Register Now for the Green Schools Regional Gatherings

This fall, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to announce three regional gatherings focused on advancing sustainability and resiliency in Maine schools.

Each gathering will bring together students, educators, school leaders, facilities staff, and community partners for a half-day of interactive workshops, networking, and practical resources. Participants will have opportunities to learn from regional success stories, share ideas, and develop strategies to support long-term sustainability action planning in their schools and districts.

Middle and high school students, teachers, administrators, facilities managers, superintendents, community-based organizations, and community partners are all encouraged to attend.

View the event website to register and learn more! Registration is free, and participants are encouraged to bring a cohort of up to five students.

Event details:

What: Collaborative events featuring interactive workshops, professional learning, networking, resource sharing, regional success stories, and more.
Why: To build capacity for long-term sustainability action planning in schools, promote youth leadership, and strengthen local connections while advancing our shared statewide vision for a healthy, resilient public education system in Maine.
When/Where:
- Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Wells Conference Center in Orono
- Friday, November 6, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay
- Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth
Who: Middle and high school students, teachers, administrators, facilities managers, superintendents, community-based organizations, and other partners. Registration will be limited to 100 participants.

Each gathering will offer the same programming, so participants should register for the date and location that is most convenient for them. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided.

If you have questions about the regional gatherings or the Maine Green Schools Network, please contact the Maine DOE Green Schools Network Coordinator, Naomi Lopez, at naomi.lopez@maine.gov.

We hope to see you this fall! Thank you for all that you do to support Maine students and schools.

Register Now for the Green Schools Peer Learning Workshops

This fall, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to launch the Green Schools Peer Learning Workshops – a series of collaborative workshops designed to help participants build long-term structures to advance sustainability in their school districts.

Workshops will feature a brief presentation offering practical resources and real case studies from schools, followed by open time for participants to workshop their own sustainability initiatives. Sessions are designed to foster peer learning and build a supportive network of teachers, students, and administrators working to promote sustainability in their school buildings and practices.

Meetings will be facilitated by Ruth Poland and Micah Depper, two Maine teachers with experience shepherding school and district-level sustainability initiatives. Ruth and Micah will cover topics from “How to Build and Run a Team” to “Data Collection & Benchmarking” to “Sustainability Action Plan Implementation.”

Please use this form to view the full list of workshop topics and register online. The topics are sequential, but all are welcome to attend any session they are available.

Details:

What: A virtual workshop series focused on developing systems and structures to advance school sustainability at the district level.
When and where: Virtual meetings hosted on the second Tuesday of every month from 3:00-4:00 p.m., starting on October 13, 2026.
Who: Teachers, district leaders, administrators, facilities managers, students, school staff, or any community member interested in creating a sustainability plan for their school district.

Why join?

Interactive workshops: Engage in collaborative sessions with opportunities for peer learning and hands-on support for your own sustainability project.
Practical resources: Access user-friendly tools to design and implement a sustainability action plan for your school or district.
Peer learning and support: Connect with other participants to share best practices, problem-solve together, and build a supportive network.

To view the full list of workshop topics, dates, and registration information, click here.

Thank you for your interest in helping build a more sustainable, healthy, and resilient public education system in Maine. If you have any questions about the Green Schools Peer Learning Workshops, please email the Maine DOE Maine Green Schools Network Coordinator at naomi.lopez@maine.gov.

RSU 1 Completes Climate Action Sustainability Plan, Creating a Model for Other Districts

Regional School Unit (RSU) 1, serving the communities of Bath, Woolwich, Phippsburg and Arrowsic, has completed a comprehensive, district-wide, sustainability plan joining a small but growing number of school administrative units (SAUs) taking a significant step toward making sustainability and climate action part of their long-term planning and operations.

RSU 1’s plan builds on a strong track record of prioritizing sustainability, including the construction of the new Morse High School with ground-source heat pumps and a partnership with ReVision Energy to source electricity from a local solar farm. The plan establishes goals for reducing carbon emissions and waste across district operations while ensuring that RSU 1 students develop climate literacy and have opportunities to engage in solution-focused climate education.

The plan was developed over two years through the collaborative work of students, educators, administrators, and community members. The resulting roadmap balances ambitious long-term goals with achievable “quick wins,” creating opportunities for them to build momentum while working toward deeper, systemic change.

With the plan now complete, RSU 1 is moving into implementation. They will establish action teams, develop performance measures, and track progress toward its sustainability goals.

Micah Depper, a science teacher at Bath Middle School in RSU 1, co-chair of the RSU 1 Climate Resilience Working Group, and a Maine Milken Award-winning educator, helped lead the effort. His work demonstrates the powerful role educators can play in helping schools and communities envision—and build—a more sustainable future.

“RSU 1’s sustainability plan is an excellent example of what can happen when students, educators, administrators, and community members come together around a shared vision,” Maine Department of Education (DOE) Director of Maine Green Schools Program, Glenn Cummings said. “We hope other SAUs will look to RSU 1’s work as inspiration and consider how they, too, can develop a sustainability plan that reflects their community’s priorities and moves them from ideas to action.”

See RSU1’s Climate Action Plan (PDF) here. For more information about working with Maine DOE to develop a sustainability plan in your SAU, please contact Glenn Cummings, Maine DOE Green Schools Director at glenn.cummings@maine.gov

Energy Savings Funding Opportunities and Resources for Maine Schools

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to share information about new funding opportunities and resources for Maine schools, as it pertains to energy savings. The following three items are intended to help school administrative units (SAUs) maximize their energy efficiency, save money, and reduce air pollution.

Free Energy Audit and Indoor Air Quality Testing Program

In partnership with Building Infrastructure Management Solutions (BIMS), the Maine DOE Green Schools Program is excited to offer SAUs an opportunity to assess and improve performance of their buildings with free school facility energy analysis, as well as indoor air quality consultation and technical assistance.

Through this program, BIMS will serve as a technical partner to participating SAUs, sharing information about and assisting with planning for improvements to energy efficiency. This includes measuring and identifying strategies to improve air quality to enhance school facility resilience and reduce long-term operational costs.

Through this program, SAUs can receive the following at no cost:

A comprehensive energy and indoor air quality audit of school facilities
An assessment of energy use, HVAC systems, and other major energy-consuming infrastructure
A customized, actionable guide outlining recommended improvements based on audit findings
Guidance on funding mechanisms, including applicable state and federal grants and incentive programs
Support navigating procurement considerations for clean energy and efficiency upgrades

SAUs that are interested in this program are encouraged to complete this interest form or contact Donald Bresnahan, Senior Vice President of BIMS, at don@bims.company or 207-956-2685. Selected SAUs will participate in follow-up discussions to confirm their eligibility and scope of need.

LED Lighting Retrofit Funding Opportunity Notice

Through a Funding Opportunity Notice (FON), Efficiency Maine is seeking applications for energy efficiency projects involving lighting retrofits in Maine public pre-K-12 schools. With the intent of accelerating the conversion to LED lighting in schools and beyond, this initiative offers incentives that are 30 percent higher than those typically provided under the Commercial and Industrial Prescriptive Initiatives.

Efficiency Maine is accepting applications for this FON until June 30, 2026, or until funding has been exhausted. Projects must be completed by August 31, 2026.

More information about this initiative and instructions on how to apply are available here. To participate in this FON and other Efficiency Maine opportunities, engagement with a Qualified Partner is necessary for assistance and support purposes; SAUs can find more information here.

This initiative includes Indian Education and Education in the Unorganized Territory schools. Any interested schools should contact the Efficiency Maine team at CIP@efficiencymaine.com or 207-213-6247.

Summary of Federal Energy Tax Credits and Resources

The school-centered nonprofit UndauntedK12 provides regular updates on available federal energy tax credits and resources. Its Energy Tax Credits for Schools Hub includes detailed descriptions of potential energy systems supports for schools, as well as direct links to the federal energy tax credits currently available to schools. Its Updates to Energy Tax Credits webpage contains additional resources, including videos, a slideshow, and a table outlining changes to federal energy tax credits.

The UndauntedK12 website will be updated once the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued new guidance on restrictions for solar and energy storage projects; however, the links for these webpages will remain the same.

With general questions about any of these opportunities/resources, please contact Glenn Cummings, Maine DOE Director of Green Schools, at glenn.cummings@maine.gov.

Job Posting: VISTA Maine Green Schools Network Coordinator

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Innovation is seeking a full-time VISTA member to help organize and build the new Green Schools Network (GSN), as established in Title 20-A, Chapter 335: Maine Green Schools Network.

Join the Maine Green Schools Program by playing the central coordinating role in the development of the newly established GSN. This role is perfect for those seeking to help address climate change, while working daily with some of Maine’s most recognized environmental players!

Find yourself in the center of an exciting new consortium of Maine school educators, administrators, community partners, and youth to strengthen sustainability practices, improve the environmental conditions of Maine school facilities, and expand access to climate-ready curriculum.

You can find additional details about the job at either of the links below:

With questions, please contact Sol Carpenter of Goodwill Northern New England at sol.carpenter@goodwillnne.org.