Maine DOE Partners with Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition and RSU 14 to Host School Nutrition Staff Training

On February 18 and 19, Chef Patrick Garmon from the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition and Chef Ryan Roderick from RSU 14 joined the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition Team to provide in-depth training to school nutrition staff in Maine.

Over these two days of training in Augusta, 35 participants divided their time between hands-on training in the Maine DOE culinary classroom and traditional classroom learning.

In the culinary classroom, participants focused on vegetable preparation methods, proper food handling, food safety, and efficient use of equipment. Time in the classroom was spent learning about organizational techniques to maximize efforts, as well as better ways to market food to students by optimizing their serving lines and making foods served look more appealing.

The event was a wonderful opportunity for the Maine DOE to collaborate with the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition and local school administrative units (SAUs) to provide cutting-edge and practical training for Maine school nutrition staff. The Maine DOE Child Nutrition Team hopes to provide similar opportunities in the future.

To learn more about the resources and training opportunities provided by the Maine DOE Child Nutrition Team, please visit the team’s webpage or contact the team.

Maine DOE Seeking Paid Peer Reviewers for 21st Century Community Learning Center Program RFPs

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from individuals interested in learning more about the competitive grant process. Selected applicants will be trained to serve as peer reviewers who assist the Maine DOE in reviewing, assessing, and scoring competitive grant proposals for the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program. Peer reviewers will receive $100 per completed assigned application.

The 21^st CCLC program is a federally-funded education program that helps schools and communities to develop before-school, after-school, and summer educational programs that support students and their families. This year’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 21st^– CCLC program was released to the public on January 8, 2025. The Maine DOE anticipates receiving proposals from local education agencies, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities seeking awards under this RFP when it closes on April 2, 2025.

Qualifications for Peer Reviewers:

Peer reviewers will be selected based on their experience providing effective academic support, enrichment, youth development, and related support services for children and youth. The most qualified candidates will be individuals who have experience in the administration of high-quality youth development programs within schools and communities. Examples of the experienced individuals sought include, but are not limited to:

21st CCLC program directors and site coordinators
Teachers and principals
College and university staff
Youth development workers
Community resource providers

Required Tasks for Peer Reviewers:

Selected peer reviewers must be able to participate in online training and review grant proposals through a web-based system. Peer reviewers will work individually to read each assigned proposal and create detailed, objective, constructive, and well-written comments on approximately eight (8) proposals based on the criteria established in the RFP. These comments will be submitted to the Maine DOE prior to scheduled consensus scoring sessions. It is anticipated that peer reviewers will have a three-week window in which they can complete their individual review of assigned proposals. Following the individual review of proposals, each reviewer will be required to participate in a series of two online/virtual consensus scoring sessions hosted by the Maine DOE. It is during these consensus scoring sessions that the peer review team will score each grant proposal.

Selected applicants must complete the following tasks during the following date(s):

Task	Date(s)	Time(s)
Participate in an online training webinar.	March 31, 2025	1 – 2:30 p.m.
Review grant applications through a web-based system and provide individual, written comments on each application (which must be submitted to the Maine DOE).	April 7 – April 25, 2025	any time
Participate in online/virtual consensus scoring sessions with other members of the peer review team. (Applicants MUST be available on all four scoring days but will only be selected to participate for two days.)	April 29 – April 30, 2025 or May 6 – May 7, 2025	9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Compensation for Services:

Selected reviewers who complete the required tasks will be provided an honorarium of $100 per assigned application.

Previous participants have found that serving as a member of the peer review team is an excellent opportunity for professional development and growth. If selected, applicants will likely be exposed to new program models, strategies, and practices. These new concepts may provide ideas and support for ongoing work, as well as future grant writing efforts. Most importantly, the time given to this effort will help to ensure the funding of quality education programs for the children and families of Maine.

How to Apply:

Interested parties must contact Travis Doughty, Title IV State Coordinator, at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov to obtain a copy of the 2025 peer reviewer application and then return the completed application along with a current resume or curriculum vitae (CV).

Pursuant to Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, peer reviewers may not include any applicant, or representative of an applicant, who has or will submit a proposal in response to the current grant competition.

Deadline:

The Maine DOE will continue accepting peer reviewer applications through March 14, 2025, or until the needed positions are filled. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

For more information, please contact Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov or 207-624-6709.

Student Opportunity: Applications Open for No-Cost, Immersive Keller BLOOM Ocean Research Experience

Do you know a Maine high school junior who is interested in the ocean? If so, please consider spreading the word that the application for the free Keller BLOOM Program through the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is now open!

Enrolled students will spend one week (May 18-23, 2025) living on the Bigelow East Boothbay campus, gaining experience with advanced scientific equipment and learning from world leaders in oceanographic research.

The Keller BLOOM Program was founded by Bigelow scientist Maureen Keller to provide students with a hands-on ocean science experience. This program offers Maine high school juniors an opportunity to be immersed in a research environment, working alongside professional researchers. Through field sampling and laboratory activities, including data collection, synthesis, and analysis, participating students learn what a career as an ocean scientist involves.

Current Maine high school juniors (2024-2025 school year, including homeschooled students) are encouraged to apply by April 14, 2025. No prior research experience is necessary. Sixteen students will be selected, and Bigelow will provide chaperoned room and board. In addition to getting laboratory access, students will also get out on the water aboard Bigelow’s new research vessel, the R/V Bowditch!

Bigelow is hoping to include representation from each county in Maine in this year’s student roster. You may read more about the program and its history here.

For questions or more information, please contact Dr. Nicole Poulton at 207-315-2567 x513 or npoulton@bigelow.org.

Maine Surplus Property Sale for Educational Institutions: 50% Off of Furniture

Maine Surplus Property is currently having a 50%-off-furniture sale through March 14, 2025, for educational institutions and other qualifying organizations with a donee application on file.

Eligible donees can purchase items at Maine Surplus Property at 85 Leighton Road in Augusta Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. During the sale period, furniture will be 50% off the sticker price.

Find more information in this Maine Surplus sale flyer.

Are you not yet an approved donee? Members of the general public may purchase Maine Surplus items during the Maine Surplus Property public sale on the second Friday of each month. If you missed the original Maine Department of Education (DOE) Newsroom article with details about the Maine Surplus Property Donee Program, you can read it here.

For more information, please visit Maine Surplus Property. You can also sign up here to receive automatic updates!

Webinar Series: Promoting Positive Childhood Experiences and Resilience

Maine Youth Thriving is hosting a series of free, virtual (via Zoom) professional development sessions throughout the next ten months in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Child and Family Services.

These sessions will focus on:

How adverse and positive childhood experiences impact children’s development.
Ideas for how to support a stronger focus on positive experiences and for building resilience for young children.
Strategies for how educators can address compassion fatigue and build their own resilience.

Rotating Session Descriptions

Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers – Join this training to explore stress impact and address compassion fatigue by developing strategies that promote resilience and reconnect you with the “why ” of your work.
The Impact of Experience: How Adverse Childhood Experiences and Positive Childhood Experiences Impact Healthy Child Development – Join this training to gain a comprehensive understanding of how both adverse and positive childhood experiences sculpt the foundation of individual development and uncover the transformative potential of PCEs in nurturing the children you work with.

Schedule

Two contact hours are available per session. Registration is required, and links to each session are provided in the table below. There is no cost to attend sessions.

You may find more information here.

Date/Time	Webinar Topic	Registration Link
Monday, March 10, 6-8 p.m.	Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers	https://maineresilience.org/event-6048679
Wednesday, May 7, 6-8 p.m.	The Impact of Experience: How Adverse Childhood Experiences and Positive Childhood Experiences Impact Healthy Child Development	https://maineresilience.org/event-6048519
Wednesday, May 28, 6-8 p.m.	Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers	https://maineresilience.org/event-6051093
Tuesday, October 7, 6-8 p.m.	The Impact of Experience: How Adverse Childhood Experiences and Positive Childhood Experiences Impact Healthy Child Development	https://maineresilience.org/event-6051085
Tuesday, October 21, 6-8 p.m.	Addressing Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies in Educators and Caregivers	https://maineresilience.org/event-6051095

If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Madore, Maine DOE Early Childhood Specialist, nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Scholarship Opportunity for Maine Students: Applications Open for Barowsky Scholars Program

The Barowsky Scholars Program has opened applications for the 2025-2026 school year. This program offers scholarships for Maine students who are planning to attend a four-year college. Applications are due Friday, March 14, 2025, at noon.

Barowsky Scholars seeks to support students who are interested in honing their careful listening, civic discourse, facilitation, and negotiation skills to become leaders who build trust and find common ground across people and groups with differing views and experiences. Students residing in the state of Maine who are planning to attend a four-year college to obtain their bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply.

Details about the scholarship award:

It is a four-year, renewable scholarship to cover tuition, fees, and educational expenses at a four-year college/university in the U.S.
It is a merit-based scholarship for students who are motivated to excel in college, able to be open-minded, committed to bridging divides, and working toward building a better society.
Scholarship amounts will be determined in part based on the financial aid award package the student receives from the college they choose to attend. They will range from $5,000 to $25,000 per year.

This program is funded by the Andrew P. Barowsky Foundation and administered by The Philanthropic Initiative.

Please find application information and criteria here (PDF). With questions, please contact barowskyscholars@tpi.org or visit the Barowsky Scholars website.

Registration Open for Maine Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference

The Maine Council for Social Studies is hosting its annual conference at the Augusta Civic Center on March 24, 2025. This year’s theme is “Expanding Democracy,” emphasizing the importance of preserving and expanding the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on its 60th anniversary. The deadline to register for the conference is March 17.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows will be the keynote speaker. The conference will also feature learning session “tracks” on Wabanaki Studies, African American Studies, Literacy, and Elementary Social Studies Education.

Featured session leaders include Pamela Cummings from the Abyssinian Meeting House; Fiona Hopper and Nolan Altvater of Portland Public Schools; Adam Schmitt of the University of Southern Maine; Bri Lolar, Maine Department of Education (DOE) Wabanaki Studies Specialist; and Meadow Dibble of the Atlantic Black Box Project.

For more information and to register, click here.

For further questions, please reach out to info@mainesocialstudies.org.

Nominations Open for 2025 History Teacher of the Year

Do you know an incredible history teacher who brings the past to life with passion and creativity? If so, consider nominating them as 2025 History Teacher of the Year! Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2025.

Each year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute honors exceptional K-12 educators who inspire students through innovative history lessons. Winners are selected from every U.S. state and territory. They earn a $1,000 prize and a chance to compete for National History Teacher of the Year. The national winner receives a $10,000 prize and is celebrated at a ceremony in New York City.

Again, nominations close on April 30. Don’t miss this opportunity to recognize an outstanding educator in Maine! You may submit your nomination here.

For more information about the History Teacher of the Year award, please contact Michele Mailhot, Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at michele.r.mailhot@maine.gov.

Registration Open for the Alternative Education Association of Maine’s Spring Conference

Registration is now open for the Alternative Education Association (AEA) of Maine’s Spring Conference, scheduled for Friday, March 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Thomas College in Waterville. This year’s theme is “Meeting Them Where They Are.”

The keynote speaker will be Kellie Bailey, a trauma-informed speech-language pathologist, mindfulness educator, and emotional intelligence coach. She will deliver a hands-on presentation titled, “It Takes a Calm Brain to Calm a Brain,” which will focus on understanding the mind, brain, and relational science of co-regulation.

The conference will also feature a “Match Game,” in which participants are matched up in small groups of individuals who have common interests to personalize the conference experience.

Additional information about the conference is available on the invoice registration form (linked below).

Call for Presenters

AEA of Maine is asking Association members to please volunteer to present a session of their choice during the conference. Presentation proposals will be accepted through March 5, and preference will be given to presentations that align with the theme of helping other educators understand how to meet Alternative Education students where they are, as opposed to where others may want them to be.

Registration fees for presenters will be waived upon request. Please submit presentation proposals directly to Lenny Holmes at lholmes@bonnyeagle.org.

Registration and Invoice Process

The cost to attend the conference is $125 per person. After two registrations per school, additional registrations are $75 per person.

Please register using the AEA of Maine Spring Conference registration form. Individuals must register separately, even if they are from the same school. (Please note that some people may have registered and paid for the AEA of Maine Spring Conference when registering for the 2024 AEA of Maine Fall Conference; if so, you do not owe any money; however, please still use the registration link above to confirm your registration for the Spring Conference.)

If you need to submit payment for the conference, please complete the invoice registration form and submit it, along with your payment, to the address listed on the form. You may contact Dawn Matthews, if you need to check on your payment.

For further questions, please contact Lenny Holmes at lholmes@bonnyeagle.org.

National School Breakfast Week in March: Prioritizing Nutrition for Student Success

The National School Breakfast Program (SBP) plays a vital role in ensuring students start their day with the nutrition they need to succeed academically. Launched in 1966 as a pilot project, and made a permanent entitlement program in 1975, the SBP has steadily expanded over the years, serving millions of students across the nation. In Maine alone, public schools served more than 11.3 million breakfasts in 2024, highlighting the growing need for nutritious meals.

The SBP is designed to provide students with a well-rounded breakfast. It offers four key components from three essential food groups: grain, milk, and fruit. Students are required to select at least three of these components, with fruit being a mandatory option. This ensures a balanced meal to fuel students for a productive day of learning.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine schools have adapted to new challenges, finding creative ways to serve breakfast to students. Whether it’s grab-and-go options or breakfast served in classrooms or on hallway carts, schools have embraced innovative methods to ensure that students can easily access breakfast, even on tight schedules. Popular offerings include hot meals, like eggs and bacon, as well as yogurt parfaits, breakfast sandwiches, whole-grain muffins, donuts, and even smoothies.

As National School Breakfast Week (March 3-7, 2025) approaches, it’s a reminder of the importance of a nutritious breakfast in supporting students’ academic performance. Schools across Maine will participate in this celebration, offering a variety of breakfast options to encourage students to take advantage of the program.

Maine schools offer breakfast (and lunch) free of charge to all students, ensuring that every child can start their day with a healthy meal, allowing them to focus on learning. This initiative not only supports students; it also eases the burden on families, especially during hectic mornings when getting out of the house can be a challenge.

Families are encouraged to check out the breakfast options available at their local schools, particularly during National School Breakfast Week. It’s an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of healthy eating and to encourage students to take part in the program.

By participating in the SBP, Maine schools can help to set students up for success, one breakfast at a time.