(Photo caption: J. McQuilken, second grade student at Captain Albert W. Stevens School in Belfast, with a copy of the book, “Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts”.)

In recognition of October as Financial Planning Month and to strengthen financial capability in Maine, the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) has once again partnered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to offer Invest in ME Reads, a program to support family financial education by empowering families to engage in conversations about future goals, saving money, and the value of choice.

Unlike many financial education programs that focus on high school students, Invest in ME Reads engages children early in elementary school to help them begin to learn about money and financial decision making. FAME launched the program in 2020 to serve all Maine second graders and this year has expanded it to provide free resources to all public second and third grade students.

Through the Invest in ME Reads program, students will receive from FAME a collection of educational resources, including free books and bookmarks that encourage saving, giving, and delayed gratification. Families will also be given materials to use at home, including a parent guide, information to help kick-start their focus on college savings, and special content to encourage them to visit InvestinMeReads.com, an interactive web page with fun activities and resources for students and their families.

“The Invest in ME program has become a yearly event here at the Etna-Dixmont School”, said Jane York, who serves as Principal of the school. “Our second grade students and teachers have enjoyed reading the book, having a virtual visit with the author, Maribeth Boelts, and discussing the importance of friendship, caring, and helping others. The financial information for the parents has sparked conversations about saving, needs and wants and also giving back. It is a great program and we are thrilled that the third grade was included this year. The experience they had with the book and the parent connection last year has now been reaffirmed. Thank you for this wonderful program.”

The program helps to support Maine’s statewide goal to produce an educated and skilled workforce. For many Mainers, a lack of financial capability can be a significant barrier to pursuing education and training after high school, which in turn can have an impact on an individual’s ability to seek employment and, ultimately, the strength of Maine’s economy.

“At FAME, we recognize that financial capability is a key ingredient for lifelong success and we want to do our part by providing resources that will support financial education – even as early as elementary school,” said FAME Director of Education Martha Johnston. “Schools across Maine have embraced the program and we look forward this year to expanding the program to reach both second and third grade students and their families.”

In November, FAME will offer a virtual reading featuring one of the books, Those Shoes, read by the author Maribeth Boelts. One elementary school will be chosen to bring Boelts into their classroom for a special virtual visit. “A child’s financial education can begin simply­ through families, teachers, and caregivers sharing a story and engaging in conversation,” said Boelts. “I am so honored that my book is a part of the Invest in ME Reads Program and is included among the many helpful and rich resources provided on FAME’s website.”

For more information about how FAME can support your family’s financial goals, please visit the Invest in ME Reads website.

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) is a quasi-independent state agency that provides innovative financial solutions to help Maine citizens pursue business and educational opportunities. FAME helps to lead the creation of good paying jobs for Maine citizens by working at the nexus between economic and workforce development. To learn more about FAME, please visit www.FAMEmaine.com.

When 8-year-old Laynee Kirby saw a fellow classmate with holes in her shoes, she just couldn’t stop thinking about it. She went home and told her parents, concerned about her friend who may not be able to participate in school activities and be comfortable throughout the day with inadequate shoes.

Her dad, Andrew Kirby, Caribou High School science teacher, soccer coach, and newly named 2021 Aroostook County Teacher of the Year and his wife Brittany started to form a plan. Drawing inspiration from Andrew’s fellow County Teacher of the Year Hillary Hoyt, who experienced a similar issue in her region of Waldo County, Andrew and Brittany got to thinking about how they could help Laynee make a difference in her school and region.

In researching other similar programs across the nation, they found that adequate footwear for kids could mean as much as a 56% improved attendance at school and 70% increased physical activity offered through school.

“There’s so many social issues that kids deal with and this is just one of those and can sometimes be the determining factor that motivates a kid to go to school,” said Andrew Kirby.

“When kids have shoes that fit them, they will be able to focus and learn more in school,” added Laynee.

Andrew, or Mr. Kirby as the students call him, got in touch with Dr. Valerie Waldemarson, the district Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) Specialist, who he knew would have some ideas to get this started. She dove into action immediately.

“Given the level of economically disadvantaged students in our school district, I agreed to take on this project to bring awareness to a need within our student population, teach my current JMG Students essential skills that are relevant to competencies taught in my class, and mentor a second grader with a passion to serve,” said Dr. Waldemarson.

Incorporating her high school JMG class, Dr. Waldemarson developed Laynee’s sole purpose into multifaceted, cross-curricular, project-based learning lesson for her students, that encompasses leadership development, social awareness, civic awareness, career development, community service, and financial literacy.

Crocs, the shoe company, has made a generous donation to the project along with another local retailer, who has offered a discount on shoes purchased for the project, and many Caribou High School Alumni have made very generous donations as well. Haney’s and Sleepers are both businesses in Caribou who are also helping support the project. In addition, the JMG Viking Pantry Project is also supporting Laynee by purchasing 10 donation boxes and purchasing print material for the project.

In partnership with art teacher Jessica Goodwin, the group has cut wooden hearts that will accompany each pair of shoes that say, “Laced with Love by Laynee”. These were created and cut utilizing technology at Caribou High School and show students how to enhance their presentations utilizing technology available to them at school. In addition, Jessica Goodwin and her digital media class are on board to help in the development of marketing material.

Mr. Kirby’s varsity soccer team is helping to attach the hearts to every shoe collected and donated. “We are using the project as a way to help demonstrate the importance of community service to our players.  Laynee, along with our other children, have tagged along with me to practices and games which allowed the girls to build relationships with them,” said Mr. Kirby. “I think that is a key part to their wanting to support her in this.”

They are in the process of filling a closet of shoes of all sizes for school aged youth in the area that will be available to students or teachers at request for those who might be in need. Another component to Laynee’s Sole Purpose is to use the school social worker and guidance counselors to help connect with the families in need, to ensure they are on board with accepting donated shoes.

The project has also set up donation boxes at Caribou Community School, which serves Pre-k to 8th grade students, Caribou High School, the Superintendent’s office, and a few other places around town. The gymnastics center that Laynee frequents (Allstar Gymnastics) is also supporting her by allowing her to set up a donation box at their Presque Isle and Houlton gym locations as well.

“We are blessed with an amazing leadership team and wholeheartedly believe that none of this would be possible without the constant encouragement of our Superintendent, Tim Doak, Assistant Superintendent Jane McCall, and CHS administrators Dr. Eric McGough and Evan Graves to meet students where they are at and to take their education to the next level at every possible opportunity,” said Dr. Waldemarson.

Because the issue of students not having the adequate gear needed to participate equitably in school is not unique to Caribou, after becoming fully operational in Caribou area schools, Laynee’s Sole Purpose hopes to expand their efforts to help surrounding towns and Aroostook county schools.

For more information about this project, reach out to Andrew Kirby at akirby@rsu39.org or  Valerie Waldemarson at vwaldemarson@rsu39.org.