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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
Date: Thursday, April 1, 2021 Time: 9:00 AM EST – 3:00 PM EST Format: Zoom Webinar
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.
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 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.
Join Maine Department of Education (DOE) specialists and a panel of Maine educators in two professional learning sessions that focus on the adaptive and innovative use of technology in arts and theater. These sessions are designed to be conversational, with educators from across the state sharing their challenges, successes, and takeaways. The first session focuses on theater and tech; the second session focuses on makerspaces and the arts. These sessions are being held in recognition of “Arts Education in Our Schools Month,” celebrated statewide and recognized by Governor Janet T. Mills.
Session Descriptions and Details:
Theater & Tech – Performances March 18th, 2021 at 3pm
Description: Join MDOE specialists and Maine theater and tech educators in a panel discussion on virtual theater performances. This session will include reflections on theater education over the past year, looking at successes, challenges, and innovative solutions. We will also talk a bit about the technology that aided in successful solutions to explore how the role of tech in theater changes in a virtual space.
Description: Join MDOE specialists and Maine arts and tech educators in a session on makerspaces. Whether you’re new to makerspaces or well-versed, this session has something to offer you. We’ll cover the basics of what a makerspace is, look at a few ways that local schools have integrated them into their building, and talk a bit about how makerspaces can be used in collaborative and innovative ways.
A workshop series by Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants (MICC).
“MICC is a women-owned business based in Portland, Maine, with years of experience helping schools, organizations, and individuals develop interculturally and navigate differences effectively. Passionate and engaging facilitators, we ground our interactive and experiential trainings in best practices of adult learning, and build on the strengths you already have. We have lived across the globe, and our work reflects that dexterity, curiosity, and humility.”
Module 1: DEMYSTIFYING ISLAM: CULTURE, COMMUNITY, AND FAITH
Thursday, March 18, 7:00-8:30 PM
Thursday, March 25, 7:00-8:00PM
Presented from both the perspective of a Muslim immigrant in Maine and a non-Muslim Mainer who lived in a Muslim majority country, this training seeks to dispel myths and misunderstandings by asking the questions: What is Islam and what is it NOT?
This training will:
Provide a brief history and context of the religion
Include discussion of Islam’s similarities to Christianity and Judaism
Define important terms
Give participants insight to more effectively reach, serve, educate, and connect with Muslim people
Presented by Reza Jalali and Liz Greason
Module 2: MICROAGGRESSIONS: THEIR IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING
Thursday, April 1, 7:00-8:30 PM
Thursday, April 8, 7:00-8:00 PM
As educators, what don’t we know we don’t know? Exploring this question can be a gateway into understanding and interrupting microaggressions.
This training will:
Define microaggression
Differentiate between different types of microaggressions
Identify the impact microaggressions have on marginalized student groups
Discuss what we, as educators, can do to minimize the impact of microaggressions in the classroom and schools settings
Deb Breiting is co-founder of Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants and hails from Vancouver, Canada. Born in Montreal to immigrant parents from Germany and Japan, Deb grew up in a multilingual and multicultural home and is a first generation university graduate. She has a degree in Linguistics and German from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is a graduate of the UBC Certificate Program in Intercultural Studies. With a professional focus on teaching English as a Second Language, Deb most recently taught at Portland Adult Education for the New Mainers Resource Center and coordinated projects designed to further support the integration of immigrants with professional backgrounds into Maine’s workforce. In addition, Deb has lived in Toronto, Munich, and Tokyo where she has worked for schools and non-profit organizations. Deb is an IDI Qualified Administrator and is currently enrolled in the Master’s program of Adult and Higher Education at University of Southern Maine.
Liz Greason
A Mainer by birth, Liz Greason is co-founder of Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants. She lived in the Middle East for many years, where she taught students from around the world at the American University in Dubai, with a focus on effective cross-cultural communication. Since returning to the United States, Liz has applied her knowledge of the Middle East and Islam, intercultural competency, and intercultural communication to help Mainers effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce and serve diverse populations equitably. Liz has also served on the faculty of the University of Southern Maine (USM) and Portland Adult Education. Growing up in Bridgton, Liz graduated from, and later taught at, Lake Region High School.
Liz holds degrees in Women and Gender Studies, with focus areas of intersectional feminism, from Mount Holyoke College and Reed College. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.
Reza Jalali
Reza Jalali is a noted writer, educator, immigrant advocate and former refugee from Iran. He was recently appointed Executive Director of the Greater Portland Immigrant WELCOME Center, a non-profit organization that serves as a hub for organizations and individuals to collaborate in helping Maine’s thriving immigrant community reach its civic, economic, and social potential. Additionally a prolific author of the immigrant experience, Reza’s forthcoming book Dear Maine: The Trials and Triumphs of Maine’s 21st Century Immigrants will be available in August 2021. Jalali’s other books include New Mainers, Moon Watchers, Homesick Mosque and Other Stories, and The Poets and the Assassin. His children’s book, Moon Watchers, has received the Stepping Stone Multicultural Award. His five-act play, The Poets and the Assassin, which is about women in Iran and Islam, has been staged to rave reviews across New England. Jalali’s storytelling was also featured on National Public Radio’s popular program, The Moth Radio Hour.
Additional information:
This workshop series will require participants to maintain a reflection journal. Participants should come motivated to create change and should be prepared to participate in group discussions based on readings and resources shared prior to the session.
Engaging in this cohort provides an opportunity for participants to earn credit hours. To receive credit, participants must attend all four sessions.
For more information contact Danielle Despins; a volunteer member of Maine DOE’s internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sub-committee at (207) 592 -1448.
The Maine Department of Education invites you to attend, Supporting Maine Educators: A Forum to Bolster Mental Health in Our Schools on Thursday April 1st from 9:00am – 3:00pm.
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.
Please join us for this very important event. For further information or questions, contact Staci Warren at Staci.H.Warren@maine.gov.
The Maine Department of Education 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 Department in reviewing, assessing, and scoring competitive grant proposals for the 21st Century Community Leaning Centers (21st CCLC) Program. The 21st CCLC program is a federally funded education program that helps schools and communities 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 6 and is available online at: https://www.4pcamaine.org/century21/FY2021/. The Department anticipates receiving proposals from local education agencies, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities seeking awards under this RFP.
Qualifications:
Applicants will be selected based on their experience in 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
Please note that an applicant or member of an applicant’s organization will not be selected to serve as a member of the Department’s peer review team.
Required Tasks:
Selected applicants must be able to participate in an online training and review grant applications through a web-based system. Applicants will work individually to read each assigned application and create detailed, objective, constructive, and well-written comments on approximately 10-15 applications based on the criteria established in the RFP. These comments will be submitted to the Department prior to participating in the scheduled consensus scoring sessions. It is anticipated that peer reviewers will have a three (3) week window in which to complete their individual review of assigned applications. Following the individual review of applications, each successful applicant will be required to participate in a series of two (2) online/virtual consensus scoring sessions hosted by the Department. It is during these consensus scoring sessions that the peer review team will score each application.
Selected applicants must complete the following tasks during the following date(s):
Task
Date(s)
Time(s)
Participate in an online training webinar
March 30, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Review grant applications through a web-based system and provide individual, written comments on each application (which must be submitted to the Department)
April 8, 2021 – April 28, 2021
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, 2021 – April 30, 2021; or
May 4, 2020 – May 5, 2020
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Compensation for Services:
Selected reviewers who complete the required tasks will be provided an honorarium of $85 per assigned application.
Previous participants have also found that serving as a member of the peer review team is an excellent opportunity for professional development and growth. It is likely that, if selected, applicants will 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 ensure the funding of quality education programs for the children and families of Maine.
How to Apply:
Interested parties must contact Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov to obtain a copy of the 2021 peer reviewer application and then return the completed application along with a current resume or 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 competition.
Deadline:
The Maine Department of Education will continue accepting peer reviewer applications through March 11, 2021, or until the needed positions are filled. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Contact:
For more information, contact State Coordinator, Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov or 624-6709.
A workshop series by Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants (MICC).
“MICC is a women-owned business based in Portland, Maine, with years of experience helping schools, organizations, and individuals develop interculturally and navigate differences effectively. Passionate and engaging facilitators, we ground our interactive and experiential trainings in best practices of adult learning, and build on the strengths you already have. We have lived across the globe, and our work reflects that dexterity, curiosity, and humility.”
Module 1: DEMYSTIFYING ISLAM: CULTURE, COMMUNITY, AND FAITH
Thursday, March 18, 7:00-8:30 PM
Thursday, March 25, 7:00-8:00PM
Presented from both the perspective of a Muslim immigrant in Maine and a non-Muslim Mainer who lived in a Muslim majority country, this training seeks to dispel myths and misunderstandings by asking the questions: What is Islam and what is it NOT?
This training will:
Provide a brief history and context of the religion
Include discussion of Islam’s similarities to Christianity and Judaism
Define important terms
Give participants insight to more effectively reach, serve, educate, and connect with Muslim people
Presented by Reza Jalali and Liz Greason
Module 2: MICROAGGRESSIONS: THEIR IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING
Thursday, April 1, 7:00-8:30 PM
Thursday, April 8, 7:00-8:00 PM
As educators, what don’t we know we don’t know? Exploring this question can be a gateway into understanding and interrupting microaggressions.
This training will:
Define microaggression
Differentiate between different types of microaggressions
Identify the impact microaggressions have on marginalized student groups
Discuss what we, as educators, can do to minimize the impact of microaggressions in the classroom and schools settings
Deb Breiting is co-founder of Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants and hails from Vancouver, Canada. Born in Montreal to immigrant parents from Germany and Japan, Deb grew up in a multilingual and multicultural home and is a first generation university graduate. She has a degree in Linguistics and German from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and is a graduate of the UBC Certificate Program in Intercultural Studies. With a professional focus on teaching English as a Second Language, Deb most recently taught at Portland Adult Education for the New Mainers Resource Center and coordinated projects designed to further support the integration of immigrants with professional backgrounds into Maine’s workforce. In addition, Deb has lived in Toronto, Munich, and Tokyo where she has worked for schools and non-profit organizations. Deb is an IDI Qualified Administrator and is currently enrolled in the Master’s program of Adult and Higher Education at University of Southern Maine.
Liz Greason
A Mainer by birth, Liz Greason is co-founder of Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants. She lived in the Middle East for many years, where she taught students from around the world at the American University in Dubai, with a focus on effective cross-cultural communication. Since returning to the United States, Liz has applied her knowledge of the Middle East and Islam, intercultural competency, and intercultural communication to help Mainers effectively recruit and retain a diverse workforce and serve diverse populations equitably. Liz has also served on the faculty of the University of Southern Maine (USM) and Portland Adult Education. Growing up in Bridgton, Liz graduated from, and later taught at, Lake Region High School.
Liz holds degrees in Women and Gender Studies, with focus areas of intersectional feminism, from Mount Holyoke College and Reed College. She is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.
Reza Jalali
Reza Jalali is a noted writer, educator, immigrant advocate and former refugee from Iran. He was recently appointed Executive Director of the Greater Portland Immigrant WELCOME Center, a non-profit organization that serves as a hub for organizations and individuals to collaborate in helping Maine’s thriving immigrant community reach its civic, economic, and social potential. Additionally a prolific author of the immigrant experience, Reza’s forthcoming book Dear Maine: The Trials and Triumphs of Maine’s 21st Century Immigrants will be available in August 2021. Jalali’s other books include New Mainers, Moon Watchers, Homesick Mosque and Other Stories, and The Poets and the Assassin. His children’s book, Moon Watchers, has received the Stepping Stone Multicultural Award. His five-act play, The Poets and the Assassin, which is about women in Iran and Islam, has been staged to rave reviews across New England. Jalali’s storytelling was also featured on National Public Radio’s popular program, The Moth Radio Hour.
Additional information:
This workshop series will require participants to maintain a reflection journal. Participants should come motivated to create change and should be prepared to participate in group discussions based on readings and resources shared prior to the session.
Engaging in this cohort provides an opportunity for participants to earn credit hours. To receive credit, participants must attend all four sessions.
For more information contact Danielle Despins; a volunteer member of Maine DOE’s internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sub-committee at (207) 592 -1448.
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