Media Release: Organizations Needed to Provide Complementary Meals to Children This Summer

Augusta, ME — With the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine public schools have long offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch meal program to thousands of income-eligible children in Maine during the school year. To extend this program, the Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition (Maine DOE) is seeking organizations to participate in the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides children healthy free meals when school is not in session.

“By participating in this program, community groups and organizations can have a tremendous impact on the health and wellbeing of children in their communities,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “The Maine Department of Education is thankful to those organizations that join this program to ensure our children get the meals they depend on this summer”

During summer 2023, 107 sponsors were approved to operate 415 summer meal sites across Maine. Although there are sponsors operating in every county in Maine, there is still a long way to go towards feeding all eligible children during the summer. Community partners are working to maximize the number of sponsors utilizing the availability of funds under the SFSP.

SFSP may be offered statewide in areas or at sites where more than 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced meal benefits under the National School Lunch Program or census track data supports the need. Organizations that provide services in rural communities or near migrant farm workers and tribal populations are urged to participate, including those able to provide grab and go or home delivered meals in approved rural locations. Eligible sponsoring organizations include schools, nonprofit residential summer camps, government agencies, and tax-exempt organizations including faith-based organizations. SFSP sponsors are also needed to provide grab and go or home delivered meals in eligible rural areas of Maine.

The Maine DOE encourages any eligible organization to consider providing this much-needed service to Maine children and will begin accepting applications to participate in February. Approved sponsors will be reimbursed for eligible meals served to children during summer break.

Interested organizations should begin planning now for a successful summer. Potential sponsors are required to receive training from Maine DOE. Training will occur in person in Augusta and DOE staff will assist in the onboarding process. The Maine DOE is available to consult by phone and email to answer questions regarding summer meals.

For more information about the Maine DOE’s Summer Food Service Program, contact adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov, call 592-1722 or visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/sfsp.

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Federal

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. 

 Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

 To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

 (1)     mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
          Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
          1400 Independence Avenue, SW
          Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

 (2)      fax: (202) 690-7442; or  

 (3)      email: program.intake@usda.gov.

 This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

State

The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.

Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Media Release: Maine DOE Awards $1.5 Million in Cyber Performance Grants to 61 School Administrative Units

Augusta, ME—The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) awarded a total of $1.5 million in Cyber Performance Grants to 61 Maine school administrative units (SAUs). These grants fund SAU projects to upgrade end-of-service infrastructure, strengthen managed detection and response for network security, firewalls, and cloud backup services, and to provide professional learning.

The grants were in response to the federal Cybersecurity Act and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) report on K12 education Protecting Our Future, which provides schools with recommendations. These include implementing multifactor authentication, security awareness training, professional development, system backups, patch management, minimizing threat exposure, incident response plans, and investments in CISA’s Cyber Performance Goals. Maine Schools continue to learn and progress through the implementation of CISA’s recommendations.

“Getting a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) with our grant is helping us be a lot more proactive in monitoring our endpoints. It was like hiring a cybersecurity professional to watch over our staff devices and servers,” said Mike Arsenault, Yarmouth IT Director.

“The Cyber Performance Grant provided a firewall as an additional layer of defense against cyber threats, offering redundancy to enhance our overall security resilience, ensuring continuous protection, and minimizing the risk of unauthorized access or malicious activities on a network,” said Dr. Dave Fournier, RSU71 Belfast IT Director.

The cyber performance grant is a part of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative’s comprehensive set of supports that include software, broadband and wireless network support, technical support, professional learning, and cyber safety, which together aid all local school units to effectively use technology for teaching and learning.

Have questions? Want to learn more? Reach out to MLTI’s Infrastructure Specialist, Jim Chasse at james.chasse@maine.gov.

Maine SAUs Receiving Cyber Performance Grants

1	Acton Public Schools	22	Nobleboro Public Schools	43	RSU 61
2	Auburn Public Schools	23	RSU 01	44	RSU 68
3	Bangor Public Schools	24	RSU 04	45	RSU 71
4	Bar Harbor Public Schools	25	RSU 06	46	RSU 75
5	Biddeford Public Schools	26	RSU 09	47	RSU 83/MSAD 13
6	Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor CSD	27	RSU 11	48	Scarborough Public Schools
7	Bristol Public Schools	28	RSU 14	49	South Bristol Public Schools
8	Brunswick Public Schools	29	RSU 15	50	South Portland Public Schools
9	Cranberry Isles Public Schools	30	RSU 16	51	Southwest Harbor CSD
10	Ellsworth Public Schools	31	RSU 17	52	St. George Public Schools
11	Falmouth Public Schools	32	RSU 18	53	Tremont Public Schools
12	Glenburn Public Schools	33	RSU 20	54	Trenton Public Schools
13	Great Salt Bay CSD	34	RSU 25	55	Vassalboro Public Schools
14	Kittery Public Schools	35	RSU 29	56	Waterville Public Schools
15	Lisbon Public Schools	36	RSU 33	57	Wells-Ogunquit CSD
16	Madawaska Public Schools	37	RSU 35	58	Westbrook Public Schools
17	Millinocket Public Schools	38	RSU 40	59	Winslow Schools
18	Mount Desert Public Schools	39	RSU 52	60	Yarmouth Public Schools
19	MSAD 27	40	RSU 56	61	York Public Schools
20	MSAD 76	41	RSU 57
21	Mt. Desert CSD	42	RSU 60

Media Release: Nokomis Computer Science Teachers Featured on Maine DOE Podcast What Holds Us Together

Commissioner Makin Speaks With Kern and Keith Kelley About How They Integrate Hands-On Computer Science Education Across Grade Levels and Content Areas

In the latest episode of her What Holds Us Together podcast, Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin speaks with Keith and Kern Kelley, brothers and computer science teachers at Nokomis Regional Middle and High School, about Maine’s efforts to integrate computer science education at all grade levels and with all content areas. They talk about how hands-on, real-world computer science education teaches students about technology and computer science as well as strengthening their ability to work in teams, troubleshoot, communicate effectively, lead, and pursue creative passions. You can listen here.

“These are two brothers who are educators integrating really exciting hands-on, real-world computer science education, innovation, and technology with their students. I’ve been to visit their classrooms and have seen the work that they’ve been doing with their students and how much engagement there is. I was so impressed, I wanted to share some of what they’re doing with all of you,” said Makin in the podcast opening.

The three discussed how computer science education has real-world applications across all content areas and areas of life.

“I was a librarian and a language arts teacher, so I’ve come from a different way to get to this. It’s not separate, it’s part of. Language arts teachers are doing coding. When you’re teaching kids you have to use a period, you have to use a comma, you have to be grammatical, and there’s a reason and structure to it, then you get into building a game or a sequence of coding and there’s structure, it’s the same thing. If you’re doing computer science and learning coding, you’re learning a language,” said Keith Kelley, Innovative Technology Teacher at Nokomis Regional Middle School.

He continued, “We do asynchronous grouping, so one kid is building code and he or she has 2 other groupmates and they have to communicate digitally with each other through screen captures and stuff like that. That’s what you do in the real world, we’re virtually meeting all the time. When my kids are doing basic coding they’re learning pre-algebra, they’re learning sequencing, but also they’re learning troubleshooting which translates to everything. It’s not a separate thing, it’s part of what’s already out there. If you’re in math you’re doing numbers, but you are doing language. You’re in science and doing labs and troubleshooting, but you’re doing language.”

Kern Kelley, Director of Technology Integration for the district, described how he began integrating computer science education with different content areas across the high school.

“I’d ask the kids what they’re doing [for a specific teacher] and say ok, for me you’re going to do that same project but you’re going to do it this way—we’re going to do a virtual reality world for that book project you have to do. The kids would do it and bring it to the teachers and almost 100 percent of the time [the teachers] say that’s great, next time let’s make that as an offering,” said Kern Kelley.

Makin described how that approach is setting Maine apart as a computer science education leader.

“That really sets this apart from what I see across the nation in terms of really rote programmatic learning coding for the sake of learning coding. You both take it to that next level where it’s really learning coding to do an important thing that is relevant, whatever that might be,” said Makin.

“There’s elegant coding. Just like in writing you have basic writing then you get to the point where now I’m not writing for writing sake or to get information across I’m trying to make something prose or poetry. The same thing happens with technology and the coding. You go from writing basic coding to make it function to making it function efficiently or elegantly through elegant design,” said Keith Kelley.

They also discussed how this continuum of computer science education that students experience through their school careers develops the leadership and teaching skills of students. High school students can participate in SLAM, developing weekly live shows to teach other students how to create something using a free online tool. Once a month the students also go on the road for a SLAM Show and teach sessions to younger students to get them engaged and excited about computer science.

“As much as we can have students as part of the solution and include them in that process of learning and get opportunities to teach and learn from that experience…and then the idea is those kids get so excited about learning from high school kids about these cool tech topics, that’s usually enough impetus where we can now talk to the teachers afterward [about doing more]. Now we’ve broken the ice and they know how to use these things and have all these ideas,” said Kern Kelley.

Through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) provided every Maine public school with a free mobile computer science lab to ensure that every student, pre-K through grade 12, has access to interdisciplinary, project-based computer science education with real-world applications.

The DOE has a comprehensive computer science education plan guided by seven key principles: authentic and project-based instruction, computer science as a prek-12 learning continuum, equitable and inclusive access, educator-produced professional learning and statewide sharing, integrated applied learning, educator-informed policy and state planning, and computational thinking as a foundation. You can read more about Maine’s computer science education framework here.

What Holds Us Together is a monthly podcast produced by the Maine DOE and hosted by Makin to highlight the voices of educators, students, and school employees across Maine. Listen to this and all the episodes of What Holds Us Together on Apple and Spotify.

Media Release: One Week Left to Nominate a Teacher for Maine Teacher of the Year

Nominate Someone Today at mainetoy.org/nominate

Current County Teachers of the Year Release Video Encouraging Nominations

Maine communities have one week left to nominate a teacher for 2024 County Teacher of the Year and 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine announced that nominations were open at the start of the month and have already received hundreds of nominations from across the state. Maine’s current County Teachers of the Year released a new video on social media encouraging people to nominate an outstanding teacher today. You can view the video here.

“Maine is home to amazing teachers who educate, inspire, innovate, nurture, and go above and beyond each and every day for their students, schools, and communities. The Maine Teacher of the Year program recognizes the extraordinary contributions of educators across our state and gives them a megaphone to share the great things happening in Maine public schools. Please nominate an outstanding teacher in your life today,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

Nominations can be made through a form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website through 5:00 pm on January 31, 2021. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations (self-nominations, and nominations from family members are not accepted).

Requirements:

Hold the appropriate professional certification for their teaching position;
Be a certified, in good standing, PK-12 teacher in a state-accredited public school, including a career and technical education and adult education center, a public charter school, or a publicly supported secondary school (a private school that enrolls 60 percent or more publicly funded students, sometimes referred to as “town academies”);
Be actively teaching students at least fifty percent of the workday at the time of nomination and during their year of recognition.
Maintain their teaching position and remain in the county for which they are selected throughout the year of recognition.
Have a minimum of five years of teaching – three of which are in Maine.

“I can’t begin to tell you what an incredible journey this has been for me. More than once I’ve said, ‘Every educator should have this experience.’ Everyone knows an outstanding teacher. Nominate them and change their lives,” said Sharon Gallant, teacher at Gardiner Area High School and 2023 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year.

“Being nominated for Lincoln County Teacher of the Year began a journey that changed my life and celebrated my school and my district. There are so many astoundingly wonderful teachers in Maine. Nominate one and start the journey afresh,” said Edith Berger, a teacher at Miller School in RSU 40/MSAD 40 and 2023 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year.

“This process has been one of the most unimaginable ones I’ve ever had the opportunity to be a part of. I’m endlessly thankful to be a part of this outstanding family since May 10th, 2023. These people are extraordinary in every way possible. I’m sure you know a wonderful educator–nominate them today! Help recognize the stellar work happening in Maine classrooms,” said Miranda Engstrom, a teacher at Lamoine Consolidated School and 2023 Hancock County Teacher of the Year.

“This experience has completely changed the way I think about myself as a teacher. It forced me to step out of my comfort zone, helped me find my voice, and introduced me to some of the most amazing educators and friends that I have ever met. I’m so excited to meet, support, and learn from the 2024 cohort of Maine County Teachers of the Year,” said Lacey Todd, a teacher at Mountain Valley Middle School and 2023 Oxford County Teacher of the Year.

“Life changing. Seriously life changing. Nominate an amazing teacher today,” said Joshua Chard, a teacher at East End Community School in Portland and Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Beyond serving as advocates for education, Maine’s County and State Teachers serve as advisors to the Maine DOE and state-level education stakeholders across Maine. Additionally, County and State Teachers of the Year join a cohort of teacher leaders who actively work together for the betterment of education in Maine. They also receive ongoing professional learning and participate in many state and county leadership opportunities.

The 2024 County Teachers of the Year will be announced in May. The 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 county honorees. Through a selection process designed by educators, the field will be narrowed to semi-finalists and then state finalists before the Maine Teacher of the Year is announced by Maine’s Education Commissioner at a school assembly in the fall. Each year, State and County Teachers of the Year are honored at the annual Teacher of the Year Gala also held in the fall.

On behalf of, and in partnership with Maine Department of Education, the Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college, career readiness, and increased educational attainment. Funding is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River Co., Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine Lottery, the Silvernail Family, and Unum, with support from the State Board of Education and the Maine State and County Teacher of the Year Association.

“Educate Maine is proud to administer the Maine Teacher of the Year program in partnership with the Maine Department of Education,” said Dr. Jason Judd, Educate Maine Executive Director. “Our County and State Teachers of the Year represent the outstanding work taking place in classrooms across our state. This program is dedicated to celebrating educators, enhancing their recognition, cultivating a network of teacher leaders, and amplifying their voices to strengthen the teaching profession in Maine.”

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is committed to a nomination and selection process that ensures people of all backgrounds are represented. Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education champion that commitment by encouraging the nomination of educators from all culturally diverse experiences and backgrounds.

Through the generous support of Maine businesses, there is no cost to the local district when the Teacher of the Year is out of the classroom on their official duties, which includes representing educators state-wide and nationally through safely distanced in-person and virtual events that highlight the important work of Maine schools, communities, and educators.

For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit the Maine Teacher of the Year website. Help us promote the Teacher of the Year Program by using the promotional materials on our website!

Media Release: Mills Administration Announces $10 Million in Literacy Grants for Maine Schools

Grants Support the Development, Expansion, and Enhancement of Evidence-Based Core Literacy Instruction and Targeted Interventions for Maine Students

The Mills Administration announced a $10 million literacy grant opportunity for schools to support the development, expansion, and enhancement of evidence-based core literacy instruction and targeted interventions for Maine students. These literacy grants through the Maine Department of Education (DOE) are intended to build the capacity of year-long, core literacy instruction for all students and support core literacy instructional components, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Grant funds can be used by schools to compensate educators for participating in evidence-based literacy professional learning opportunities and internal instruction and program review processes, for professional learning opportunities on evidence-based literacy practices, to train instructional coaches, and to purchase evidence-based literacy materials.

“Literacy is a foundational skill that enables students to thrive in school, work, life, and as citizens in our democracy. This investment in literacy will help schools and educators provide all students in Maine with evidence-based core literacy instruction and interventions. It’s an investment in the future of our state,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

The grants were developed following the work by a Maine DOE workgroup of literacy specialists to analyze early literacy programs in Maine to understand better which assessment measures, programs, resources, evidence-based practices, and educator supports have yielded strong student growth. The Maine DOE workgroup created recommendations, which were provided to the Maine Legislature in December 2022. This $10 million grant initiative was designed out of LD 1526, which was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, to increase student reading proficiency in Maine.

“The literacy grant the DOE is providing is giving schools the opportunity to participate in the much needed and requested professional development around the science of reading. These funds will allow us to provide vital training in this area and the opportunity to purchase classroom materials for literacy instruction. In RSU14, this means we can train more staff than we budgeted for using local funds. We are grateful to have this opportunity to support our staff,” said Christine Hesler, Director of Curriculum for RSU14.

“The Maine DOE literacy grant is a great opportunity for many districts to reach their goal of all students becoming readers. Through providing professional development, purchasing additional resources and materials that are focused on research-based literacy strategies, this goal is attainable. These funds will supplement the financial investment districts already commit to literacy instruction,” said Deb McIntyre, Executive Director of the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association.

The grants also build off extensive efforts by the Mills Administration to strengthen child literacy skills in Maine, including investing $10 million through the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan to create and expand pre-k programs across Maine. In 2022, the Maine DOE released, Literacy for ME 2.0, a revamped state literacy plan grounded in research-based literacy practices and organized around key components central to building comprehensive literacy programs.

Recognizing the vital importance of foundational literacy development and in response to school system inquiries related to early literacy program development, the Maine DOE and a team of Maine educators and educational partners, developed guidance to support School Administrative Units in designing and implementing systematic and explicit early literacy instruction. This guidance is designed as a supportive tool for early elementary educators, administrators, and literacy leadership teams to reflect on current practices and to potentially adjust educational design to support high-quality and evidence-based early literacy learning for all PreK to Grade 3 students. The Maine DOE also provides interdisciplinary instructional programming and resources around literacy for pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade.

The Maine DOE has obtained a preschool development grant through the federal government to support professional learning in birth through grade three literacy practices grounded in science and the Department is working to secure access to on-demand literacy modules that cover a wide variety of literacy content grounded in science for elementary educators, including content related to brain development, instructional practices connected to the essential components of reading and writing, dyslexia, and multilingual learners.

Last month, the Mills administration expanded the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, with 4,500 eligible Maine children currently receiving free, high-quality, age-appropriate books through the program. The Maine DOE recently announced a partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books to provide Welcoming Libraries to 16 schools across Maine, with each library containing 60 books featuring stories of immigrant families and the diversity of America. The Maine DOE also hosts the Read to ME Challenge every February to encourage adults to read aloud to children and Read to Ride Summer, a contest that qualifies students who read at least 500 minutes over the summer a chance to win one of 48 donated bikes and helmets.

The DOE has also created several literacy-related educator groups, for educators and education organizations across Maine to share and develop resources and guide the state’s literacy work, including the State Literacy Team, Maine Association for Improving Literacy (MAIL) Network, State Dyslexia Advisory Group, Screening Project & Dyslexia Plan, and the Higher Education Pre-Service Literacy Faculty Group. These groups also share information, facilitate text studies, and offer training related to dyslexia awareness, the Science of Reading, the neuroscience of the reading brain, systematic and evidence-based Tier I instruction to lower special education referral rates, support for striving readers, alignment and collaboration between general and special education for IDEA, and inclusive literacy instruction for students identified as having specific learning disabilities.

Literacy grants will be allocated to school administrative units (SAUS) and Education in Unorganized Territory (EUT) schools based on a formula model and the Maine DOE will be contacting SAUs & EUT directly through the Grants4ME platform with more information about their participation in the literacy grant program. Federal emergency relief funding was used to support these grants.

Media Release: Maine DOE Awards $300,000 in Climate Education Professional Development Grants

Grants Allow Maine Schools to Partner with Climate and Environmental Community Organizations to Strengthen Climate Education for Students

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) awarded $300,000 in climate education professional development grants to support partnerships between 14 school administrative units (SAUs), schools, and community organizations to strengthen climate education opportunities for students across Maine.

Grant funding will allow educators to learn from experts and organizations that have created, sustained, and grown outdoor and environmental education opportunities and programs that are tailored to their local region’s assets and needs. Educators will be able to bring what they’ve learned back to their classrooms and schools to expand innovative and engaging climate education opportunities to more Maine students.

“These grants provide Maine educators and schools with the tools, resources, and partnerships they need to provide students with engaging, hands-on climate and environmental education. From the mountains to the coast, Maine has enormous natural resources for students to explore and learn from so they can be effective environmental stewards and leaders,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

School Union 93, Central High School in Corinth, Fryeburg Academy, Greenville Consolidated School, Saco, Biddeford and Dayton Schools, RSU 12, and Vinalhaven and North Haven Schools all received grants in this first round of funding. They plan to engage in the following programming:

All five schools in School Union 93 will partner with Maine TREE and the Woodlawn Museum this spring on interdisciplinary climate education instruction, a district-wide climate education plan, and professional learning about Project Learning Tree for Pre-K through 8th grade students.
Central High School will partner with Hirundo Wildlife Refuge to run professional development programming on Pushaw Stream. Teachers will learn about forest ecology, macroinvertebrate sampling, as well as receiving Educational Trip Leaders and Wilderness First Aid certifications. These will all be combined to enable Central High School teachers to guide students on and around the Pushaw Stream waterways.
Fryeburg Academy will partner with a wide range of community-based organizations throughout the Western Maine Region and New Hampshire, with teachers working with partners individually and in small groups to design projects and curriculum for students in and out of the classroom.
Greenville Consolidated School will partner with the Rural Aspirations Project to create elementary and middle school place-based science maps, align their curriculum, and design middle school climate intensive units.
Saco, Biddeford, and Dayton Schools will collaborate with the Ecology School, with one cohort of teachers meeting virtually during the spring to cover climate change-specific content areas and align them with the curriculum and a teacher institute in June that will bring together teachers from all three schools to cover climate change content and design curriculum for the fall.
Sheepscot Valley RSU 12 educators will participate in a three-day professional development workshop with community partner Friends of Cobbossee Watershed. Educators will adapt and align existing watershed-specific curriculum with school standards and develop a rich foundation of region- and lake-specific environmental and climate content knowledge for use in the classroom.
Teaching Resilience: Professional Development for Climate Curricula is a program Vinalhaven and North Haven Schools have designed with community partner Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. This program will build teacher capacity and curriculum for both schools to engage meaningfully with local community partners on student projects.

“Teachers of School Union 93 are excited to collaborate with community partners to develop and deliver a professional development program to educate teachers on climate change, its impact on the environment and surrounding peninsula, and how to instruct students to explore climate-related topics. This work will result in a Union-wide climate education plan that will serve as an everlasting resource for the schools on the peninsula,” said Dawn McLaughlin, Assistant Superintendent of School Union 93.

“Maine (TREE) is ecstatic to work with School Union 93 to bring climate and forest-based education to schools on the Blue Hill Peninsula. This collaboration between the School Union, Maine TREE, and Woodlawn Museum will provide a long-lasting impact on the students in the region and provide a model for how to develop regionally designed climate education programming for students in rural parts of Maine,” said Logan Johnson, Executive Director of the Maine Timber Research & Environmental Education Foundation (Maine TREE).

“Although educational research shows that an interdisciplinary and project-based approach offers many advantages, especially when it comes to the study of global issues such as climate change, there are significant challenges to meaningful implementation in the classroom, coordination across the faculty, and engagement with the community. At Fryeburg Academy we immediately recognized the value of this grant for closing some of those gaps,” said Dylan Harry, Director of Outdoor Learning and Research Center at Fryeburg Academy.

“Teaching students about the environment that they live in is vital. Part of that teaching comes in the form of climate education.  Climate changes greatly impact each and every one of us in one way or another. Having the opportunity for hands-on, experiential learning brings these issues to the forefront for students. I am excited to work with a team of local experts, both environmental and educational, on designing a curriculum that brings more awareness of Climate Change and its impact on our lakes, ponds, and rivers to the students,” said Jana Diket, Middle School Teacher at Windsor Middle School.

“The Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed is really pleased to be partnering with RSU 12 and the Maine State YMCA Camp on this Climate Education Professional Development.  With the challenges we are experiencing due to the effects of climate change, we are excited to bring together educators from across the region to form a network for ideas and best practices. Utilizing the watershed lands and waters as the classroom brings the power of experiential and hands-on teaching pedagogy into the hands of the teachers on the front lines,” said Tom Mullin, Executive Director of Friends of Cobbossee Watershed.

“RSU 64 in Corinth is excited and grateful to have received funding to provide professional development to our staff through the Climate Change Grant offered by Maine DOE. We will be holding training in Wilderness First Aid and for the certification as an Educational Trip Leader for up to 20 of our staff and from RSU 34 as well. This is a critical need for us because we have a very active outdoor community in our towns and we want to capitalize on those interests by opening the door to water-based activities for students,” said Dr. Rad Mayfield, Principal of Central High School.

“The Climate Education Professional Development Partnership offers our schools an amazing opportunity for teacher collaboration and student learning.  Vinalhaven School, North Haven School, and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership will all work together, thanks to the financial support from the [Maine DOE] Office of Innovation. I look forward to seeing the project implementation in the coming months,” said Monte Selby, Superintendent of Vinalhaven School.

Maine continues to be a leader in outdoor learning and climate education. The Maine DOE’s Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) initiative, funded through a $16.9 million federal grant, has supported the expansion of outdoor education classrooms, programs, professional learning, partnerships, and spaces across the state. Schools across Maine utilized federal relief funding to expand outdoor learning spaces and programs. Governor Mills’ Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative has provided thousands of Maine middle and high school students with coastal and inland forestry learning and career exploration opportunities during the summer. The Maine DOE recently hired a Climate Education Specialist to support and expand this work with educators, schools, and community partners across the state. You can learn more about the Maine DOE’s climate and outdoor education work here.

The grant initiative was designed out of LD 1902, which was passed by the Legislature in 2022 and signed by the Governor to establish a pilot program to encourage climate education in Maine public schools. Priority was given to communities historically underserved by climate education, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, and interdisciplinary, place-based, and project-based learning activities. A second climate education RFA will be announced early in 2024.

Media Release: Hampden and Caribou Students Selected for United States Senate Youth Program

Students to Attend Washington Week Trip, Receive $10,000 Scholarship

Maine high school students Ryan Hafener and Claire Elizabeth Ouellette were selected to represent Maine during the 62nd annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) Washington Week from March 2-9, 2024. Ryan Hafener of Hampden and Claire Ouellette of Caribou were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation. Each delegate will also receive a $10,000 college scholarship for undergraduate study.

The USSYP was created by Senate Resolution 324 in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundations since inception. Originally proposed by Senators Kuchel, Mansfield, Dirksen and Humphrey, the Senate leadership of the day, the impetus for the program as stated in Senate testimony is “to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government, learn the caliber and responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials, and emphasize the vital importance of democratic decision making not only for America but for people around the world.”

Each year this extremely competitive merit-based program provides the most outstanding high school students – two from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity – with an intensive week-long study of the federal government and the people who lead it. The overall mission of the program is to help instill within each class of USSYP student delegates more profound knowledge of the American political process and a lifelong commitment to public service. In addition to the program week, The Hearst Foundations provide each student with a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to continue coursework in government, history and public affairs. All expenses for Washington Week are also provided by The Hearst Foundations; as stipulated in Senate Resolution 324, no government funds are utilized.

Ryan Hafener, a senior at Hampden Academy, serves as the student representative on the Maine state Board of Education and co-chairs the Maine Department of Education’s Student Cabinet. He has interned in the Office of Policy and Government Affairs at the Maine Department of Education and currently interns for a state-level legislative campaign committee. Ryan is an alumnus of a climate policy intensive run by Maine’s governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future focused on workforce development in the clean energy sector. He is the president of the Hampden Academy Student Council and serves as a student representative on the Regional School Unit 22 School Board. Ryan is a member of the National Honor Society and serves on the GLSEN National Student Council, which is an an LGBTQ+ education nonprofit. In 2022 and 2023, he participated in Seeds of Peace, an international leadership and peacebuilding organization that brings together youth from areas of conflict. Ryan plans to major in political science or international affairs at Bowdoin College. He hopes to continue his work on political campaigns in the future to help fight for the issues he and so many champion: education, human rights, infrastructure, and delivering for rural communities.

Claire Ouellette, a senior at Caribou High School, serves as the president of the Student Council and National Honor Society. She is a band section leader, varsity cheerleading captain, Senior Class vice president, Key Club treasurer, and Tri-M Music Honor Society vice president. She has been named English Student of the Year and AP U.S. History Student of the Year, and been awarded for both Math and Performing Arts Academic Excellence. Claire is very active in community service including Relay for Life, Little League, Vacation Bible School, Wintergreen Art Center, Athletic Boosters, and the Caribou Community School Music Program. She is currently employed at a local daycare. She hopes to major in accounting at the University of Maine and return to her hometown area.

Chosen as alternates to the 2024 program were Nina Dabas, a resident of Winslow, who attends Maine School of Science and Mathematics and Nathaniel Wayne, a resident of Brunswick, who attends Brunswick High School.

Delegates and alternates are selected by the state departments of education nationwide and the District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity, after nomination by teachers and principals. The chief state school officer for each jurisdiction confirms the final selection. This year’s Maine delegates and alternates were designated by Pender Makin, Commissioner of Education.

During the program week, the student delegates will attend meetings and briefings with senators, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, and leaders of cabinet agencies, among others.

In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top one percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors.

Now more than 6,100 strong, alumni of the program continue to excel and develop impressive qualities that are often directed toward public service. Among the many distinguished alumni are: Senator Susan Collins, the first alumnus to be elected U.S. senator; Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of South Bend Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, the first alumnus to be appointed as a cabinet secretary; former Senator Cory Gardner, the second alumnus to be elected U.S. senator and the first to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the first alumnus to be elected governor; former Chief Judge Robert Henry, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit; former Ambassador to West Germany Richard Burt and former presidential advisors Thomas “Mack” McLarty and Karl Rove. Additional notables include former Lt. Governor of Idaho David Leroy, former Provost of Wake Forest University Rogan Kersh, military officers, members of state legislatures, Foreign Service officers, top congressional staff, healthcare providers and other university educators.

Members of the U. S. Senate Youth Program 2024 annual Senate Advisory Committee are: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, the 2024 USSYP Democratic Co-Chair and Senator John Barrasso, M.D. of Wyoming, the 2024 USSYP Republican Co-Chair. The full USSYP Senate Advisory Committee consists of the vice president of the United States and the Senate majority and minority leaders who annually serve as the program’s Honorary Co-Chairs; two senators, one from each party, serving as acting Co-Chairs who each have keynote speaking roles, and an eight-member bipartisan Senate panel, four senators from each party, who lend their names in support. Serving on the Advisory Committee for the upcoming program are: Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, Senator Alex Padilla of California, Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama, Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

For more information please visit: http://www.ussenateyouth.org

Media Release: Honor Maine Teachers – Nominations Open for Maine Teacher of the Year

The Teacher of the Year journey starts with your nomination. Nominate someone from your town, county, or region today at http://www.mainetoy.org/nominate

Statewide, ME – The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine announced that nominations are now open for the 2024 County Teachers of the Year and 2025 State Teacher of the Year. Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine.

Nominations can be made through a form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website now through 5:00 pm on January 31, 2024. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations (self-nominations, and nominations from family members are not accepted).

Requirements:

Hold the appropriate professional certification for their teaching position;
Be a certified, in good standing, PK-12 teacher in a state-accredited public school, including a career and technical education and adult education center, a public charter school, or a publicly supported secondary school (a private school that enrolls 60 percent or more publicly funded students, sometimes referred to as “town academies”);
Be actively teaching students at least fifty percent of the workday at the time of nomination and during their year of recognition.
Maintain their teaching position and remain in the county for which they are selected throughout the year of recognition.
Have a minimum of five years of teaching – three of which are in Maine.

“Educate Maine is proud to administer the Maine Teacher of the Year program in partnership with the Maine Department of Education,” said Dr. Jason Judd, Educate Maine Executive Director. “Our County and State Teachers of the Year represent the outstanding work taking place in classrooms across our state. This program is dedicated to celebrating educators, enhancing their recognition, cultivating a network of teacher leaders, and amplifying their voices to strengthen the teaching profession in Maine.”

Media Contact: Kaitlin Young, Educate Maine at kaitlin@educatemaine.org

Governor Mills Announces $985,000 in Grants to Recruit, Train and Retain Maine Educators

Grant awards to six Maine schools will significantly expand educator apprenticeship opportunities

Governor Janet Mills announced this week that her Administration has awarded six schools a total of $985,000 to recruit, train, and retain educators through pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pilot programs. Associate Commissioner of Labor Samantha Dina and Associate Commissioner of Education Megan Welter announced the awards during a Zoom press conference.

The initiative, funded in part by Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan and unveiled earlier this year, is part of a larger effort by the Mills Administration to connect employers with a skilled workforce and workers with career opportunities.

The awards will be used to train nearly 200 new and existing educators in 12 counties across the state – with a focus on building pathways for multilingual individuals, people with disabilities, and people of color and rural communities to increase representation among Maine’s educator workforce. The six institutions of education receiving awards are:

Brunswick School Department – $105,000
MSAD 1 / RSU #79 – $75,000
RSU #34 – $249,000
Portland Public Schools – $250,000
University of Maine Farmington – $144,000
University of Southern Maine – $162,000

The six schools awarded funds will partner with the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program to pilot new educator apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.

“As the daughter of a longtime public school teacher, I understand the deep and lasting impact that teachers have on their students, schools, and communities,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Helping Maine educators advance and grow in their careers is not only good for them, but it is also good for our students and can lead to better outcomes for everyone in the long-term. I am pleased we are putting funds from my Jobs Plan to use to help Maine schools find the teachers they need and support educators on the path to fulfilling careers as they make a difference in the lives of our children.”

Registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships are highly effective tools for workers to build their skill set and connect to high-wage careers and for employers to recruit and retain workers.

The Maine Apprenticeship Program currently has 1,382 apprentices and 411 participating businesses, with the program continuing to grow, including more than 30 educator apprentices through two distinct programs funded by the Governor’s Jobs Plan – Gorham School District in partnership with Southern Maine Community College and University of Southern Maine, and Washington County Community College in partnership with MSAD 37.

The initiative expands a program launched last year at Washington County Community College and the Gorham School District. The program was created after the Maine Department of Education last year released its Teach Maine plan, in partnership with educators and stakeholders, to bolster the teacher workforce through innovative recruitment and retention strategies, including programs like apprenticeships. With encouragement from the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, Maine joined several other states in launching apprenticeships in educator occupations with new programs at Washington County Community College and the Gorham School District.

This expansion of teacher apprenticeship programs is supported by Federal funding, including $375,000 through the Governor’s Jobs Plan.

“The Maine Department of Labor works with employers to fulfill their workforce needs and works to connect Maine’s people to high quality jobs. One way that we do this is through mutually beneficial registered apprenticeships,” said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor. “Registered Apprenticeship is an excellent training model for schools to use, as it supports those already working in Maine’s schools to advance down the path of becoming a certified teacher, while continuing to earn an income.”

“The Maine Department of Education is committed to ensuring that everyone who wants to become a teacher in Maine has a pathway into the profession and is supported in the classroom. Teacher apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships offer a meaningful pathway to recruit, prepare, and support aspiring educators and we are excited to see these programs expanded across our state,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education.

The Maine Departments of Labor and Education accepted applications from organizations through September 25, 2023. Fifteen applications were received, and funding was awarded with a focus on increasing representation in the education sector among rural communities, people of color, and multilingual learners.

This investment is the latest by the Mills Administration to strengthen Maine’s workforce and create good-paying jobs in rewarding careers. It builds on the Mills Administration’s commitment to addressing systemic challenges that have constrained Maine’s ability to grow and thrive, with priority focus on investments to grow and develop Maine’s workforce.

This grant funding also builds on the investment of $12.3 million awarded to expand apprenticeship through the Governor’s Jobs Plan and other Federal funds.

Apprentices in Maine who completed their program in the last two years increased their wages, on average, by nearly 40 percent. Nationally, 91 percent of apprentices continue their employment with their apprenticeship sponsoring business once their training is complete.

Maine people or businesses interested in registered apprenticeships can check out videos of apprentices and employers in action, easily find information about how the program works, and use the map to find an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship near you on the overhauled website: www.maine.gov/apprenticeship.

The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is the Governor’s plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.

Since the Jobs Plan took effect in October 2021, the Mills Administration has delivered direct economic relief to nearly 1,000 Maine small businesses, supported more than 100 infrastructure projects around the state to create jobs and revitalize communities, and invested in workforce programs estimated to offer apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 22,000 Maine people.

For more about Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, visit maine.gov/jobsplan. For more about Maine’s apprenticeship program, please visit here.

Media Release: Maine DOE Podcast Highlights Strategies to Support Staff and Student Wellbeing

Educators Discuss the Strategies They Learned Through a Neuroscience-Based Approach Through the DOE’s Partnership with The Regulated Classroom

On the latest episode of her What Holds Us Together podcast, Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin talked with three educators about the strategies they learned through the Maine DOE’s partnership with The Regulated Classroom to improve staff and student wellbeing, increase student engagement, and help with regulation.

Special education teacher Jenn Whitney, second grade teacher Cecilia Dube, and first grade teacher Sierra Blake were among the 600 Maine teachers trained as trainers in the Regulated Classroom approach, and they shared how they are using the research-based tools and techniques in their classrooms and training other educators on wellbeing and regulation strategies.

“We continue to hear that student behavior, mental health, and dysregulation create some of the biggest barriers to success in the classroom. The Maine DOE offers several programs for student and staff wellbeing, and I loved talking to three educators who were part of a cohort for one of those programs called The Regulated Classroom. This program leverages what we know about neuroscience and the parasympathetic nervous system, offering practical strategies to help students engage in the learning process,” said Makin during her introduction to the podcast episode.

On the podcast, the educators discussed the techniques and strategies they are using and the results they are already seeing for themselves, other staff, and students. The educators report increased wellbeing, attendance, and engagement at their schools.

The COVID-19 pandemic took a tremendous toll on educator and student wellbeing, with educators reporting increased numbers of dysregulated students, stress, and classroom disruptions. Many educators feel overwhelmed by these pandemic-induced behavioral issues. The Regulated Classroom utilizes a neuroscience-based approach to help educators create calm, engaged, and supportive learning environments by cultivating conditions for felt safety. Felt safety references a regulated state in the body’s stress response system.

The program helps educators recognize and manage their own stress levels. It also helps educators manage increased levels of stress in students, which can be displayed as aggression, poor impulse control, limited attention span, and lack of motivation. Educators received access to a collection of practices and sensory tools to embed into daily routines and activities to promote a more regulated and stable environment for learning. This program supports student achievement and increased job satisfaction for educators.

Listen on Apple, Spotify, or other major podcast platforms.