Registration Open for the 16th Annual MLTI Student Conference

Registration for the 2019 MLTI Student Conference, taking place on Thursday, May 23rd at the University of Maine campus in Orono, will be open from Monday, April 1^st until Tuesday, April 23^rd.

We’re expecting 1000 students and their adult chaperones to fill the concert hall at the Collins Center for the Arts for the opening student keynote and, at the end of the day, for the so-called “Über Session.” Between the opening and closing at the Collins Center, students will spill out over the campus for a “college way” lunch, and for sessions where they will learn and create in a variety of ways – through coding, audio, video, images, text, and more. As always, this will be a time for celebration and fun challenges. Described by past participants as, “Our favorite day of the year,” we are dedicated to keeping it that way!

The registration cost for each participant (student or adult) is once again $15. This fee includes all event activities, lunch for each registrant, and a 2019 MLTI Student Conference T-Shirt for each student. Schools will be invoiced for registration costs after the conference.

New this year:

Each student will complete their own registration form and will be expected to register for specific sessions ahead of time. Please plan for this as part of the registration process this year!
Even students from non-MLTI grades can attend the conference. We encourage chaperones to work with students during the registration process to make sure they have a device that will allow them to participate fully.

For more information, please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference

To register, go to: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/ltt/conference/register

Please be sure to register by Tuesday, April 23^rd!

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the planning team at mlti.project@maine.gov, and we look forward to seeing you and a team of students from your school in Orono on May 23^rd!

Cybersecurity opportunity for young women in high school

There is still time to encourage young women in high school to participate in GirlsGoCyberStart’, national program created by CyberStart that uses online games of discovery to introduce high school students to the field of cybersecurity.

In a collaboration between the Maine DOE, the Maine Office of Information Technology and the Governor, the State of Maine helping promote this program in order to provide Maine students with an opportunity to learn more about the field of cybersecurity and to discover their ability for a careers in cybersecurity.

Participating students do not need prior cybersecurity knowledge or programming experience. All that is required is a computer and an internet connection. Young women in high school who excel in the GirlsGoCyberStart game will have the opportunity to win computers and other prizes as well as a trip, with a parent, to the 2018 Women in CyberSecurity Conference.

The website explaining the program is available at GirlsGoCyberStart.com. Registration will begin on January 29 and end on February 16, 2018. The first 10,000 young women in high school who have registered by then, can play the game online from February 20 through February 25.

For more information about eligibility visit GirlsGoCyberStart.com and for more information about Maine’s participation in the program contact Dr. Kelly Rickert, Director of Workforce Development for the Maine Office of Information Services.

Family Code Night Comes to Maine

Next week, children and their parents will come together to learn how to code. It’s Computer Science Education Week (December 4-8), and 75 sites across Maine will host Family Code Nights. Specially designed for elementary-aged students, these events use Hour of Code puzzles that introduce programming principles through fun games.

While many schools do Hour of Code, Scratch, and other web-based computer science activities, Family Code Night is unique. It was started in the San Francisco Bay area by a parent of an elementary student. He saw the importance of involving parents in the activities because they can advocate for their children to continue learning to code after the event is done. Maine has many opportunities for youth to explore coding, including summer camps, app challenges and family events. You can find them on the STEM Resource Bank at steminme.org.

Volunteers at Family Code Nights include teachers, librarians, parents and other community members. Many sites are enlisting the help of teens who have experience with coding. Family Code Night provides an event kit that includes everything needed to plan and host the event, so leaders do not need to be experts at coding to run a successful evening!

Family Code Night is a national movement supported in Maine by The Reach Center, a program of Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance. Visit mmsa.org/familycodenight to see a list of sites hosting events, which includes schools, libraries or community organizations representing each county.

For more information contact Maine Department of Education Science and Technology Content Specialist, Shari Templeton at Shari.Templeton@maine.gov or (207) 624-6880.

U.S. Senate Youth Program Application Deadline is Oct. 6

U.S. Senate Youth Program Application Deadline is Oct. 6

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), established in 1962, is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students. Each year, two student leaders from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity spend a week in Washington, D.C., experiencing their national government in action. Student delegates hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense and directors of other federal agencies. Delegates also participate in a meeting with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, each delegate will be awarded a $10,000 college scholarship. All transportation, hotel and meal expenses are provided by the Hearst Foundations.

Maine delegates are nominated by their principal and must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Students are permanent residents of the U.S., and one of their parents or guardians is a legal resident of Maine.
Students are juniors or seniors in a Maine school.
Students must have been elected or appointed to one of the following posts for the current school year:
- Member or officer of student council, student senate or equivalent student government organization
- Class officer – president, vice president, secretary or treasurer
- Student representative on a district-, regional- or state-level civic and/or educational organization

Informational packets and specific instructions were mailed to high school principals and headmasters in August. Each principal may nominate one eligible student for consideration.

Oct. 6 is the deadline for completed applications to be sent via postal mail to: Joe Schmidt, USSYP Coordinator; Maine Department of Education; 23 State House Station; Augusta, Maine 04333.

On Oct. 20 up to 10 finalists will be notified of advancement to the final round, then in November the 10 finalists will convene at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan for interviews with a selection committee. The two finalists and two alternates will be announced in December.

Find Application materials and more information about the USSYP.

2017 Count ME In Student Poster Contest

Count ME In is sponsoring the third annual Student Poster Contest to engage students ages 6-17 in promoting school attendance. Students are invited to create a design for the 2017 Attendance Awareness Month celebration in September, 2017. This is an opportunity for students to share their views on why school attendance is important. Students can participate from at school, summer program or home. The deadline is July 18.

The winning posters will be reproduced with the artist’s name on the poster and distributed throughout Maine. In addition, the winning artists will receive Amazon Gift Cards. Guidelines for contest details can be found on www.countmeinmaine.org.

Please share with students you think might be interested in submitting artwork. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Lieberman at slieberman@countmeinmaine.org.

U.S. Senate Youth Program Application Deadline is Oct. 17

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Maine high school students compete in national poetry contest

The 2016 Maine State Finals for Poetry Out Loud, a National Poetry Recitation Contest, will be held on March 15 at 3 p.m. at the Waterville Opera House. The competition is free and open to the public.

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Maine Constitution Essay deadline Friday

The Maine Constitution Essay and Poster Contest deadline is March 11. You can get details here. The student submitting the top entry in each category will be invited to Augusta along with his or her class. They will be able to view the Maine Constitution, which is a particular honor as the Constitution is only removed from its special vault on very few occasions. The students may also visit the Maine State Museum and the State House.

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Constitution essay contest for all grades

The Secretary of State’s Office is excited to continue the popular student program, the Maine Constitution Essay and Poster Contest. This program is designed to promote the history of Maine, an understanding of the Maine Constitution, and the importance of democracy and voting.

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Humanities opportunity for Maine students

The Maine DOE is pleased to share an opportunity for students to participate in the Maine Humanities Council’s Student Humanities Ambassador Program. The council is seeking committed, passionate and excited students who would benefit from an alternative learning environment or who flourish in an environment of structured autonomy to participate.

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