Sign up for Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

Administered by the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the mission of the Civil Rights Team Project is to increase the safety of elementary, middle level, and high school students by reducing bias-motivated behaviors and harassment in our schools.

The Civil Rights Team Project recently revamped their newsletter to broaden their reach to Maine schools and community across Maine.

See the latest Issue: Winter 2021-2022 Issue of The Torch

To sign up to receive the newsletter email:

Kathryn Caulfield, Project Assistant, kathryn.caulfield@maine.gov

Brandon Baldwin, Project Director, brandon.baldwin@maine.gov

For more information about the Civil Rights Team Project, visit their website.

MLTI Virtual Student Conference T-Shirt Design Competition: MLTI Launches Space2Connect!

MLTI (Maine Learning Technology Initiative) would like to encourage students to collaborate and share the creative work taking place in their schools – with that in mind MLTI will be hosting a T-shirt Design Competition.

A panel of judges will choose a winning design. The winning design will be printed on t-shirts that will be worn by everyone at the 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference, which will be held on Thursday, May 26th virtually over Zoom.

MLTI Launches Space2Connect! is the theme for the 19th annual MLTI Student Conference. The intent of the conference theme is to reflect the many interpretations of space and connection as they relate to Maine students and their use of technology. Primary events at the conference will address concepts such as outer space and astronomy and the power of technology to enhance science. In addition, a student’s design might explore how technology connects us in physical and virtual spaces or other concepts that arise from the Space2Connect theme.

Review T-Shirt Design Competition eligibility and submission guidelines

Competition Timeline & Important Dates

Competition opens: February 1, 2022
T-shirt designs due: March 1, 2022 (no late entries will be accepted)
Finalists selected and Winner Announced: March 11, 2022.

Submit your entry with this 2022 MLTI Student Conference T-Shirt Design Competition Submission Form

For more information or answers to questions, please contact: Brandi Cota, Project Manager, Maine Learning Technology Initiative Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

South Portland Students’ Poetry Featured in Community Celebration of ‘Hope and Light’

The South Portland community celebrated the season of light and hope at the Millcreek Tree Lighting Celebration last month, featuring students from South Portland School Department reading poetry.

Hosted annually by South Portland Parks and Recreation, South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, and South Portland Human Rights Commission, the event showcases over 5 miles of lights that are strung around the various trees that grace Millcreek Park in the City of South Portland.

Families and community members enjoyed an outdoor evening wandering around Millcreek Park, listening to high school musicians sing festive tunes, warming themselves by fire pits, taking selfies with Santa, and greeting neighbors as they sipped hot cocoa and ate popcorn.

This year, the theme of light and hope was beautifully represented in the poem and essay selected to be shared that evening. Be The Light, by Mahoney Middle School student Sarah Beth Lupien and Hope and Light, by South Portland High School student Landinha Josefina were read to the crowd. Other poems which earned honorable mention were Imagine… by Victoria Mambu (written in Portuguese and English), Light and Hope by Eme Brown, and Little Firefly by Gretchen Hanley.

This year’s new element was a visual art piece introduced by the South Portland Human Rights Commission. Sputnik Animation, in collaboration with local artists Pedro Vazquez, James LaPlante, Cindy Thompson and Joe Goodwin, introduced a 20 ft. tall fabric structure which could be seen from every corner of Millcreek Park. Authentic images of light and hope from cultures around the world were aslo projected onto a screen throughout the evening. The event also collaborated with South Portland Bus Service to provide free city bus rides, to help families attend the event.

“How amazing for these students to get the chance to express themselves and their cultures through art, leadership, and performance,” said Deqa Dhalac, Maine Department of Education Family Engagement/Cultural Responsiveness Specialist. “At a time when the pandemic has separated us in so many ways, it is so wonderful to see schools and community groups look for ways to stay connected through it all.”

The evening culminated with presentations at the gazebo by outgoing mayor Misha Pride, president of the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce Alice Goodwin, as well as poems on the theme of light and hope shared by South Portland students. DJ Genius Black helped the crowd share in some collective positive energy to turn on the decorated trees around Millcreek Park.

BE THE LIGHT

Sarah Beth Lupien
Student at Mahoney Middle School

Hope is a smile
Hope is a conversation between strangers
Hope is a laugh
Hope is a positive message: Be kind, love always
Hope is a light in the dark

Light is “I’m here for you”
Light is “It will be okay”
Light is “I’ll help you”
Light is “We’ll get through this together”
Light is saying “I love you” and meaning it

So be the sun
Rise every day
And when darkness surrounds you
Find a way to shine again

So be the moon
Light up the sky
And when you can’t find your light
May other help you shine again

When you find yourself in a sea of storms
Find your power, find your hope
Find the courage to find your light
Because the light will not come
Because the light does not come
The light is already there
You are the light
So be the light
Find the hope
Be the light

Hope and Light

Landinha Josefina
Student at South Portland High School

What is hope? It is said that hope gives us the strength that we all need to overcome our sadnesses and troubles. Hope is a belief that we all must have, believing that something good will happen, something that will brighten our present and future, something that will make us happy and something that will lighten up our day. Hope comes anytime and any day to lighten up our life. Throughout the pandemics last year we didn’t get the chance to gather here like we are today and that is what I call hope.

Imagine…

Victoria Mambu
Student at Memorial Middle School

The destruction
the extinction
What it means to us
the hunger
the thirst
Imagine being in your home
and suddenly not returning
To leave the place
where you could recreate
and be reborn
only because of a being
who does not know how to live
nor understands what survives.
Knowing that the same air
the animal emanates
You also breathe

Imagine…

A destruição
a extinção
o que isso significa para nós
fome
sede
imagina você estar no seu lar
e de repente não voltar
deixar o lugar
de onde podia procriar
e renascer
só por causa de um ser
que não sabe e compreender
o que sobreviver
saber que o mesmo ar
que você respira
o animal também transpira

Light and Hope

Eme Brown
Student at Mahoney Middle School

I am walking through the Park
I see lights everywhere
Those lights give me a spark in my eye
A spark that tells me to find faith and hope
It took me a while to find it,
But eventually I did.

I have faith we will get through the pandemic together
I have hope we will have the best holiday season ever
Although we have to battle the pandemic
We will defeat it together.

Bright holidays to all
And to all of us
A hopeful night.

Little Firefly

Gretchen Hanley
Student at South Portland High School

We’ve traveled long and far
Worked tirelessly and hard
But even the strongest seemed weak at times
After all, we were blindly climbing, searching for a sign
So many fell, begging to stay
To hold on, at least until day
All that we’ve done, those who were lost
Some gave up, some couldn’t go on
We were swallowed by the dark
But through the eclipse we saw a spark
One brave soul lit the night
It wasn’t much, just a small simple light
A single firefly lead the way
A single firefly kept us awake
But that single firefly turned into more
What started with one, soon became four
Suddenly a million lights danced through the sky
So shine your light little firefly
It started so small
But it kept us alive

Sign up for the Maine App Challenge!

There’s an App for that!

Are you a student who’s interested in app design? Or a teacher looking for ways to get your students more involved with innovative processes? Consider signing up for the Maine App Challenge! Since 2015, the Maine App Challenge has provided Maine students with the opportunity to delve into the technology sector of app design and development. The Maine App Challenge is open to middle and high school students age 13+. Submissions give students a chance to win scholarships and other prizes.

To help support the development of the skills needed to be successful, The Maine App Challenge is offering free innovation workshops through the University of Maine’s Foster Center for Innovation.

The Maine App Challenge is accepting submissions now through May 15, 2022.

Download the Infographic here.

Click here for more information and details about the Maine App Challenge.

Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute 2022 – 2023

The Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute is a unique opportunity to impact your entire community! The Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute is a year-long professional opportunity for Maine schools/districts to develop a Farm and Sea to School (FSTS) program.

The Institute begins with a virtual orientation and pairing with an FSTS Coach, followed by an August 2022 Academy Program where teams learn about the 3 Cs of a FSTS program (cafeteria, classroom, community); discover the opportunities and resources in Maine; develop a vision for their FSTS program; create an action plan to implement that vision; and network with other FSTS champions!

For more information including a timeline and commitment, FAQ, contact information, and how to register visit https://www.mainefarmtoschoolnetwork.org/new-page-4.

Register NOW for 2022 Maine Virtual Career Fair

Maine’s C3 (Community Coordinators Collaborative), in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and Association of Computer and Technology Educators (ACTEM), will be hosting its second annual statewide Virtual Career Fair on March 22 – 23, 2022.

This event is designed to provide students with information from businesses representing a variety of career clusters regardless of their geographic location and to create equitable opportunities for students to explore numerous career offerings.

Live Sessions March 22 & 23, 2022
8:00 AM – 2:30 PM
2022 Schedule of Presenters – More than 125 Live 30-Minute Sessions
School Promotion Flyer
Website: ME Virtual Career Fair

This year, ME Virtual Career Fair will be open to ALL middle schools as well as high schools and CTE schools throughout the state. Interested in having your school participate? Fill out the school sign-up form.

“It is never too early to help students explore the exciting career possibilities that await them, and the new innovative use of virtual experiences for a career fair means connecting more students with more opportunities,” said Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. “I encourage all middle and high school students, with support from their schools and families, and all businesses who are looking to expand their workforce and tap into the talents that exist in our classrooms, to get involved with this exciting event.”

Maine Virtual Career Fair Highlights:

Made possible with generous grants from Unum and Bath Iron Works, the ME Virtual Career Fair will provide scholarship opportunities to schools to attend.

“The students participating in the ME Virtual Career Fair will soon be an active part of the workforce. Providing an early look into careers and professional connections can help them choose a field they are passionate about,” said Cary Olson Cartwright, Unum’s assistant vice president of corporate social responsibility. “Unum is glad to relieve some of the financial barriers and provide equitable pathways to success for students across our state.”

For more information contact Maine C3.

Teacher’s Creative Lessons on Food Insecurity Lead to Agriculture Award

Image: Manchester School Principal Danielle Donnini (left) and Fourth Grade Teacher/Awardee, Stacey Sanborn (right).

Stacey Sanborn, a fourth-grade teacher at Manchester School in Windham, has had a lifelong passion for gardening, especially as it alleviates food insecurity. She’s passed that love on to her students. It is for her innovative and creative approach that Sanborn has been awarded the Maine Agriculture In The Classroom Teacher of the Year (MAITC) Award for 2022.

The MAITC organization singled out Sanborn as a teacher who incorporates agricultural education in the classroom while at the same time, aligning it with core curriculum standards in science, math, social studies, and art. But perhaps just as importantly, Sanborn also introduces the importance of food insecurity and how it affects others’ lives.

Sanborn said incorporating gardening as part of the curriculum is important because Maine is a farming and aquaculture state, and students get to experience how much we are all a part of something bigger and how life is interrelated.

“Teaching students about agriculture helps them to develop the understanding of where our food comes from,” she said. “Students can see the importance of protecting a long Maine tradition of farming. It gets them out of the classroom and into the outdoors where the students are motivated learners with plenty of opportunity for fun and hands-on experiences.”

Her students are involved in all parts of the gardening process – from seed to harvest – and as they do so, they learn the traditional “reading, writing, and arithmetic.” Ways in which the conventional curriculum is a part of the gardening program include activities such as composting and soil experiments, pollination, keeping detailed records, data collection, and analysis to name just a few. Sanborn also points out that the social studies curriculum plays a strong role in Manchester School’s agriculture program.

“Gardening offers the guiding principles of being part of a community and being an active problem solver,” she said. “Doing something for others – even if it is something small – can have a big impact.”

Some of what the students grow, they get to sample, making some of their favorite recipes such as carrot muffins and “Amazing Carrot Soup.” What they can’t use in the cafeteria, they give to the RSU 14 nutrition program and the Windham Food Pantry. But the social responsibility the students learn in Sanborn’s class doesn’t end there.

“A former student-gardener who lived with food insecurity started their own garden at home and were so successful they were able to share produce with other families in need,” Sanborn said.

The Manchester School teacher says she feels very honored to be a part of this program and is grateful for the recognition from MAITC, however, she believes this is not her award alone.

“I must recognize a former colleague, Master Gardener, and a great mentor, Pam Lenz,” Sanborn said. “She has put so much effort into this program and is a major part of its success. Pam has helped me to achieve everything I’ve done, and it is a true partnership. She was instrumental in keeping the program going during the early days of the pandemic when schools were not meeting in person. She continued by starting seedlings, planting them in the garden, and creating gardening videos that were used as part of the remote learning experience. Pam is just as an important part of this award and I couldn’t have done it without her.”

Pine Tree District FIRST Robotics Competition to be held In-Person at Thomas College in March

The Pine Tree District FIRST Robotics Competition’s 2022 official season kicked off on January 8th with 24 teams registering to compete later this year. The event will take place from Friday, March 11th through Sunday, March 13th at Thomas College in Waterville.

After two seasons on hold from in-person competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will be in-person, with no on-site spectators.

FIRST Robotics is powered primarily by volunteers. Professionals from the community serve as mentors for high school team members. Each team is responsible for their own fundraising, and are judged on many criteria from the building of the robot to the sustainability of the team.

According to a description by First Inspires, “under strict rules and limited time and resources, teams of high school students are challenged to build industrial-sized robots to play a difficult field game in alliance with other teams, while also fundraising to meet their goals, designing a team ‘brand,’ and advancing respect and appreciation for STEM within the local community.”

The Pine Tree District FIRST Robotics Event is not affiliated with any one team, but is organized by a group of volunteers from several teams to hold the only qualifying event being held in Maine. The event is funded entirely by corporate and private donations.

For more information or to get involved as a supporter or volunteer, contact the planning committee at pinetreeregional@gmail.com, or visit www.pinetreedistrict.org.

School Librarians Invited to Apply for Innovation Grant Through New England School Library Association

The New England School Library Association (NESLA) has announced a new grant established to encourage the development of innovative projects by school librarians in K-12 schools in the New England region.

Named in honor of the late Carolyn Markuson, a longtime NESLA member and a mentor and inspiration for school librarians throughout the region, the grant will be presented annually by NESLA.

Grant Details:

Funding is up to $500.
Grant recipients will also receive an initial payment or renewal for one year’s membership in ALA and AASL.
Applications for the 2022-23 school year are due by April 2, 2022.
The successful grant award will be announced by May 31, 2022.
Projects for the 2022-23 school year begin between September 2022 to March 1, 2023, and are to be completed by April 30, 2023.

Eligibility:

Membership in NESLA (Applicants may join when applying.)
State school librarianship licensure
Projects in progress and planned projects in need of financial assistance are eligible.

Further information, including selection criteria, is available on the NESLA website.

Maine CDC Announces “Tick Wise” Poster Contest

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) announces the 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest. This contest is for Maine students in grades K-8th to raise awareness of tickborne disease prevention. The 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest theme is “Tick Wise.”

Maine CDC encourages students to show how they are “Tick Wise.” Posters should illustrate at least one of the four approaches to personal prevention:

Use caution in tick-infested areas
Use an EPA-approved repellent
Wear protective clothing
Perform daily tick checks both by sight and by touch

Maine CDC will choose one winner each from grades K-1st, 2nd-3rd, 4th-5th, and 6th-8th. One winning poster will become Maine CDC’s 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness poster. Visit Maine CDC’s Lyme Disease Awareness Month website for more information. All posters must have a signed parent consent form.

Maine CDC created free downloadable school curriculum materials for students in 3rd – 8th grades to learn about ticks. Parents and teachers can also find tickborne disease posters, brochures, and other resources to download and order here. Explore these resources to become “Tick Wise” and prevent tick bites and tickborne disease.

For more information about tickborne diseases in Maine, visit www.maine.gov/lyme. For questions about the poster contest, contact megan.porter@maine.gov.