Category: Newsroom Articles

How Morse High School is Bringing Career Exploration, Experience, and Learning to Its Students

“My role is to provide students at Morse High School with meaningful, real-life work/career exploration experiences to better prepare them for Maine’s workforce,” said Morse High School Extended Learning Coordinator Scott Stinchcomb.

Stinchcomb is one of a growing number of Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinators working in schools and districts across Maine who all aim to set up intentional career/work experiences and coordinate efforts for students’ to experience and learn about different jobs, career paths, and work opportunities available here in Maine and beyond.

“The best part of my day is supporting students and listening to their workplace experiences and to see them growing and developing in real time,” he added.

As part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP), Governor Mills recently announced $25 million toward paid work experiences for Maine students during a visit to Morse High school. “The energy and positive enthusiasm surrounding this event was amazing,” said Stinchcomb. “It also brought much attention to the value and importance of our Extended Learning Opportunities Program.”

Morse High School has only recently gotten its extended learning program up and running but they have already placed 10 students into career exploration. So far, Stinchcomb has really enjoyed working to set up placements for his students within the local business community – he says the support has exceeded his expectations. He explains that these employee related experiences allow Morse High School students the opportunity to acquire and develop crucial career ready skills to ensure their success.

“This experience is helping me by giving me a better idea of where my future career opportunities stand,” said Libbi Wallace, a senior at Morse High School and participant in the ELO Program. “I am able to test the waters and see if this is something I could do for the rest of my life,” added Wallace who hopes to one day open and operate an early childhood education program.

In addition to placing students, Morse High School is also planning bus tours for students to visit multiple businesses and they are also in the process of planning a Career Fair, Financial Fitness Fair, and Hiring Fair for the Spring. They are also planning on inviting in potential speakers and exploring many more career exploration experiences for students this year.

According to Stinchcomb however, they definitely couldn’t do it all alone. Morse High School is working with a collaborative including Mt. Ararat, Brunswick High School, the Southern Mid Coast Chamber, Mid Coast Youth Center, Retail Association of Maine, the Maine Department of Education, Maine Tourism Association, Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG), and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development.

“It has been a very effective and productive model to support these ELO Programs,” added Stinchcomb who also wants to thank Bath area business/community partners Terri Crocker of the Creative Play Childcare, Hair Creations, Riverview Physical Therapy, Mid Coast Youth Center, Darlings (Brunswick), and Bath Animal Hospital to name a few businesses. He is also grateful to a number of individuals such as Patrick Manual (RSU1), Eric Varney (Morse HS), Maria Morris (JMG), Rick Wilson (Maine DOE), Doug Ware (Mt. Ararat), Cory King (Southern Mid Coast Chamber) and the entire Regional Collaboration Group. Along with state-level leaders who have helped secure funding for the ELO Program.

“The benefits emerging is the undeniable strengthening of our future Maine workforce and ensuring the success of our students, our local businesses, and the State of Maine economy,” said Stinchcomb.

Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) are hands on, credit bearing courses outside of the traditional classroom with an emphasis on community-based career exploration. These opportunities are personalized for students and help them explore options for their professional lives. They help students engage in learning through instruction, assignments, and experiential learning. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has made a concerted effort to provide working models, support, and funding opportunities for Maine schools to set up ELO programs within their school communities. To learn more about Maine’s initiatives with extended learning opportunities, visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/learning/elo or reach out to Maine DOE ELO Coordinator Rick Wilson at rick.wilson@maine.gov.

Nominations Open for 2023 Claudette and John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award

The Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA), an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, is accepting nominations for the 2023 Claudette and John Brassil Distinguished Educator Award.

The purpose of this award is to recognize exceptional English language arts and literacy teachers who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, contributions to the profession, and commitment to the community.

For more information about the award, including how to submit a nomination, please visit: https://www.mainecela.org/brassil-award.html

Nominations are due by December 10, 2022.

For more information, contact MCELA.

Oxbow Outdoor RREV Pilot Creates New Spaces and Opportunities for RSU 9 Students 

Mount Blue Campus Instructors Jake Bogar and Travis Tierney were awarded funding for a RREV Pilot in August 2021 for an outdoor education project that aims to get students off screens and outside of traditional school building walls for a revolutionary new way of learning.

RREV stands for Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures and is an ongoing initiative of the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to fund innovative and responsive education pilots that allow educators to think outside the box, and outside Maine’s traditional education systems to respond to the unique needs of their students.

It was through this partnership with RREV, that the Oxbow Outdoor Pilot was born. It came about as a pushback toward the abundance and reliance on digital screens. “Research and other nationwide studies showed a need for outdoor and experiential learning to promote social and emotional wellbeing. This need, coupled with our uniquely situated geography/landscape of woods, waters, and mountains will seek to positively influence student and community outcomes,” as explained in the pilot’s description.

Serving students in grades 9-12 on the Mount Blue Campus, which houses Mount Blue High School and Foster Career and Technical Education Center, part of Regional School Unit (RSU) 9, the pilot will provide an interdisciplinary outdoor education program that supports student wellness and achievement. The goals of the program are to expand student-centered learning opportunities in a variety of outdoor settings; increase student engagement, motivation, and voice; provide flexible time frames based on students’ needs; collaborate with students to develop and monitor learning plans; and implement a challenging, meaningful, proficiency-based education system that transcends from the classroom into the community and the world.

“There are so many socio-economic barriers for students when it comes to participating in and accessing outdoor learning, leadership, and experiences. Our current system of traditional learning, traditional assessment, reliance on digital technology, has left many students wanting outdoor and experiential learning,” the pilot description explains.

Although the project aims to mainly serve students on the Mount Blue Campus, Bogar and Tierney expect it will reach further across their district by creating mentoring, educational, and outdoor learning experiences for younger students in the 6 other schools that RSU 9 serves.

One year into their project the team is well out of the planning stages and are beginning implementation with the help of their students. Seen in these pictures, Pre-Engineering students and Outdoor Leadership students collaborate on building and setting beams for the new yurt on the campus.

“New skills and ownership in the project have been a joy to watch,” said Tierney.

 

Like with any plan that bucks the traditional system and sets a new course (especially for a future generation of leaders), it’s not all smooth and seamless success for the Oxbow Outdoor Pilot team. Bogar and Tierney have jumped their fair share of hurdles and taken on a lot of extra work to see this project through. They report, however, that in the end it will all be worth it when they’ve set up a sustainable program that gets students learning outside and experiencing the dimensional and rich outdoor landscape of their region.

Once they are fully operational, the program will allow for two cohorts to move through the program each school year with the opportunity to earn certification in Industry Safety, Wilderness First Aid, Canoeing, and working toward their Maine Guide certification.

Bogar and Tierney tell us that there will be more to come and that things are moving fast, so stay tuned!

RREV is an initiative of the Maine Department of Education, funded by the Education Stabilization Funds through the US Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models, that bolsters Maine educators’ innovative efforts to support their students with agile, effective, and resilient learning experiences that improve learning outcomes for all students.  

Martin Mackey, the former RREV Project Director who tragically passed away in April of 2022, embodied the RREV spirit: to think and act boldly to meet the needs of students. His passion was to “change lives.” As such, he challenged each and every RREV participant to do just that as they designed pilot ideas that would ultimately have a lasting systemic impact on students.  After 18 months of leading RREV, Martin’s passion had been passed on to over 200 educators who had participated in innovation professional development. From those educators, over 40 Pilot ideas were brought to fruition and have received over $8 million in RREV awards. Through their pilot ideas, these educators have pledged to commit themselves to innovation. 

The Maine DOE encourages all schools and districts across the State of Maine to learn more about these innovative educators and their RREV pilots through the RREV website and the online RREV collaborative platform known as EnGiNE. It is through EnGiNE that we all hope to continue the Martin Momentum to change students’ lives through innovative and responsive educational programs. 

Corinth’s Central Middle School Hosts First MLTI SLAM Showcase 

Pictured: MLTI 2.0 SLAM [Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine] posing in front of Central Middle School in Corinth with a welcome sign organized by the school.)

The Maine Department of Education’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) kicked off the first of six live, in-person, all-day SLAM (Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine) showcases at Central Middle School in Corinth on October 21st. MLTI will be hosting six all-day SLAM Showcases at six different participating MLTI schools throughout the school year! One of MLTI’s goals is to provide equitable access to technology to prepare students to be critical thinkers and better global citizens. The Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine (SLAM) directly supports this work by facilitating students’ new skill acquisition and problem solving, as well as their demonstration of technology integration through the creation of a student led community. SLAM empowers MLTI students to use their provided devices and technology tools by providing a platform where students can give back and share their innovative work with technology in their schools. The live SLAM in-person showcases have been designed to directly align with MLTI’s vision that all Maine students engage in authentic, relevant, technology-rich, learning experiences that prepare them for a fulfilling future.

To prepare for the all-day SLAM events, MLTI hosted three professional developments events led by master-educator, Kern Kelley. During these summer events educators learned how to develop classroom environments that use teamwork, technology design, prototyping, and production. Each attendee received a $2,000 kit with power tools, 3D printers, robotics, and virtual workspaces to bring back to their district and support technology integration, as well as the opportunity to apply to host one of these all-day SLAM events at their school during the 2022-2023 school year.

Central Middle School’s 8th grade math teacher, Michael Roman, attended the SLAM summer professional learning and applied to host a SLAM Showcase at his school and was the lucky successful applicant who was picked to host the first show.

Kern Kelley
Kern Kelley, master-educator

Kelley began the day demonstrating to the 8th graders some of the innovative solutions that have been created using technology including the use of prosthetics that respond to muscle movement. Like with most of his presentations, Kelley included information on the cost and how to access the technology pieces that are used to put together advanced prosthetics, among other technology solutions. Kelley subscribes to the mindset that technology tools are available and at your fingertips, you just may not know they are there and how to access them.

Before sending students off to concurrent sessions for the morning, Kelley encouraged the students to think of their own ways to innovate and create using technology in ways that may not even be thought of yet.

The sessions were taught by Nokomis student SLAM club members (SLAMmers) and MLTI Ambassadors on topics such as bot coding, virtual reality, multimedia, and animation creation.

SLAMmers Katelyn, Mia, and Abby were also at the showcase taking photos and capturing video. Each aspiring to pursue photography, journalism, and videography, many of the pictures and images in this article and the video below were taken by them.

Katelyn, Mia, and Abby
Corinth Students being interviewed by SLAM
Corinth Students being interviewed by SLAM
Mr. Roman with a Drone provided to the school.

The day ended with a live stream of the SLAM Show broadcast from Central Middle School. Students had the opportunity to highlight some of their favorite parts of the day with viewers. They took a group picture with a drone, which was an exciting part of the day for everyone.

Mia and other SLAMmers also produced a video which is a re-cap from the showcase with student interviews. Check it out here:

To learn more about the MLTI 2.0 SLAM program visit: http://MLTI.me. View the latest SLAM episode on the MLTI 2.0 Youtube Channel. To sign your school or classroom up to take part in this awesome opportunity, fill out this form. Follow the Maine Department of Education on Facebook and Twitter to see a posting of the latest virtual SLAM show each week. Subscribe to the Maine DOE Newsroom to see a recap of the in-person SLAM shows each month.

Seeking Applicants for Educator Summit Coordinator Position

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking an energetic, motivated, and experienced individual to serve in the role as the Educator Summit Coordinator. The selected candidate will provide initiative, guidance, and leadership in handling the necessary responsibilities as outlined below in preparation for hosting the 2nd annual Maine Educator Summit. This position will be responsible for overseeing the development of a project timeline; maintaining a Summit budget; managing the event logistics; securing, negotiating, and executing the contract agreements associated with the Summit; and coordinating with the Maine DOE leadership (Commissioner’s office team, office directors, and the communication’s director) and logistics teams throughout the planning and implementation of the event.

This is a contracted professional service position that manages all aspects of the planning and implementation of the 2nd annual Maine Educator Summit.

REPRESENTATIVE TASKS:

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES of the Educator Summit Coordinator

Develop a timeline for Summit preparation, implementation, and evaluation.

  • Serve as DOE point of contact for all event logistics.
  • Include start and completion dates for each task leading up to and during the Summit.
  • Identify and provide clear description of duties for members of the logistics team and sub committees.
  • Facilitate two planning team meetings per month with Maine DOE leadership
      • Create agendas with timelines and action steps
      • Maintain a record of updates and progress made on the action steps
  • Provide weekly written program and fiscal updates to the Chief of Federal Programs and Associate Commissioners.
  • Secure keynote speakers and session facilitators that matches the needs expressed by the field with sessions as closely as possible.
  • Elicit the help of DOE employees for the days of the Summit and clearly define the duties thereof.
  • Continuously evaluate progress and propose necessary changes in timeline as warranted.

Facilitate ongoing communication and collaboration with the logistics team and subcommittees.

  • Provide regular updates to the DOE leadership team utilizing clear communication to establish guidelines, direction, and needed support.

Maintain a Summit budget:

  • Propose a detailed Summit budget by February 1, 2023.
  • Document all expenses, encumbrances, and incomes.
  • Maintain a drawdown document on the grant award.
  • Approve all proposed expenses for items assigned to other team members.
  • Coordinate with the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to establish the reimbursement process for all attendees regarding travel/food/lodging.

Secure and execute all Summit-related contracts, including but not limited to the following:

  • Venue
  • Caterer
  • Audio-Visual
  • Keynote Speaker(s)
  • Staging
  • Movers (as needed)

Collaborate with Maine DOE teams, including the Communications Team members to:

  • Ensure the Maine DOE website for Summit is current, attractive, and functional.
  • Develop and implement a presenter application,
  • Review and accept criteria rubric for submission, and the review and approval process.
  • Collaborate with the Chief of Federal Programs, Director of Communications and Associate Commissioners to finalize all sessions titles and descriptions by April 1, 2023.
  • In collaboration with the planning team, develop the matrices of the sessions, including locations, for all four days of the Summit.
  • Utilize the functionality of a registration and event application.
    • Obtain three estimates for the purchase of an event application to be used
  • Develop a marketing and promotional timeline for the Summit.
  • Promote the Summit using a variety of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MDOE Updates and news releases, and local papers (as deemed necessary).
  • Promote the Summit in all bi-weekly stand-up meetings of the DOE.

Liaise with venue to:

  • Outline configuration set ups and determine other needs for all rooms.
  • Determine and secure all catering needs including meals, snacks, and refreshments, honoring a variety of nutritional and preference requests of participants.
  • Be on-site the week before, during, and after the conference to handle all last-minute details, as needed (i.e., Deliveries, room set-ups/clean up, signage set up/clean up, AV set up, etc.).

Post Summit preparation:

  • Develop and finalize a post-Summit survey in coordination with the leadership team by July 1, 2023.
  • Implement and provide an analysis of a post-Summit survey for attendees and presenters by August 18, 2023.
  • Provide the analyzed feedback from surveys to DOE leadership by September 1, 2023.
  • Ensure that invoicing for expense reimbursement is allowable and timely.

Other duties as the position may require for successful completion of the Summit.

Submit weekly timecard to the Chief of Federal Programs for processing and payment, with a detailed accounting of the work performed during the previous week.

Minimum Qualifications:  To qualify, candidates must have excellent collaboration, organizational and communications skills, as well as strong budgetary oversight capabilities.

APPLICATION:  Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three current professional references with contact information to Cheryl Lang, ESEA Federal Programs Director, at cheryl.lang@maine.gov. Write “Application Materials for Educator Summit Coordinator” in the Subject line. Submissions will be accepted until 4 PM on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Reminder: Free Virtual On-Demand Financial Education Training for Maine Educators Now Available!

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College, in partnership with the Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and its sponsors, the Office of the Maine State Treasurer, and Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), is offering free online and on-demand training for Maine teachers.

The Financial Educator Virtual Academy will train Maine educators on how to successfully teach personal finance in their classrooms and communities. Educators will receive contact hours for each course module attended, and the first 100 Maine classroom teachers to complete all seven hours of training will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.

The online course offering is available starting October 12, 2022 and will close on December 16, 2022. The goal of this training is to support educators as they work to ensure that all Maine students have access to high-quality personal financial education. Maine educators can earn up to seven hours of professional development training and receive suggestions for grade-appropriate personal finance classroom resources over the duration of the virtual academy.

During the virtual academy, which features nationally known experts, participants will learn how to implement the JumpStart National Standards in K-12 Financial Personal Finance Education. These standards allow for the teaching of personal finance in an interdisciplinary or stand-alone manner.

Interested educators may register for the program with this link.

Download a flyer for distribution 

For further questions contact Maine Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy at info@mejumpstart.org

WEBINARS: Using Computer Science MOOSE Modules #CSEdWeek #MaineTeachesCS

Are you wondering how to integrate computer science into your classroom? Join Maine teachers and the DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction & MOOSE Teams to learn about using the Computer Science MOOSE modules.  The MOOSE modules are interdisciplinary, project-based modules designed by Maine teachers that introduce students to computational thinking, programming, and data science.

Elementary Webinar

Middle/High School Webinar:

For more information contact Jaime Beal Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist at jaime.beal@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Staff Jean Zimmerman and Susan Berry Honored by Maine AHPERD

The Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (Maine AHPERD) recognized Maine Department of Education (DOE) Health Education and Health Promotion Specialist Susan Berry and Maine DOE Health Education & Physical Education Consultant Jean Zimmerman for their outstanding contributions to Health Education and Physical Education in Maine. The recognition was received at the annual Maine AHPERD conference at the Samoset Resort earlier this month.

“It was the first time the organization held an in-person banquet since 2019,” said Maine DOE Director of School and Student Supports Julie Smyth, who works directly with Berry and Zimmerman. “Both Susan and Jean were unaware that the other was receiving recognition, so it was quite a special evening,” she added.

Jean Zimmerman
Jean Zimmerman

Jean Zimmerman received the Worthy of Praise Award for her leadership, involvement and service in the State of Maine to the professions of Health Education and Physical Education. Jean is the Maine DOE lead for the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey.  Jean has helped develop State documents including the 2007 and the 2022 Maine Learning Results for Health Education and Physical Education and the key concepts for Health Education and has served on the Maine AHPERD board for many years.

“Karyn Bussell, Skowhegan educator and member of the MAHPERD Awards Committee shared Jean’s long list of contributions to the field of Health and Physical Education – from her days of being the first female staff person for the St. Joseph’s College Department of Athletics to her time at the Maine DOE in her many roles supporting the field,” said Smyth of the event. “Jean received a standing ovation from the crowd of 100+.” Congratulations, Jean!

Susan Berry
Susan Berry

Susan Berry received the 2022 Distinguished Leadership Award. Susan is currently the Health Education and Health Promotion Specialist at Maine DOE. This award recognizes Susan’s lifelong commitment to Health Education in the State of Maine. Susan is involved with the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education, and she has been on the Maine AHPERD Board and served as President. Susan is a beacon of excellence, high intention, and sincere effort. The breadth and depth of Susan’s skills and passion for her work have had a huge impact on Health Educators in Maine.

As stated in the announcement my Maine AHPERD representatives, “In recognition for profoundly affecting the way the MAHPERD organization accomplishes its day to day business.  As a result of your leadership and dedication, MAHPERD has become a strong and united organization.  Your tireless efforts have strengthened our professional organization and have encouraged others to take leadership roles, prompting professionalism through work.”

Smyth reported that Berry’s entire family was in attendance to help celebrate this honor. Congratulations, Susan!

Important Survey About Outdoor and Environmental Learning At Your School!  

The 2022 Census of Community-Based Outdoor and Environmental Learning in Maine is now open for responses from teachers, principals, early childhood educators, and out-of-school educators. We hope you will take some time to participate and represent your school! Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2022CBEL to take this 20-minute survey and share your incredibly important perspective on this work.  We will be raffling off a grand prize $1000 gift card to L.L. Bean for anyone who has submitted a complete response, and weekly $250 gift cards to the Outdoor Learning Store in November. 

Results from our 2019 survey had direct positive impacts for outdoor and environmental learning in Maine and were used to: 

  • Increase funding from both state and private foundations for school programs 
  • Inform professional development opportunities for educators 
  • Justify legislative priorities, including the recently passed Climate Education bill  

The more responses we get to our 2022 survey, the better we will be able to understand and support you in your outdoor and environmental learning work in Maine so please share the survey with your colleagues. We’re looking for information to find out the status of all of these amazing projects and work in Maine, especially after the significant investment of funds by the Department of Education and others.

To take this 20 minute survey please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2022CBEL. Even if your school is not doing this type of work, please take the survey and tell us why. The survey will close on November 30th so please get your responses in soon!  

The Census is being sponsored by Teach ME Outside, a partnership of the Maine Math and Science Alliance, Maine Environmental Education Association, and the Nature Based Education Consortium. For more information about the Census and Teach ME Outside, please visit teachmeoutside.org  

 

Students From Across Maine Come Together for In-Person 2022/2023 Student Cabinet Meeting

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) convened its first meeting of the 2022/2023 Student Cabinet in mid-October. It is the first time the Department has been able to host an in-person Student Cabinet meeting since 2019.

In its 4th year, the Student Cabinet program has allowed the Maine DOE to integrate student voice into decision-making on education issues that impact their journey through Maine’s education system. In past years, students have helped in identifying mental health needs at school, raised issues of racial equity, and helped brainstorm ways to individualize learning.

Representing all 16 counites of Maine, both newly appointed students and students serving their 2nd year on the Cabinet spent the day meeting with representatives from the Maine DOE including Commissioner Makin to talk about education issues important to them and their peers. They also toured the Capitol Complex with Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and learned about local education systems from a state-wide perspective with Maine School Management Association (MSMA) Executive Director Steve Bailey. The students closed out the day participating in group activities to brainstorm ideas around project-based learning and instruction.

Student Cabinet talking with Commissioner Makin
2022/2023 Student Cabinet and members of the Maine DOE
students touring the capitol complex
students taking photos with Secretary Bellows
students touring the capitol complex

In between and during activates, the day was an excellent opportunity for students to get to know one another, talk about Maine’s education system, and share their ideas for improvement.

To learn more about the Maine DOE Student Cabinet visit the Maine Department of Education’s Website.