Category: News & Views

Cynthia Martell Named 2025 Maine School Counselor of the Year

The Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA) has announced that Cynthia Martell, school counselor at Captain Albert Stevens Elementary School in Belfast, is the 2025 Maine School Counselor of the Year. This award is part of a national program that honors school counselors who run a top-notch, comprehensive school counseling program at the elementary, middle, or high school level.

Martell was recognized, in part, because of the data-driven, comprehensive school counseling program she runs to support students at Captain Albert Stevens Elementary School. One of her innovative approaches is a program that addresses chronic absenteeism and its impact on students’ academic progress. The initiative organizes comprehensive support plans for students that improve attendance rates, foster student success, and strengthen the overall school culture.

“It is abundantly clear to me that collaboration and a multi-tiered system of support are essential in order to best support students with the mindsets and behaviors for student success in academics, social/emotional skills, and career readiness, as set forth by the American School Counselor Association,” Martell said.

Martell earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and communications from the University of Colorado and obtained her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from the University of Alaska. She has been the school counselor at Captain Albert Stevens Elementary School since 2007.

“Cynthia is a dedicated and transformative educator whose work has had a profound impact on our students, families, and school community,” Dr. Ashley Reynolds, principal of Captain Albert Stevens Elementary School, said. “Her unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of our students and families, her ability to cultivate strong connections, and her leadership in making our school inclusive and equitable are truly remarkable.”

In the year ahead, Martell will have several speaking engagements and event appearances. In the winter of 2026, she will be invited to a formal gala in Washington, D.C. She will also be honored at the American School Counselor Association Annual Conference in New Orleans in the summer of 2026.

The Maine School Counselor of the Year is announced as part of National School Counseling Week, celebrated annually during the first full week in February. For further questions about the MESCA School Counselor of the Year award, please view the MESCA website or reach out to MESCA Board Chair Rebecca Edelman at chair@maineschoolcounselor.org.

Julie Smyth, Maine DOE Director of the Office of School and Student Supports, Megan Walter, Maine DOE Associate Commissioner of Public Instruction; Cinthia Martell, 2025 Maine School Counselor of the Year; Bear Shea, Maine DOE Coordinator of Culture, Climate, Resilience Team
Left to right: Julie Smyth, Maine DOE Director of the Office of School and Student Supports; Megan Welter, Maine DOE Associate Commissioner of Public Education; Cynthia Martell, 2025 Maine School Counselor of the Year; Bear Shea, Maine DOE Coordinator of Culture, Climate, Resilience Team.

Applications Open for Student Position on Maine State Board of Education

The Maine State Board of Education is currently seeking applications for its newest student member to join the Board. This is an extraordinary opportunity for Maine students to practice civic engagement and serve as both a representative of Maine students and an active education leader in the state.

Applications will be accepted through Friday, February 28, 2025, for students from Maine’s First Congressional District, which includes Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, York, and part of Kennebec Counties. All applicants must currently be a high school sophomore.

The Maine State Board of Education has two non-voting student members who serve two-year terms on the Board. Students join the Board as a high school junior and end their two-year term after their senior year. One student is enrolled in a public school in Maine’s First Congressional District, and the other is enrolled in a public school in Maine’s Second Congressional District. At all times, the Board has one high school junior and one high school senior as members, with staggered appointments.

Application materials for students are available on the State Board of Education webpage. The Board has also mailed application materials to all First Congressional District high school principals, school counselors, and Career and Technical Education directors.

Completed applications may be sent either in hard-copy form via U.S. mail or electronically via email.

  • Please send applications via U.S. mail to:

Emily Cummins
State Board of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023

  • Please send electronic application materials to:

Emily.C.Cummins@maine.gov

After applications close on February 28, a screening committee of the State Board of Education will be inviting semi-finalists to participate in a Zoom interview, after which three finalists will be chosen. The names and application materials of those finalists will be sent to the Governor’s Office for final selection.

Then, the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs of the Maine State Legislature will interview the nominee in a public hearing and make a recommendation about the nominee to the Maine Senate. The Maine Senate is charged with confirming the appointment.

For further information about this opportunity or the application process, please email Emily Cummins at Emily.C.Cummins@maine.gov or call 207-624-6616.

Q&A with Becky Hallowell, Maine’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

Get to know the 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year, Becky Hallowell, who teaches fourth-grade students at Wiscasset Elementary School on the bank of the Sheepscot River. Becky shares more about herself in this Q&A, as she begins her year of service.

What or who inspired you to become a teacher, and how long have you been in the role?

I grew up in a family of teachers. At one point, my mother, aunt, cousin, and I were all teaching first grade. Family gatherings often included talk of our favorite children’s book authors and sharing great ideas for math and science lessons. This is my 30th year teaching, and now I love to chat about education with my sister, who teaches high school math in New Hampshire.

With decades of experience teaching under your belt, what do you love most about it? 

I love the kids best. It is so energizing to greet them in the morning and watch them hustle over to the day’s agenda to find out what we get to do that day. Teaching is a great outlet for creativity, and I love planning lessons that help nurture my students’ enthusiasm for learning. The hearts of fourth graders are so pure, and it is gratifying to see their confidence grow, as they find ways to impact the world based on their individual strengths and interests.

A major part of your platform as 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year is your passion for nature-based learning. How did your journey to creating an outdoor learning space for your students begin?

Taking students outside to learn has always come naturally to me. When I taught kindergarten, we used dandelions and “ten frames” teaching tools to learn about place value. My second-grade students would measure leaves and diagram plants.   

Our school is located on the Sheepscot River, and my partner teacher and I discovered an open area in the woods on the riverbank. We worked with our classes to clear the area of invasive species, so that we could start using the space. The fourth-grade class made bookmarks to sell, so they could purchase buckets to use as seating, and I wrote a Donor’s Choose grant for materials to use in our outdoor space that we lovingly call OWLS (Outdoor Wonderful Learning Space). The students report feeling “safe” and “calm” in OWLS, and we use that space for many lessons.

The same year we created OWLS, I attended a teacher institute at The Ecology School, and my practice of nature-based learning grew much deeper. I found ways to integrate nature into all of our content areas, including reading, writing, social studies, math, and science.

Students now learn about the branches of government by developing rules for our riverfront outdoor classroom. They make maps of their space and learn about converting units of measure, as we explore our outdoor classroom. Our novel studies include books set in our town, as well as ones with themes of protecting biodiversity. We conduct our class meetings in a garden, so students can see outdoor spaces as a place to connect and build community.

I have been fortunate to take part in several professional development opportunities to learn more about how other teachers across our state and country incorporate outdoor learning into their teaching practice. There is always more to learn, and I look forward to each new opportunity.

What makes your school and its students special?

Our school is special because the students, families, and staff take care of one another. We recite a school pledge daily, and the last line is, “We take care of each other at WES.” This sentence defines our core belief: that we are stronger when we support one another. We celebrate the smallest wins of individuals and share the biggest loads when one of us is facing a difficult challenge. I can’t imagine working in a more caring school.

What is one of the best lessons you have learned during your time as a teacher?

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that we all make mistakes, and that is how we learn. It is the number one lesson I impart to each of my classes. When we allow ourselves to take a risk and make a mistake, we grow. I happily share the mistakes I make with my class and explain how my mistakes help me learn something new. My goal is to create a space that is safe for my students to face challenges, celebrate their mistakes, and grow from those experiences. 

You have spent one year as a 2024 County Teacher of the Year. How have you worked to represent the community of Lincoln County?

I have worked to understand more about the mentoring needs of new teachers. I learned how to connect with our state representative and senator to elevate the educational needs of our students and staff.

As 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year, what are the platforms you plan to represent? 

My goal is to bring to light the importance of nature-based learning and how it can positively impact academic, physical, and social-emotional growth. I also want to advocate for teachers to have access to great professional development tailored to their interests and needs throughout the state.

Why is public education important to the state of Maine and the nation?

Public education is crucial so that all children can learn the skills necessary to be successful local and global community members as adults. Our students must learn how to collaborate, think critically, and act with empathy to have a future world that is healthy and high-functioning.

For anyone who is thinking about becoming a teacher, why would you encourage them to do so? 

Teaching is the most gratifying occupation because it allows us to nurture our future lawmakers, caregivers, and builders. The work of teachers is an invaluable service, as the support they give their students also supports the community. The connections to students and families that I have made as a teacher last far beyond our year together. I love seeing my former students 10 and 20 years after teaching them and am so proud of all they accomplish. 

What else would you like to share with folks who are reading this Q&A? 

I am honored to represent Maine educators and have so much respect for all the teachers who pour their heart and soul into helping our children grow into amazing adults. 

Outdoor Learning Educators Share Expertise With Panel Presentation at RSU 16 in Poland

Pictured left to right – RREV Panelists Katie West (Portland), Robin Chernow (MSAD 28), Margaret Sobol (Falmouth), Maggie Corlett (RSU 10), Justin Deri (Falmouth) and Sarah Timm (MSAD 17)

On Monday, January 27, five educators from schools that received funding from the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) project participated in two panel presentations at RSU 16 in Poland. The panels, led by representatives from the Maine DOE’s RREV Research and Design (R&D) team, consisted of educators from schools in MSAD 28 (Camden), MSAD 17 (Oxford Hills), RSU 10 (Rumford), Falmouth, and Portland who shared their RREV pilot projects and ongoing efforts in experiential outdoor learning.

In August of 2020, the Maine DOE was awarded $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models funding. Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding, which was used to launch the RREV project, a multi-pronged solution with a primary goal of generating innovative remote learning models to provide equitable access to high-quality remote learning opportunities for all students.

The federal RREV funding ended in July of 2024, but the Maine DOE RREV R&D team is continuing the momentum of this work by promoting collaboration and sharing events that bring RREV awardees together with other educators who are interested in developing innovative and responsive learning opportunities for their students.

These panel presentations at RSU 16 are one example of that continued effort. In December, the Maine DOE published a Newsroom story that showcased RSU 16’s inaugural Outdoor Learning Day event. Afterwards, Jill Mathieu, RSU 16’s Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, reached out to the Maine DOE to seek a way to provide additional support for RSU 16 educators interested in developing ongoing outdoor learning opportunities for their students. The Maine DOE’s RREV R&D team subsequently contacted all of its outdoor learning RREV awardees and set up these panels.

These discussions provided an enriching peer-to-peer learning opportunity for both RREV panelists and educators from RSU 16, with many ideas, suggestions, and lessons shared. The group will continue to stay connected through EnGiNE, an online collaborative portal created by the Maine DOE for Maine educators.

You may learn more about the innovative pilots produced through the RREV awards here.

RREV awardees are always interested in sharing their learning through online and in-person panel presentations. There will also be additional RREV Learning Tours scheduled throughout this school year. Learning Tours are typically conducted on-site at a RREV school, and educators from across Maine are invited to see the RREV pilot project’s programming in-action with students and educators. A list of upcoming tours is available on the Maine DOE website.

For further information, or to schedule a panel opportunity, please contact Elaine Bartley, Maine DOE RREV R&D Project Director, at elaine.bartley@maine.gov.

The Power of Two Hours Spent in the Woods: How One Maine School Counselor Is Offering an Alternative to Detention

Leslie Trundy is in her twentieth year working as a school counselor. She says she absolutely loves her job at Morse High School in RSU 1.

“I am so grateful to be a consistent adult in the lives of young people and to support them and their families through goal attainment and the challenges they face growing up,” Trundy said. “One of the things I like the most about my job is the ability to connect the right student with an enrichment activity that fosters their growth and passion.”

An avid hiker, Trundy personally finds much happiness in outdoor recreation. For her, the outdoors has been a constant source of enjoyment and a place to find solace.

“In the summer of 1996, I spent six and a half months hiking from Georgia to Maine and knew in my bones that walking could be an incredible form of meditation and clearing the carburetor of our minds. It was on the Appalachian Trail that I decided I would earn the credential to become a school counselor,” Trundy explained.

Last fall, Trundy attended the Teens to Trails Fall Leadership Conference, where she participated in a workshop titled “Mindfulness Outdoors: Whole Body Health Benefits,” presented by Megan-Mack Nicholson from the Lennox Outdoor Leadership Center.

Photo taken on a sunrise hike with Teens to Trails.
Photo taken on a sunrise hike with Teens to Trails.

In the workshop, Trundy and other participants learned about leading youth outdoors, meditation, and how to support youth who may find meditation to be challenging. The presenter also shared stories from her readings about the value of time spent in the woods and how healing it can be for mental health.

“This resonated with me,” Trundy noted. “I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in my mid-twenties and grew up involved with Girl Scouts and skiing in Northern Michigan. I’ve also seen this work as a mom and Scout leader. No matter the weather, time outside transforms.”

With the Morse Outing Club in its fourth year, Trundy began to brainstorm ways to bring the power of hiking in the woods to even more students. At Morse High School, students who have been given detention may sometimes replace that time with community service. Trundy thought that the administrators at her school might let her try offering a hike in the woods as an alternative, too, capturing a population of students who may be less likely to join an outdoor club out of interest.

“Students don’t benefit from more time indoors, and I wanted to offer them a mindset shift through walking outside,” Trundy said. “I wanted to give them my attention and ear if they want it and be a trusted adult they know they can speak to when they’re ready.”

With quick approval from her administration, Trundy’s first hike of this nature was on October 3, shortly after she came up with and proposed the idea. She has been taking students on hikes ever since then. While most students still choose to serve their detention, there are also students who opt into the hike on almost all of the walks.

“Sometimes they want to walk with a friend, and sometimes they desire to come along for the time outside,” Trundy said. “In total, I’ve walked 34 miles with students. My smallest group was three students, and the largest was 13.”

Trundy says that every hike has had memorable moments, but her top three favorites include:

  • A time three boys sang an a-cappella version of “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys as the group crossed the bridge back onto campus in November.
  • The first snowfall on December 5 when Trundy outfitted everyone in ponchos and confidently declared, “Yes, we are going to go on the hike!” The whole group had been before, and Trundy expressed it was magical to see the same trail transformed by the snow coating the bare tree limbs and falling gently into the open body of water. She said there was a little bit of slipping and a lot of laughter.
  • The moment a boy noticed how Trundy waited until the group stopped for a snack, before telling them her “why.” He remarked that it was clever because everyone was quiet and eating and, therefore, could receive her message and hear a poem by Wendall Berry or Mary Oliver.

“I’m planting acorns, and the soil, sun, and water need to be just right!” Trundy explained metaphorically of how she approaches these hikes with students.

Trundy said she hopes to keep these walks going no matter what the weather is. This year, the Morse Outing Club has a membership with Maine GearShare, and Trundy plans to borrow crampons and other warming gear when the trail becomes icy. She has also considered borrowing the school van to drive students to a different section of the trail at some point.

“I hope to see if the walks make a difference. It often takes time to know this,” Trundy said.

She noted some students who are going out on hikes are in grade 9, and she is curious to see their reflections when they are seniors.

“I know this time matters to me, and I’m grateful to share it with them,” Trundy said. “Last week, an older boy thanked me and declared, ‘That was awesome.’”

You’re Invited! Join the Conversation About Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Practices in Maine

Educators across Maine are invited to participate in facilitated discussions this spring regarding Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). These discussions will provide an opportunity for educators to share their experiences, explore best practices, and address challenges in implementing MTSS across academics, behavior, social-emotional learning, and attendance supports.

These virtual meetings offer a space for collaboration, reflection, and contribution to the ongoing development of MTSS in Maine.

There are six virtual sessions available throughout March of 2025, tailored to different grade levels:

  • Elementary (pre-K through grades 5 and 6): March 4, 6, and 12 (3-4:30 p.m.)
  • Middle school (grades 5 and 6 through 8): March 18 and 20 (2:30-4 p.m.)
  • High school (grades 9 through 12): March 26 (2:30-4 p.m.)

Middle school educators (grades 5 and 6 through 8) may choose to attend either the middle or high school sessions, depending on what best aligns with their student population. Educators may register for multiple sessions but must sign up individually for each.

Why attend?

Your voice matters! Join fellow educators to collaborate, share experiences, and drive meaningful improvements in MTSS practices statewide. These discussions will inform future professional development opportunities and school support initiatives, ensuring educators have the tools and resources they need to effectively support every student.

Registration:

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is looking forward to your participation and valuable insights, as we strengthen MTSS across Maine! For more information, please contact Andrea Logan, Maine DOE MTSS Specialist, at andrea.logan@maine.gov or 207-592-2011.

Webinar: Innovative Journalism – Educational Resources with Retro Report

Join Maine Department of Education (DOE) Civics Teacher Leader Fellow Breanna Bellefontaine-Krupski as she hosts David Olson, Director of Education at Retro Report, for an informative session exploring the organization’s rich educational resources.

Retro Report is an educational journalism organization that connects historical events with current issues through compelling storytelling and investigative reporting.

Attendees will gain insights into:

  • How Retro Report supports social studies educators.
  • Engaging, ready-to-use content and lesson plans for civics instruction.
  • Professional development opportunities for teachers.

Join this webinar via Zoom on Thursday, February 13, at 3:30 p.m. EST. Registration is not required. You may access the webinar here.

The Teacher Leader Fellow program is part of the Maine DOE Office of Teaching and Learning. For questions, contact Breanna Bellefontaine-Krupski at Breanna.Krupski@maine.gov.

 

Invitation to Apply to Be a Maine Inclusive Education Model Pilot School – Making Learning Accessible for All

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) are partnering to support a cohort of Maine public schools in becoming Inclusive Education Model sites for the state. This project is intended to provide participating Maine schools with five years of support to develop and implement sustainable, inclusive, and integrated multi-tiered systems of support for all students.

Maine Inclusive Education Model Schools will:

  • Build leadership and staff capacity through ongoing coaching and professional learning.
  • Implement data-driven decision-making to increase equity, access, and achievement outcomes for the most-marginalized students.
  • Prioritize collaborative and inclusive service delivery.
  • Commit to increasing the amount of time all students with disabilities spend in general education settings.
  • Ground standards-based curriculum and instruction in universal design for learning (UDL) principles.

Who can apply for Cohort 1 (2025-2030)

The Maine DOE and UMF are currently seeking applications from public elementary school leaders serving students in pre-K through grade 5 who are deeply committed to inclusion and are ready to reimagine and realign their schools to better meet the diverse needs of all learners. Secondary schools will be able to apply for subsequent cohorts.

What participating Cohort 1 schools will receive

Pilot schools participating in Cohort 1 will receive five years of support from inclusive education experts to implement pilot project goals. Supports will include:

  • A summer orientation in year one.
  • Access to annual summer inclusion institutes in years two through five.
  • Leadership support and staff professional development from inclusive education experts in years one through five.
  • A network of pilot school cohort leaders and staff.

Commitments for pilot schools include:

  • Leadership development and coaching.
  • Participation in professional development and coaching.
  • Realignment of school schedules and service delivery models to more effectively and inclusively meet the needs of all learners.
  • Hiring or reassigning of a current educator to serve as the school inclusion facilitator to support sustainability.
  • Serving as a model inclusion school (e.g., being available for on-site visits from educators and families, participating in video recordings of classroom practice, doing interviews, etc.)
  • Participating in a research study conducted by Drs. Kate MacLeod and Jessica Apgar of UMF.

Please join the Maine DOE and UMF for a virtual information session on February 26, 2025, from 2-3 p.m. via Zoom to learn more before submitting your materials. You may register here in advance for the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Applications are welcome from all interested public elementary school leaders in Maine who have started the work of improving inclusive education in their schools.

If you would like to receive an application, please complete this form. Once you’ve completed the form, you will receive the application from Dr. Kate MacLeod (kate.macleod@maine.edu). The application deadline is March 14, 2025.

School finalists will be selected for site visits and interviews, and three elementary schools representing diverse demographic and geographical regions will be accepted into Cohort 1.

For further questions, please reach out to Tracy Whitlock, Maine DOE Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education, at tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov.

Commissioner Makin Kicks Off the 10th Annual Read to ME Challenge at Skillin Elementary School 

The 10th annual Read to ME Challenge through the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is now underway for the month of February! On Monday, Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin kicked off the Challenge at Skillin Elementary School in South Portland by reading I Can Be All Three by Salima Alikhan and Noor Sofi and Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems to first-grade students. 

“When you read to children, you get so much back,” Commissioner Makin said following the read-aloud. “It’s important to remind kids how much of their imagination and their thinking can be expanded with a book.” 

The Read to ME Challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign, designed to promote reading and literacy development among Maine children. Adults are encouraged to read to or with a child or children for at least 15 minutes during the month of February. They are then asked to share that experience to amplify the Challenge’s reach across Maine – and to encourage others to participate. 

Participants may capture their moments reading with photos or videos posted on social media using #ReadtoME or #ReadaloudME or by tagging @MaineDepartmentofEducation1! on Facebook and @mainedepted on Instagram. The Read to ME Challenge represents a wonderful opportunity for schools, childcare programs, libraries, and other community organizations to get kids engaged with reading. 

To celebrate a decade of success, the Maine DOE is offering participating schools and organizations an exciting new opportunity this year to win a visit from a Maine author! Schools and organizations that take part in the Read to ME Challenge may fill out this form for a chance to be entered into a random drawing at the end of the Challenge, which concludes after Read Across America Day (recognized by schools this year on March 3). About a dozen winners will be selected from this drawing for a visit from a Maine author before the end of the school year in June. These authors have expressed that they’re excited to share their works with readers across the state. 

You may learn more about the Read to ME Challenge on the Maine DOE website. If you are submitting to win an author visit, please complete your entry by Friday, March 7, 2025.  

Schools and organizations that wish to share photos of their Read to ME Challenge participation should please contact Maine DOE Communications Outreach Manager Rachel Paling at Rachel.Paling@maine.gov. With further questions about the Challenge, please contact Maine DOE Director of Early Learning Lee Anne Larsen at Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov. 

To enjoy Read to ME Challenge posts shared by the Maine DOE during the month of February, consider following us on Facebook and Instagram! 

Portland High School Hosts After-School CNA Class for Students, Thanks to Community Partnerships

(Pictured: Scarborough High School students participated in the Portland High School Extended Learning Opportunities CNA program.)

A new after-school program has given Portland-area students the opportunity to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), thanks to a partnership between Portland High School Extended Learning Opportunities, Fallbrook Commons (formerly Saint Joseph’s Rehabilitation and Residence), and the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine.

At age 16, Portland High School students can earn their CNA certificate through Portland Arts and Technology High School (PATHS), the local Career and Technical Education (CTE) center. For years, however, these students have expressed interest in having that same opportunity through a class that takes place after school. This is the first program to meet that request.

Many high school students already work part-time, after-school jobs – often not in fields related to the career they hope to pursue. This program changes that trajectory, helping to strengthen the current healthcare workforce and allowing high school students to jump-start their healthcare careers and gain valuable experience.

Between the 2024 spring and summer sessions, this program graduated 25 fully-licensed CNAs, directly addressing the healthcare workforce shortage in Maine. Saytun Abdullahi, a junior who took the classes, says she has been interested in becoming a CNA since her freshman year.

“I liked how informative our teacher is,” Abdullahi said of the program. “She would go over something in class several times just to prepare us for the test.”

Abdullahi currently works as a CNA at Maine Medical Center.

“The class gave me a lot of understanding on how the healthcare field works, what CNAs do, and how they are helpful to the healthcare field,” Abdullahi expressed.

The after-school program also welcomes students from the surrounding area. Joel Rogers, a Portland High School alum and administrator at Fallbrook Commons, designed the class based on previous success he had working with adult multilingual learners in CNA programs. In addition to funding the teachers and materials, Fallbrook Commons paid the students to participate in this class and is committed to making the program as accessible as possible. The Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine hosted the class.

“This program could be a model for other similar programs throughout the state and has the potential to make a great impact,” Andrea Levinsky, Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at Portland High School, said.

This program took students 170 hours to complete, and Levinsky and her colleagues are currently in the process of planning the next class.

To learn more about this program, or if you are a provider interested in supporting the next session, please reach out to Andrea Levinsky at levina@portlandschools.org. For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities, please reach out to Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov.

Scarborough High School students participated in the Portland High School Extended Learning Opportunities CNA program.