Maine Students Earn Honors at the National History Day

Students from across Maine impressed judges from across the globe in the National History Day (NHD) competition. NHD is an international program focusing on studying and learning history in middle and high schools. Students choose a specific topic that fits in with the year’s theme and lead an extensive research project. NHD culminates in the presenting of the students’ projects to experts from across the field of history. The theme of the 2021 NHD contest was “Communication in History: the Key to Understanding.”

Several Maine students were given the Outstanding Affiliate Award. Jillian Muller, Charlotte McGreevy, and Brittany Carrier from Buckfield Jr./Sr. High school received this award for the documentary they created titled “Communicating with Children: How Fred Rogers Approached Tough Topics with Kids.” Uyen Nguyễn from John Bapst Memorial High school was also awarded for her website “United States Involvement in the Vietnam War: The Impacts of Multimedia ON Mainstream Opinion and U.S. Foreign Policy.”

The highlight of the tournament for the state of Maine was Maya Faulstich, who took second place overall in the Individual Performance category. Maya, an eighth-grader from Frank H. Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth, drew on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to create her project “A Climate Carol.”

Maya’s project illustrates how the Keep America Beautiful campaign in the 1950s-1970s had a lasting negative influence on how the public thinks about trash and litter and highlights how the campaign continues to influence public opinion today. Maya’s second-place finish is the highest place a Maine student has taken in the category of Individual Performance on NHD. Maya’s performance can be watched below. In addition, her research and process can be read here.

The Maine DOE congratulates all students and teachers involved in the competition on such an impressive showing.

More details on the NHD completion can be found on the official press release. Extensive information on Maya’s project can be found in her recent interview.

This article was written by Maine DOE Intern Clio Bersani in collaboration with National History Day in Maine and Yarmouth School Department as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Reminder: Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) Summer Workshops

Instead of a week-long event this summer, Maine Agriculture In The Classroom (MAITC) will be holding three single day, in-person events focusing on Dairy, Aquaculture, and Wild Blueberries.

Each professional development event for PK – Grade 12 educators will offer 7 contact hours or .7 CEU’s (Total possible = 21 contact hours or 2.1 CEU’s)

Each event will start at 8:30 AM and finish at 4:00 PM. A lite breakfast, snack, and lunch will be provided at each training.

Dairy – Thursday, August 12
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

A full day of resources, lessons, and programs surrounding dairy will be provided by MAITC and the Maine Dairy Nutrition Council. In the afternoon participants will visit dairy farms, including the Flood Farm in Clinton, and experience a day in the life of a dairy farmer! Learn about silage, see a milking parlor, and learn much more about our local dairy farms!

A Day of Aquaculture – Thursday, August 19
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Join MAITC for a day of exploring aquaculture at the picturesque Downeast Institute on Beals Island. We will spend the day exploring aquaculture with hands-on activities, hosted by Dr. Anne Langston Noll. In the morning, topics include aquaculture through history, online resources for production, ocean temperatures, salinity, etc. and an introduction to aquaculture globally, in the U.S. and Maine. Later we will tour the Institute’s working shellfish hatchery, and research facilities, including spawning shellfish and (if successful!) observing fertilization and cell division, and data collection for a real-life research project piloting the farming of sea scallops in ME lobster pounds. Last but not least we will explore resources available for teachers through MAITC and our colleagues at 4H and have the opportunity to try out activities included in the 4H teacher “toolkits”. Please bring your own computer or iPad if you are able. WIFI will be available. Venue: Downeast Institute – 39 Wildflower Lane, Beals, ME 04611

Wild Blueberry Emersion – Friday, August 20
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Our day will begin at the Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant, 78 Main Street in Machias. After a lite breakfast we will join teacher Eric Brooks for exploration of MAITC Wild Blueberry resources and curricula. Representatives from the Wild Blueberry Commission will host an afternoon tour of local farms and barrens to view harvest, culture, and production of Maine’s official berry! Do you know that Maine produces more wild blueberries than anywhere else in the world? Do not miss this opportunity!

Registration Fees & Information

1 Training – $35
2-Trainings – $60
All 3 Trainings – $75

Download registration form to mail a check

Online registration

Limited space – register early! Pre-Registration only – Deadline August 6, 2021. For more detailed information, including options for accommodations please visit: https://me.agclassroom.org/programs/summer/

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) is a grassroots program coordinated by the United States Department of Agriculture, and housed at the Maine Department of Agriculture. Our goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society so that they will become citizens who support wise agricultural policies and local agriculture endeavors.

For more information visit https://me.agclassroom.org/ or contact MAITC at (207) 287-5522 or maitca@maine.gov

SAVE THE DATE: School Resource Officer Summit Aug 10th & 11th

Save the date for the School Resource Officer (SRO) Summit offered both in-person at Windham High School and virtually online. This opportunity is a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center, the Maine Department of Corrections, Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, and Restorative Justice Project Maine.

The summit will be held from 9:00am – 4:30pm on August 10th and 11th (doors open at 8:15am for check-in). Coffee and pastries will be served as well as a lunch for in-person participants. This opportunity is available to Maine school resource officers as well as district and school administrators, staff, and educators.

Key Note Addresses:

August 10th – Restorative Justice Board: A Showcase of Options for Thinking about RJ and Community Impact

August 11th – Lt. Carlos Camacho, Nashua, NH Police Department

Breakout Topics:

Racial Disparity & Equality
MOUs
EOPs
Social Emotional Learning
Behavioral Threat Assessment
Adverse Childhood Experiences 101 &102
Effective Police Interactions with Youth /Mirror Mirror Project

Registration link and further information will be forthcoming for both in person and virtual options.

Download the SAVE THE DATE flyer here.

For further questions, contact the Maine School Safety Center.

Promoting Public Pre-K Through Partnerships—A Technical Assistance Series

The Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with Governor Mills’ Children’s Cabinet, is pleased to announce a new technical assistance opportunity focused on building Public Pre-K and Community Partnerships. This 3-part series will focus on partnerships between public school administration units (SAUs) and community providers, such as private center and home-based childcares and Head Start programs. The series will:

Explore the benefits of partnering,
Examine common misconceptions about partnerships,
Identify successful steps for navigating potential barriers of partnerships, and;
Outline how to start the process of forming partnerships to establish high-quality Public Pre-K opportunities for children in Maine.

These sessions will be approximately 60 minutes each, with 45-minutes of content followed by time for questions from attendees. The sessions will be provided through Zoom and will be recorded and posted for future viewing.

Sessions are scheduled as follows:

Session 1, Wednesday August 4th from 12-1pm: Overview of High-Quality Partnerships
Session 2, Wednesday August 11th from 12-1pm: Panel Discussion with Experts in the Field Currently Engaged in Community Partnerships
Session 3, Wednesday August 18th from 12-1pm: Building a Partnership: Where to Begin

Attendees are asked to pre-register here.

For questions and clarifications, please contact:

Early Childhood Specialist: Nicole.madore@maine.gov
State Head Start Collaboration Director: Nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov
Early Childhood Monitor: Marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov

WAVES Summer Camp Esports Week: Calling All Maine Teens!

You may have heard from us back in June about WAVES Virtual Summer Camp. Since then we’ve connected with PlayVS, a safe online platform already being used by existing Maine school-based E-sports teams! We’ve adapted our E-sports week programming so Maine teens can join exciting E-sports tournaments, called July Jam, which PlayVS is hosting July 13, 14 and 15. We are eager to connect teens across Maine to prep and practice and then engage in the tournaments. Maine teens can hop onto the PlayVS platform this summer as individuals. It’s sort of like summer ball! Registration deadline for PlayVS July Jam is July 11. Check out PlayVS July Jam and register if you’re interested!

League of Legends and Rocket League are the games offered for PlayVS July Jam and the practice sessions. You are welcome to join practices and/or July Jam, whatever works for you! Practices will be hosted by esteemed E-sports coach Frank Rapp (Brewer School District). All programming is offered July 13, 14 and 15. Maine Teens’ Prep and Practice are fun and informal. The schedule is as follows:

Offering	Time	Practice Link
Rocket League	12:00-1:00	Rocket League with Maine teens here!
League of Legends	1:00-2:00	League of Legends with Maine teens here!

PlayVS’s July Jam Esports Tournaments will occur on the same days, July 13, 14 and 15, during these times:

Rocket League: 3:30

League of Legends: 4:00

Maine teens are welcome to participate in any and all offerings. Remember, to be a part of July Jam, teens must register by July 11 here: PlayVS July Jam.

Again, make sure you enroll by July 11 if you’d like to be a part of the tournament. You are welcome to join practices with Maine teens regardless, but we don’t want you to miss the deadline if you’d like to be a part of this safe and exciting E-sports tournament, which is open to interested teens nation-wide!

Educators are welcome and encouraged to incorporate WAVES Summer Camp into their students’ summer programming. Please do not hesitate to reach out to WAVES Project Director Sarah Woog (sarah.woog@maine.gov) to get involved.

Stay tuned for WAVES Virtual Summer Camp Weeks 2, 3, and 4- Design Thinking, Communicating for Impact, and Arts Weeks! And encourage your teen students to register here for WAVES Virtual Summer Camp and email updates.

School Renovation Funding Available

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications to receive funding for school renovation projects through the School Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF). The application deadline is October 29, 2021.

The Maine DOE will be able to approve approximately $45 million in SRRF loans. A portion of each loan will be considered a grant and will be forgiven. The remaining portion will be paid back over either five or ten years with no interest. The maximum loan amount is limited to $1 million per school building per priority in any five-year period.

Applications for “Priority One” and “Priority Two” projects will be accepted. Eligible Priority One projects will receive funding preference over Priority Two projects.

Priority One projects include indoor air quality improvement, structural roof repair, hazardous material abatement or removal, ADA compliance upgrades, and other health, safety and compliance renovations.
Priority Two SRRF projects include school building structures, windows and doors, and water and septic systems.

The SRRF 2022 application and additional information are available on the Maine DOE’s SRRF website. For more information or technical assistance, contact Ann Pinnette at (207) 624-6885 or email ann.pinnette@maine.gov.

Upcoming Lead Testing: Fall 2021

During the 129th Legislative Session LD 153 was passed, requiring that all school drinking and cooking water fixtures be tested for lead. The rules responsive to this statute were passed in a resolve of the current legislative session, LD 206 An Act to Strengthen Lead Testing in Maine Schools.

In accordance with the resolve, a pilot program will be launched this summer and eventually be rolled out to all schools during the 2021-2022 school year and beyond.

All schools will either need to work with their local water professional or use the provided training materials to identify water sampling locations, collect water samples, coordinate with the designated laboratory, report results, and follow up with plans/procedures/actions based on the sampling results. Schools should designate someone for this responsibility.

Watch for future correspondence from the Maine Drinking Water Program including more detailed information and instructions including webinars. For more information, please visit the Maine Drinking Water Program website at www.medwp.com/schools.html

In the meantime, if you have specific questions about the program, you can contact the Drinking Water Program at 207-287-2070.

June Wabanaki Conference Pays Tribute to 20th Anniversary of LD 291

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) hosted close to 100 educators on Saturday, June 12th for a morning-long virtual recognition event that paid tribute to the 20th anniversary of the signing of LD 291, a requirement for the teaching of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine classrooms.

“While we understand that there is still a lot of work to be done, it was important to recognize that 20 years ago this important legislation was signed,” said Joe Schmidt, Maine DOE Coordinator of Secondary Learning and Social Studies Specialist. Schmidt helped plan the June conference. “We carefully planned this event to both look to the past, recognizing how we got here, and to the present and future by providing meaningful resources to support relevant, robust, and inclusive education for our students here in Maine.”

The conference opened with a video message from Governor Janet T. Mills, remarks from Maine Commissioner of Education Pender Makin, and a keynote by LD 291 legislative sponsor, Honorable Donna Loring and featured three strands of virtual, synchronous professional learning opportunities:

Opening Remarks:	Video Message from Governor Mills View Message	Commissioner Makin & Honorable Donna Loring View Recording
Strand 1 – Wabanaki People and Culture:	Intro to MicMac Language Presenter: John Dennis View Recording	Maine Indian Policy History, Racism, and the Future of Wabanaki Tribal Sovereignty Presenter: Darren Ranco View Recording	Wabanaki Diplomacy and LD 291: Storying Protocols as Political Will Presenter: Nolan Altvater View Recording
Strand 2 – Classroom Resources:	Wabanaki Stories in Your Secondary Classroom Presenter: Margo Lukens & Ashton Carmichael View Recording	Wabanaki Studies in the Elementary classroom Presenter: Brianne & Kaya Lolar View Recording	Resources to extend knowledge of Wabanaki Culture and History Presenter: Melanie Brown View Recording
Strand 3 – Decolonization:	Towards Decolonizing Education: Settler Colonialism and Empire Building in the Classroom Presenter: Starr Kelly View Recording	Equity, Decolonization, Anti-Racism and Wabanaki Studies: Portland Public Schools’ Journey to Fulfill the 2001 Wabanaki Studies Law Presenter: Fiona Hopper View Recording	Decolonial Mirrors & Shifting the Gaze to Anti-Racist Education Presenter: Rebecca Sockbeson View Recording

Further resources from each of the presentations are available on the 2021 Wabanaki Conference webpage. The webpage also features a video message from Senator Angus King recognizing the importance the 20th anniversary of L.D. 291 and the integration of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine education.

The Maine DOE has also recently collaborated with UMaine and other state organizations on a grant to support enhanced access, utilization of Wabanaki resources and provided interactive workshops hosted by Wabanaki REACH, in addition to many other professional learning opportunities offered by Department specialists and partners throughout the past several years to assist and support schools across Maine in understanding L.D. 291 and integrating Wabanaki culture and history into education programming.

Further Wabanaki education resources and contacts can be found on the Maine Department of Education Maine Native Studies Resources webpage

We look forward to working with schools, tribes, and education partners throughout Maine to expand these important efforts. For more information or to make a connection with the Maine DOE, reach out to Joe Schmidt at Joe.Schmidt@maine.gov.

EMCC, MCCS, and Maine DOE Celebrate 88 “Badguates” in Inaugural Cohort of Learning Facilitator Program

Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), in partnership with the Maine Community College System (MCCS) and the Maine Department of Education (DOE), held a “Badguation” ceremony on June 23rd for the first class of Learning Facilitator Program completers, or “Badguates.”

In a response to critical staff shortages in Maine schools as a result of the pandemic, Governor Mills created additional flexibilities and opportunities for educators in Executive Order #7, which enabled the Maine DOE, MCCS, and EMCC to collaborate on a high quality, fast-track training program for paraprofessional level educators to expand, strengthen, and support our excellent educator workforce.

“This is emergency response at its finest, but this is also innovation at its finest where a real problem, a critical issue was presented, and everybody came to the fore to make it happen,” said Commissioner Makin during her remarks at the ceremony.

The Badguation ceremony honored the Learning Facilitators, many of whom were present during the virtual event, and featured a video message from Governor Janet Mills and remarks from EMCC faculty, EMCC President Dr. Lisa Larson, MCCS President David Daigler, Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin, and DOE Representatives.

“You participated in a new model, a new way of thinking, and learning, and leading together,” said EMCC President Lisa Larson during her opening remarks. “You’ve earned credits and credentials, and along the way you also gained some new friends and colleagues.”

“You’re not only the first, you’re also a part of building the future of our economy and you’re core to families being able to find new successes as opportunities unveil themselves through this new, ever-changing economy,” MCCS President David Daigler said to the graduates in his remarks.

“While many people were reeling and pulling inward and saying, ‘I’m just going to try to stay safe and ride this out,’ you ran into the fire like first responders. You said, ‘yep, sign me up! I’m going to go take those courses, I am going to get into this credentialing program, and I’m going to help our schools,’” added Commissioner Makin in her remarks.

The event also featured a short video showcasing written messages from program participants who shared sentiments on how they changed in positive ways throughout the program. Here are a few:

“I am happy to say I learned that if I put my mind to it then I will do it. I really wanted to learn how to write a lesson plan for my students and I did. It took a few tries before I got there, but I did.”

“I am excited to take what I have learned and apply it to the areas of my teaching. I can observe a student and know what I am looking for, I can be a better co-teacher.”

“I don’t think you will ever be able to measure the success of this program as it will continue to have a positive impact for many, many years to come.”

Offered at no cost to the participants, the Learning Facilitator Program is completed in two phases in one academic year with the ongoing support of Eastern Maine Community College faculty. Upon completion of a 3-credit “boot camp” course in phase one of the program, participants have the foundational skills necessary to fill short-and long-term substitute educator roles, as well as all paraprofessional positions. In phase two, participants engage in a combination of online work and professional learning community meetings, as well as a 315-hour structured teaching apprenticeship. When they complete the program, participants are eligible for an emergency Education Technician authorization which allows them to be employed as an Education Technician III.

For more information related to the program, please visit the EMCC website, here.

Watch the 34 minute virtual ceremony on EMCC’s YouTube Channel:

Invitation to Education Leaders to Apply NOW for Maine’s Leadership Development Program

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) invites educators to apply for a year-long professional learning opportunity. The Maine Leadership Development Program (LDP) is an initiative designed to build and strengthen leadership skills among Maine’s educational leaders. In our ongoing efforts to support and foster impactful leadership in Maine, educators who aspire to do the same are invited to take advantage of this high-impact opportunity!

Who should apply?

Current and aspiring leaders within schools, School Administrative Units (SAUs), or at the state level;
Some examples of past and current participants are teachers, principals, assistant principals, department leaders, school board members, school counselors, assistant superintendents, instruction and curriculum directors, CTE directors, DOE staff, transition coordinators, school improvement coaches, and superintendents;
Instructional coaches, K-12 deans of students, heads of schools, Title I directors, special education directors, English learner directors, CTE instructors and ESEA coordinators are encouraged to apply as well.
If you are a leader in education in Maine, this program may be a great fit for you!

What is the commitment?

Participants will attend a fall orientation on September 30, 2021, followed by 12 two full day units (virtual and in-person). Pre-work is required for each unit;
Each participant will design and develop a job-embedded action learning plan over the course of the year.

How is the program designed?

The LDP is a nationally researched (NISL), evidenced-based, locally delivered cohort model of learning that improves the practice of leadership, transforms instruction, and focuses on increasing equity and student achievement in schools;
The program is a blended learning model that includes inquiry (using research-based texts and case studies), action learning, and engaging activities and simulations with practical applications that meet the needs of leaders. Cohort members experience deep learning not only through the materials and program design, but also through lively and fulfilling content and context-based conversations with fellow participants.
Upon completion of the Maine LDP, participants will be nationally NISL certified and receive a certificate for corresponding contact hours.

I’m interested… What next?

The Maine DOE encourages educational leaders to apply today for this exciting opportunity! Prior to making the commitment, please be sure to review the schedule for the 2021-2022 Maine LDP cohort, found here;
To access more information, hear from past participants, and review application materials please visit: http://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/maineldp;
Applications are due by August 24, 2021 and require the support of a supervisor;
Half hour interviews will be scheduled after applications are reviewed;
Selected participants are expected to attend a virtual half-day orientation on September 30, 2021;
For more information please email emily.doughty@maine.gov.