Throughout the years, Portland Public Schools (PPS) has implemented an Outdoor and Experiential Learning program in all of its 10 elementary schools. Over time, this program has evolved from focusing solely on school gardens, to including the habitat of the living schoolyard, to now, incorporating a deeper, systematic implementation of Environmental Literacy that aligns with students’ learning standards and grade-level curriculum.

Now, a  few of the PPS elementary schools have an Environmental Literacy Teacher, whose role is unique to itself and the school where the teacher is based. At Lyseth Elementary School, the Environmental Literacy Teacher and School Garden Coordinator is Leigh Quigley,  a passionate gardener who brings much personal experience and excitement to her role. She assists with the school garden program, established with support from parent volunteers and the local non-profit Cultivating Community, which helped to build and implement an elementary garden curriculum.

“My role as Environmental Literacy Teacher/School Garden Coordinator is to help teachers build capacity toward integrating the natural world into PPS Wabanaki and Life Science units, as well as other areas of the curriculum in which it benefits students to incorporate the schoolyard into their studies,” Quigley explained.

To do so, Quigley incorporates environmental and science education, socio- and eco-justice, Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity, natural resources, climate change, sustainability, and more into all that she does with students.

Additionally, the collaborative teaching model of the Outdoor and Experiential Learning program offers embedded professional development designed to uplift and support classroom teachers as they work to provide equitable access to the natural world for all children through the PPS curriculum. The Environmental Literacy Teachers also help to run year-round Wabanaki fieldwork for k-5 students.

“I directly teach specific Science and Wabanaki units/lessons,” Quigley said. “I also support teachers with their English Language Literacy curriculum by creating avenues for students to bridge the topics they are learning about in class through added exposure to the topics (or related topics) via an environmental/ecological/scientific/Indigenous lens.”

This fall, Quigley held a schoolwide garden celebration with students, teachers, families, and community members. Students harvested fall produce from the garden, planted overwintering crops like garlic, weeded and redesigned outdoor learning spaces, and helped tuck the garden in for the winter.

Leigh brings a lot of love to her work and encourages students to grow and cultivate a lasting relationship with nature.

“In this role, I have the utmost pleasure of seeing struggling students take on leadership roles and experience success in activities and tasks that are completely new to them,” Quigley said. “It is extremely gratifying. The real reason behind my position is fostering academic, social, and emotional growth and success in students, while helping them build a (hopefully) positive, lifelong relationship with the natural world.” This experience-based, hands-on learning approach helps students to build relationships, reciprocity, respect, and responsibility for the Earth’s ecosystem and for each other. It also offers a level playing field that welcomes and supports every student, no matter their background, experience, or abilities.

Some of Quigley’s favorite student reactions thus far include:

• “Look at this! This is OUR garden.” (This comment came after a weeks-long student clean-up project in the fall.)
• “I love Tuesdays. That’s when I have Garden class.”
• “Do we get to go outside today?!”
• “Did we really harvest over 100 lbs. of carrots?!”
• “Working in the garden makes me feel good.”
• “Do we have to go back inside already?” (This comment came after a 45-minute class outdoors.)
• “Look what I found!” (Quigley mentioned that this is a common remark among students when they find things like worms, roly-polys, grubs, millipedes, animal tracks in the snow, and animal nests.)

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team is proud to highlight a transformative shift taking place at Mt. Ararat Middle School, where student-centered learning is redefining how students engage with their education.

Mt. Ararat Middle School educator Gretchen Feiss has brought real-world problem solving into her classroom through the Maine Solutionaries Project, empowering students to tackle complex global and local challenges. This approach shifts students from being passive learners to active changemakers, equipping them with the skills and mindset to make a meaningful impact.

For Feiss, the transition to Solutionary learning stemmed from a belief that students learn best when their education connects to real-world issues they care about. Traditional instruction often leaves little room for students to explore their own questions, and Feiss wanted to change that. By allowing students to identify problems, research solutions, and take meaningful action, she has transformed the classroom into a space where learning has a direct, real-world relevance.

Feiss said at times, guiding students through inquiry to action comes with challenges.

“They struggle with identifying good questions to ask but also with imagining solutions and strategies,” Feiss explained. As a mentor, Feiss helps students to sharpen their research skills, ask deeper questions, and think critically about the information they find. For seventh graders with limited experience in research and problem-solving, this support is essential.

As students pursue diverse projects, keeping up with their progress and providing guidance can be challenging. One innovative solution Feiss has used is introducing artificial intelligence tools, like ChatGPT, to help students identify key contributors working on their chosen topics. Many middle schoolers are unfamiliar with the organizations and individuals addressing social and environmental challenges, and AI provides an entry point to discovering these connections.

Beyond academic skills, Feiss has witnessed a shift in how students perceive learning itself.

“I think they see it less as something that is done to them and more as something driven by their choices,” she said. By giving students the independence to explore their interests, they have developed a sense of ownership over their education, leading to deeper engagement and more meaningful learning experiences.

One of the most exciting aspects of Solutionary learning is its connection to the real world. Feiss encourages students to reach out to experts, helping them craft professional emails and messages. These efforts have had a powerful impact. One student group received a response from the head of a wildlife protection organization in Uganda, making their research feel far more relevant. These experiences help students see that real people are working on the issues they care about — and that they, too, can be part of the solution.

Despite any challenges her classroom has experienced, one thing is clear: Student-centered learning is making a difference. By equipping students with the tools to research, communicate, and take action on issues they care about, Feiss is helping to shape a generation of informed, engaged citizens. As the classroom continues to evolve into a space where students don’t just acquire knowledge but use it to create change, the possibilities for their futures are limitless.

To learn more about the Maine Solutionaries Project’s upcoming cohorts, including a literacy-focused cohort and a numeracy-focused cohort, please visit the Maine Solutionaries Project webpage or contact Kathy Bertini, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Coordinator, at kathy.bertini@maine.gov, or Erik Wade, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at erik.wade@maine.gov.

The Interdisciplinary Instruction Team is a part of the Maine DOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning.

The Maine Solutionaries Project funds received from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $1.34 million, of which 100% is federally-funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the Maine Solutionaries Project and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the USED or the U.S. Government.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning is proud to highlight a transformative shift taking place at Oxford Hills Middle School. Through inquiry- and project-based learning, the school is fundamentally changing how students engage with their education.

Oxford Hills Middle School teachers Liz Coen and Courtney McLellan recently participated in the Maine Solutionaries Project, an inquiry-to-action instructional design framework developed by the Institute for Humane Education in collaboration with the Maine DOE. Motivated by a desire to increase student engagement, these educators focused on how to encourage students to ask their own questions, seek answers, and solve real-world problems.

“We wanted them to feel empowered and motivated to make change,” Coen and McLellan explained.

This innovative model has redefined the role of teachers. Rather than simply delivering content, Coen and McLellan now act as facilitators, dedicating significant time to preparation before each project they conduct.

“Beyond typical planning, we spend time connecting with community partners to understand the topic better and explore what’s possible for students,” the duo shared.

Building a network of experts willing to collaborate with students has become a crucial component of their planning process. Once projects begin, Coen and McLellan lead their students by asking guiding questions, providing constructive feedback, and supporting collaboration and group dynamics.

The current project these students are working on, centered around the theme of waste, allows them to select a topic within the broader subject. Many of them have chosen to conduct surveys or interview community partners, creating meaningful connections between their work and the world beyond the classroom. This element of choice and real-world interaction has provided more meaning and authenticity to their learning.

“Having that contact with people outside of school makes their learning more impactful,” Coen and McLellan added.

The shift to Solutionary learning has led to a noticeable improvement in student engagement at Oxford Hills Middle School. Students are now posing thoughtful questions and taking ownership of their learning. For example, during a visit with a guest speaker from EcoMaine, students actively participated, asking insightful questions that demonstrated their curiosity and comprehension.

One particularly-memorable example involved a student who became deeply invested in finding alternatives to Styrofoam after learning about its inability to decompose. One weekend, he tested an alternative material and returned to school eager to share his findings, including his setbacks and plans for improvement. His enthusiasm even inspired a previously-disengaged classmate to join the effort.

“Now, he’s revisiting the process to better understand the problem, creating surveys, interviewing community partners, and diving deeper into research,” Coen and McLellan shared.

This experience highlights a core strength of the Solutionary approach: encouraging students to revisit problems and identify root causes, rather than jumping to solutions prematurely. This iterative process fosters critical thinking, resilience, and a deeper understanding of the issues being explored.

The transformation at Oxford Hills Middle School demonstrates the power of Solutionary learning. By empowering students to lead their education, educators like Coen and McLellan are cultivating a generation of engaged, motivated, and solution-oriented learners.

To learn more about the Maine Solutionary Project’s upcoming cohorts, including a literacy-focused cohort and a numeracy-focused cohort, please visit the Maine Solutionaries Project webpage or contact Kathy Bertini, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Coordinator, at kathy.bertini@maine.gov or Erik Wade, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at erik.wade@maine.gov.

The Maine Solutionaries Project funds received from the US Department of Education(USDOE) support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling 1,344.000.00 of which 100% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the Maine Solutionaries Project and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the USDOE or the U.S. Government.