In mid-December, a group of Brunswick High School students gathered at the Maritime Industrial Workforce Training Center—a new regional hub for shipbuilding and technical training that sits on the redeveloped site of the former Naval Air Station at Brunswick Landing. The building, now nearly 50,000 square feet of classrooms and lab space, was created by Maine Maritime Academy in partnership with Bath Iron Works and other regional education partners to prepare the next generation of Maine’s maritime and manufacturing workforce.

For these students, the center became the backdrop for the first session of the Dragon Leadership Collaborative, a grant-supported program at Brunswick High School designed to cultivate inclusive, student-centered leadership. With support from the MaineHealth Community Health Improvement Fund, the Collaborative brings together student leaders from across school athletics programs, the performing arts, student government, clubs, and students identified by staff as emerging leaders—to help them build skills, confidence, and connections. The Collaborative is coordinated by a team of school leaders, including Kaitlin Urges, Brunswick High School Dean of Students, and Brunswick High School Athletic Director Kaili Philips.

The first session was held at Brunswick Landing to give students focused time away from their regular schedule and connect their leadership work to a space that represents opportunity, workforce development, and pride for the Midcoast community. Students began the morning with a keynote from Ayesha Hall, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Maine Department of Education (DOE). Hall spoke about “look-fors” in leadership—what you should actually be able to see in someone who is leading well, regardless of whether they have a formal title—and drew on her own experience as an education and community leader to highlight the many ways students already shape school culture through relationships, creativity, and everyday choices. Throughout a discussion, students asked thoughtful questions about the challenges of leadership, including how to handle conflict and how to stay grounded when others look to them for direction.

The rest of the session was built around student voice. In small groups, students developed shared agreements for how they want to work together and identified the “qualities of a Brunswick High School leader.” They reflected on which of those qualities come naturally and which they are still developing, and then they considered what their school and the groups they represent need from them as leaders. The morning closed with each student setting a personal leadership goal to work on before the Collaborative meets again. go deeper on

As part of an exit activity, students suggested topics they want to explore more deeply in future gatherings. In a follow-up email, organizers shared that two themes rose to the top: “Leading without being bossy” and “Traditions that support equitable, healthy groups.” With those priorities in mind, the team is planning a workshop on leadership styles and personality traits for late February, with a guest from the University of Southern Maine’s career advising center, and a spring workshop with a nonprofit focused on recognizing healthy and unhealthy group dynamics.

“We are excited for our next two workshops with this group,” organizers noted in their update, reflecting the school’s commitment to letting student interests shape the direction of the Collaborative.

Although the Dragon Leadership Collaborative has only met once so far, Brunswick High School leaders say they see it as a promising way to recognize a wider range of student leaders and to give them tools to use their voices for positive change. By pairing MaineHealth Community Health Improvement Fund support with a partnership-rich location like the Maritime Industrial Workforce Training Center, Brunswick is helping students practice leadership in the same kinds of spaces that are preparing Maine’s future workforce.

When Amanda Bryant, a fifth-grade teacher at Mountain Valley Community School in RSU 10, applied for the 2025 Global Health Teacher Fellowship Program, she hoped to find new ways to spark curiosity and bring real-world learning into her classroom. What she gained—and what she gave her students—was far more powerful, though.

Bryant was selected as one of just 12 educators nationwide to participate in the prestigious fellowship, which engages teachers in designing innovative learning experiences that explore interconnected global health inequities through journalism and reporting. Over 28 hours of professional development, Bryant collaborated with educators and journalists from across the United States and around the world to build lessons that connect students to underreported global health issues in meaningful ways.

“This was truly an eye-opening experience,” Bryant said. “I learned so much about my own teaching practice but also about the similarities and differences among educators working in very different settings. It helped broaden my perspective and strengthened my commitment to bringing real-world issues into my classroom.”

For her project, Bryant introduced her fifth graders to the work of Bangladeshi scientist Dr. Firdausi Qadri, whose groundbreaking research on cholera, an infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with bacteria, focuses on preventing the disease through vaccines and access to clean water. In Bryant’s class, many students were surprised to learn that cholera is still a major global health threat and that clean-looking water is not always safe.

The unit began with students examining images of water and discussing what “clean” truly means. From there, Bryant guided them through an in-depth exploration of Pulitzer Center reporting by journalist Martin Enserink, carefully breaking down the science, social impact, and global inequities tied to cholera. Together, the class analyzed misinformation, studied the science behind disease transmission, and examined how access to clean water and vaccines varies around the world.

The learning culminated in student-created call-to-action projects, in which students selected a focus area: promoting clean water access, encouraging vaccination, or educating others about cholera. Their work included posters, digital presentations, and even original podcasts created using Canva.

“Some of the most creative projects I had were podcasts that students created on Canva,” Bryant said. “This was a really ambitious project for fifth graders who have just started using Canva this year in my classroom. I was very proud of them and their dedication to this project.”

Through the project, students were also able to recognize how much impact one scientist can have—and how vital support and funding are to that work. Students also developed a deeper understanding of global health inequities and the importance of critical thinking.

“One of the biggest takeaways was that just because something looks safe doesn’t mean it is,” Bryant explained.

Bryant said the fellowship reshaped her approach to teaching and assessment. Through collaboration with fellow educators, she gained new strategies for measuring student learning beyond traditional tests. She is already applying those lessons in her current American Revolution unit, offering students multiple ways to demonstrate understanding through projects and creative work.

Outside the classroom, Bryant balances her teaching with work as an EMT and the joyful challenge of training Murph, her six-month-old, two-pound service dog. Yet. she says her motivation always circles back to her students.

Growing up with dyslexia, Bryant struggled academically and often felt disconnected from school.

“I want to be the teacher for my students that I didn’t always have,” Bryant said. “I want them to know that their challenges don’t define their potential.”

That philosophy drives everything she does—from global health projects to service dog training.

“It’s all about the spark,” Bryant said. “Seeing students realize that history is happening now, or watching Murph master a new skill—it’s about connection, curiosity, and growth. I want my students to see that they don’t have to stay in one lane. They can be historians, scientists, advocates, and dog lovers all at once.”

Soon, Bryant’s work—along with projects from the other fellowship participants—will be featured on the Pulitzer Center website, extending the impact of her classroom far beyond western Maine.

For her students, though, the greatest lesson may be the simplest: Learning can change the way you see the world—and your place in it.

This story idea was written in collaboration with Mountain Valley Community School. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.