continue reading “Boothbay-Tasmania water project on tap” →