Education Innovators Speaker Series: Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Education

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce is hosting the next set of speakers for the Education Innovators Speaker Series. This month’s conversation is focused on entrepreneurship and innovation in education. They are pleased to welcome the following guests on April 15th from 3:00-4:00pm:

Gary Schoeniger, CEO of Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative
Michelle Anderson, President of Junior Achievement of Maine
Dan Ryder, Classroom Teacher of Overman Academy

Anyone interested can register and learn more about this free event here.

Special thank you to the supporters of these events which include the Education Action Forum of Maine, the Center for Innovation in Education at Thomas College, Educate Maine, and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation. We hope to see you on the 15th!

MEDIA RELEASE: Nine Additional Maine Educators Join Maine Kids Rock Initiative for 2021-2022 School Year

The Maine Kids Rock Initiative, a statewide program that offers professional training to teachers as well as grants for instruments and equipment to schools with identified needs, enters its fifth year (2021-2022) with the addition of the following educators to its roster:

Lanissa Nadeau (Brewer Community School)
Neil James (Geiger Elementary/Lewiston Middle School)
Bridget Kazukiewicz (King Middle School, Portland)
Joshua Lund (Benton Elementary School)
Michelle Biddlecom (Winthrop Grade School)
Brittany Elwell (Carmel Elementary/Suzanne Smith Elementary/Caravel Middle Schools)
Thomas Stott (Beech Hill School, Otis)
Oren Robinson (Palermo Consolidated, Windsor Elementary Schools)
Nadine Baker (Rose M. Gaffney/Machias Memorial High School)

These teachers join the ranks of nearly 70 additional teachers across Maine who utilize the Modern Band approach to music education with nearly 1,500 students at all grade levels.

“My administrators and I are very excited to bring music into the 21st century for our students,” said Joshua Lund, general music educator. “At Benton Elementary, we are planning to integrate MKR into the general music class experience as well as starting new co-curricular ensembles. The training, resources, and equipment provided through Maine Kids Rock are sure to help transform what music can be for the students in my school!”

The Maine Kids Rock initiative continues as a partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the national non-profit organization Little Kids Rock.

“We’re thrilled to continue to grow Maine Kids Rock, bring more music education to Maine, and reach even more kids by using the music they know and love,” said Miranda Altman, Senior Director of Program Operations for Little Kids Rock. “We are incredibly grateful to the teachers of this initiative as we enter our fifth year. Welcome to the nine teachers that are newly joining this program!”

Throughout the year these teachers will receive free professional development opportunities, and their schools will receive a set of classroom “rock band”-style instruments for students to use as they explore music education through a modern music lens. Learning opportunities for students go beyond just learning to play a guitar or drums; they also explore songwriting, the development of interpersonal skills, and boost self-confidence as performers.

For more information about the Maine Kids Rock Initiative through the Maine Department of Education, please contact Visual and Performing Arts Content Specialist Jason Anderson.

Registration is Now Open for the 18th Annual MLTI Student Conference

The Maine Department of Education is excited to share that registration for the 18th Annual MLTI student conference is open!

The conference will be held on May 20th, in virtual format, and it is FREE to Maine students in grades 4-12! The virtual student conference will be online on Thursday, May 20th from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The morning will be filled with interactive workshop sessions where students will be able to explore, engage, and create with exciting educational technology. The afternoon UBER session will be a collaborative design experience.

Since this is during a school day student registration must be coordinated by a teacher. Teachers are encouraged to organize student groups to attend the conference. Registration forms must include a teacher’s contact information, school, and student names.
For more information or to register please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference

Registrations completed by Friday, May 7^th will receive an early registration conference gift.

For questions please reach out Jordan Dean, Jordan.Dean@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Governor Mills Proclaims April 2021 as National Poetry Month

Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed April 2021 National Poetry Month in the State of Maine, marking the importance of poetry in education and the everyday lives of our citizens.

“National Poetry Month brings us together as readers and writers, whether at home, in classrooms, bookstores, or libraries throughout our nation,” said Governor Janet T. Mills as part of the official proclamation. “Poetry illuminates hope in our darkest hours, gives voice to our struggles, brings inspiration to our triumphs, and is a gift of expression that transcends our personal experience to unite us in words.”

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) joins Governor Mills and our partners throughout the state this month by promoting and participating in activities that support schools in using poetry as a tool and a topic for instruction.

“Poetry is often taught as a stand-alone unit of study, yet the power of poetry is in its versatility by virtue of form and precision, and could be included in every unit of study all year long,” said Morgan Dunton, Maine DOE English Language Arts Specialist. “Regular engagement with poems, long or short, contemporary or historical, provides an opportunity to better understand complex texts.”

With a theme of “Normalize Poetry in Your Classroom” the Maine DOE has collaborated on poetry themed events and opportunities in April including:

How We Do It: Inspiring Students to Write and Publish
The Telling Room hosted a conversation with educators about their experience supporting and encouraging educators to write stories and poems. They discussed their recent collection of youth poems called, “A New Land” and share resources you can use in your classroom.  Download the collection here. Learn more and access their educator toolkit.

Spend an evening with Maine Poet Gary Lawless
Hosted by the Maine Council of English Language Arts. Lawless is a poet who has authored 21 collections of poems. He is also the co-owner of Gulf of Maine Books, a book editor, and publisher. Thursday, April 8th, 7pm: Click here to register.

Normalize Poetry: Teach Poetry in Every Unit
Many of us teach a poetry unit each year, but that is just not enough. Poetry is a fabulous tool for teaching the fine art of language use in every instructional unit. Maine DOE ELA Specialist Morgan Dunton will demonstrate methods of teaching grammar, usage, mechanics, and appreciation of the poetic form to enhance reading, speaking, and writing skills. Thursday, April 15th, 3:30 pm. Click here to register.

In concluding the official proclamation, Governor Mills writes, “I urge all Maine citizens to celebrate the creativity of poets and the indelible marks their words leave upon the pages of our shared humanity by reading and writing poetry.”

Find additional information, events, and resources to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of poetry all month on the Maine DOE Website. For further questions about poetry in curriculum or the Department’s efforts for poetry month, please contact Maine DOE English Language Arts (ELA) Specialist Morgan Dunton at morgan.dunton@maine.gov.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Still Time to Register for Mental Health Forum on April 1

There is still time to register for the Maine Department of Education’s FREE virtual forum taking place on Thursday, April 1st from 9:00am – 3:00pm.

Supporting Maine Educators: A Forum to Bolster Mental Health in Our Schools.
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2021
Time: 9:00 AM EST – 3:00 PM EST
Format: Zoom Webinar

The focus of this forum is to acknowledge the struggles of this past year, celebrate our successes and build resources to support mental health for our school communities. We hope to bring a greater awareness to the importance of mental health, destigmatize mental illness, increase mental health literacy for staff, administrators and community-based agencies, as well as provide practical supports to bolster the mental wellness of students and staff.

This forum will be a six hour event and consist of keynote speakers, with each followed by a related panel discussion comprised of experts from the field, State agencies and community partners, as well as staff and students from Maine schools. This will be a live event and each session will be recorded and available on the DOE website. This is a FREE event!

For More Information and to Register

Berwick Teacher Selected for National History Day Spring Webinar Series

Ms. Christa Boeykens-Bui, a teacher at Noble Middle School in Berwick, Maine is one of only 120 teachers selected for a National History Day® (NHD) spring professional development program. This course focuses on using online Library of Congress resources to develop and support historical arguments and is a feature of NHD’s membership in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Consortium.

The teachers chosen for this honor represent NHD’s 58 affiliates across the country and around the world, and the National History Day program in Maine selected Ms. Boeykens-Bui. NHD affiliates include all 50 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and international school programs in China, South Asia, and South Korea.

“The skills and strategies Ms. Boeykens-Bui is developing through this series will benefit her students over the course of their academic and professional careers,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “As a Library of Congress TPS Consortium member, NHD is incredibly fortunate to be able to offer this opportunity for teachers, especially now as teachers and students continue to address challenges of non-traditional learning settings required by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

For several months, Ms. Boeykens-Bui works with her peers around the country and National History Day staff to build knowledge for teaching with online Library of Congress resources. Upon completion of the series, she will have demonstrated the ability to share with her students key strategies for researching, supporting, and presenting historical arguments bolstered by these primary sources.

NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website.

For more information about the national level program, visit nhd.org. for more information about National History Day in Maine visit http://www.mcslibrary.org/national-history-day-in-maine/ or contact State Coordinator John Taylor at john.m.taylor@maine.edu or 207-474-7133.

MYAN to Host Virtual Youth Leadership Conference April 15th and 16th

MYAN (Maine Youth Action Network) is hosting its very first virtual youth leadership conference on April 15th and 16th.

The virtual conference is designed by and for middle school and high school aged young people, as well as recent graduates and college-aged youth. Unlike the in-person conferences from years past, this event is free to attend!

Happening across two days – April 15th and 16th – the virtual conference flows between community spaces, interactive workshops, and featured keynotes from storied youth leaders here in the state of Maine. Main conference events last from 10:00am to 2:30pm each day.

The interactive workshops and keynote speakers will connect you to other young leaders and to topics that support your passions, advocacy, leadership skills and interests!

View full Workshop Descriptions on MYAN’s blog, or download the conference agenda and workshop descriptions using these links:

The conference is also a place for young people to meet like-minded youth and start important conversations. Some community focused workshops will focus on building skills or connections to work already happening that might support young people in their lives such as:

Storytelling through music and art, community driven research, spoken word & poetry, self-care strategies, facilitation skills, public speaking, outdoor adventure, Maine youth organizing efforts and much more!

How to register

To register for the conference, click the button below and fill out the registration form! Registration will close on April 6, 2021. MYAN will send you details for how to log in to the conference after you register. The first 50 registrants will be mailed a free conference tee shirt!

Virtual conference platform

Whova will be used to host the conference virtually! It’s a secure virtual conference platform you’ll use to access workshops and keynotes. More info about how to access the platform will be emailed to all registrants. You can either access Whova from an internet browser or download the app on Apple and Android devices. From there you’ll be able to sign up for specific workshops, make your own profile, access the schedule, and start connecting with other participants!

For further information or questions, contact MYAN: https://www.myan.org/contact-us/

Supporting Maine Educators: A Forum to Bolster Mental Health in Our Schools

Following up on the Save the Date sent out on March 10, the Maine Department of Education is pleased to invite Maine education personnel to attend Supporting Maine Educators: A Forum to Bolster Mental Health in Our Schools on Thursday April 1st from 9:00-3:00. This is a FREE Virtual event – See the agenda

Featuring: John T. Broderick, Jr., Dartmouth- Hitchcock Senior Director of External Affairs and Former Chief Justice of the NH Supreme Court; and Joanne P. McCallie, Author and Former Duke, Michigan State, UMAINE and, Auburns Women’s Basketball Coach.

Date: Thursday, April 1, 2021
Time: 9:00 AM EST – 3:00 PM EST
Format: Zoom Webinar

For More Information and to Register

Maine Association of School Libraries’ Spring Symposium to be Held Virtually April 6-15

The Maine Association of School Libraries’ Spring Symposium, “Reaching All Learners” will be held virtually April 6th – 15th with sessions designed to engage and reach all educators, whether you’re an administrator, a teacher, or school library staff member.

Visit the event’s website for the detailed schedule, which includes keynote sessions on April 6, with Ellen Oh, and April 15, with Pender Makin, as well as a special author event on April 7 at noon, featuring Maria Padian, Josephine Cameron, and Samara Cole Doyon. For more information about the author event and to order books at a 20% discount, please visit our partner, Print: A Bookstore HERE.

Additional sessions include a “Native American-Wabanaki Roundtable” with Joe Schmidt, Social Studies Content Specialist at Maine DOE and friends, and “Building Cultural Competency and Allyship in Maine Students” with Deqa Dhalac, Kirsten Cappy, and Krista Aronson.

With 6 other sessions to engage you in the work of “Reaching All Learners,” and at only $25 for members, $35 for non members, the MASL Spring Symposium is the best bargain for professional development you will find all year! All sessions will be recorded and available to registrants, so regardless of your schedule you will have access to all of them.

Register HERE today and don’t miss this opportunity to connect with school librarians and educators from around the state. Please note that beginning March 22, all payments must be made online at the time of registration.

For further information contact the Maine Association of School Libraries at maslibraries@gmail.com.

School Registration Now Open: ME Virtual Career Fair for High School Students

The Maine Community Coordinators Collaborative (Maine C3) in partnership with ACTEM and Educate Maine are excited to offer all Maine students in grades 9-12, a statewide virtual career fair from May 17-21, 2021.The primary focus of the virtual career fair is to introduce students in grades 9-12 to Maine businesses and organizations from a variety of industry clusters across Maine. The intent of the virtual career fair is to expand access to more students and to continue the tradition of in person career fairs that have become signature events for many Maine high schools.

During the ME Virtual Career Fair,numerous thirty-minute sessions will be offered on the secure, online conference platform Hopin. Each session will be moderated by a school-based education professional and feature a live speaker followed by a question and answer period. Students will not be on video during the sessions and can ask questions via a monitored live chat. Sessions will run during the school day and into the evening.

The registration deadline is April 30, 2021. Schools are encouraged to register early and registration codes for accessing the ME Virtual Career Fair will be sent to the school contact once payment is received. Purchase orders will be accepted as confirmations and payments can be made by check or credit card. School staff can decide how they would like their students to participate (e.g., whole student body, select grade levels, select classes, or individual students). Tickets are $1 per registrant/student and are only available in bundles of 50. One registration gives access to any and all sessions held throughout the event. Interested schools that provide instruction to Maine students in grades 9-12, will need to complete the school interest form. Upon receipt of a completed registration, an invoice requesting payment will be emailed to the school contact. If a school requires financial assistance to participate, please indicate when registering and fill out the Financial Assistance Form for scholarship options through event partners.

For more information about the virtual career fair or to contact a Maine C3 Planning Team member, go to the ME Virtual Career Fair website.

Career exploration and fostering student aspirations are key cornerstones in the Maine Learning Results Life and Career Ready standards.

For more information about the Life and Career Ready standards, contact Diana Doiron, Maine Department of Education, Life and Career Ready Content Specialist at diana.doiron@maine.gov or 207-592-2128.