Maine’s Statewide Career Fair Launches March 22 with NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir and Hundreds of Presenters from Across Maine

Live sessions for the second annual ME Virtual Career Fair will begin on Tuesday, March 22 and will include 130 presentations for more than 10,000 students across the state. The Community Coordinators Collaborative (C3), an organization of educators working to support students with career exploration, organized the event in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and the Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM).

The event will commence on Monday with a series of pre-recorded messages from keynote speakers, including Commissioner of Education Pender Makin, Mark McInerney of the Center for Workforce Research and Information, Cary Olson Cartwright, Unum’s Assistant Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, and David Herring, Executive Director of the Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment. The fair will continue throughout the week, offering hundreds of live sessions and featuring a vast array of businesses and organizations from different industries.

“The virtual career fair has allowed us to expand access and to expose students to the many diverse professions in Maine,” said Sheree Inman, co-chair of the ME Virtual Career Fair. “We have schools from Presque Isle to Kittery participating and are excited to introduce them to the wealth of opportunities available in their home state. This year, we have more than 100 presenters including trades professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists such as Maine’s celebrated NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir. The presenters are eager to share their experience and proud of what Maine has to offer.”

“Growing up in Aroostook County, I spent countless hours outdoors. It was the natural setting of Maine that inspired me to become an explorer,” said NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir. “The landscape sparked my curiosity to learn more about the world around me. I continue to feel a strong connection to Maine and am excited to share my story and hopefully inspire other young people from the state to explore careers in science.”

“The Jackson Laboratory is one of the largest non-profit employers in Maine and is always seeking to hire people who are motivated by our biomedical mission and have an affinity for this state. Maine high school students are the perfect audience to learn more about the many different types of work we offer,” said Michael McKernan, director of government and community relations at Jackson Laboratory. “It’s critical that employers interface with students and schools as often as possible, to share information about the opportunities that exist in the state. It’s surprising how even a short interaction might change a student’s outlook or open their eyes to a new possibility. The Maine business community can’t afford to miss those opportunities”.

Financial assistance is available to schools through the generous support of Unum, Bath Iron Works, and many other local businesses.

Hands-On Ocean Science Program Open to High School Applicants

Bigelow Laboratory’s Keller BLOOM program gives students an immersive look into life as a scientist and is now accepting applications for its weeklong May experience. The program is open, at no cost, to all Maine high school juniors.

Experience with hands-on scientific research is a rare opportunity for most students and can make a significant difference in their careers. Bigelow Laboratory’s Keller BLOOM program gives students a unique look into life as a scientist, and is now accepting applications for the weeklong experience, which will be held May 15th to 20th. The program is open, at no cost, to all Maine high school juniors.

“We are excited to show students a side of science that they may not see in school,” said Nicole Poulton, director of the program and a senior research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory. “Science is about collecting data and learning from it along the way, and that’s the experience we try to give them.”

The program provides 16 Maine students each year the opportunity to spend a week in residence at Bigelow Laboratory in East Boothbay, working alongside researchers to learn about the microbiology of the local marine environment. Students are immersed in hands-on research and explore what a career as a scientist involves.

Students in Bigelow Laboratory’s Keller BLOOM program collect marine samples in the Sheepscot River estuary. The program gives students a unique opportunity to conduct hands-on research, working alongside scientists to learn about the microbiology of the local marine environment.

During the program, students learn sampling and data collection methods and put their skills into practice on a research cruise in the Sheepscot River estuary. They work with scientists using advanced instrumentation to explore microscopic plants, animals, bacteria, and other organisms from the local marine environment.

“It really changed my view on how I see the job of a scientist,” said Marcus Russano, a student from the 2021 program. “It is not just someone who sits in a chair typing or just in a lab all day, but someone who is physically out in the world around us, collecting the data, and then working hands-on with it.”

Current Maine high school juniors, including homeschooled students, are encouraged to apply by April 8. No prior research experience is necessary, and Bigelow Laboratory provides chaperoned room and board. There is no cost to participate in the program. For more information, please visit the Keller BLOOM website.

MEDIA RELEASE: Application Process Open for Student Position on Maine State Board of Education

Student voice is critically important to the Maine State Board of Education, and they are seeking applications for the newest student member to join the Board. Applications are being accepted February 1, 2022 – March 1, 2022.

The Maine State Board of Education has two nonvoting student members who join the Board as high school juniors and serve for two years, one enrolled in a school in Maine’s First Congressional District; the other enrolled in a school in the Second Congressional District. At all times, the State Board has one high school junior and one senior as members, with staggered appointment.

Applications are currently being accepted from students who attend school in the Second Congressional District (includes Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington counties, and part of Kennebec County) and are currently a high school sophomore. Application materials are available on the State Board of Education web page. The Board has also emailed and mailed application materials to all Second Congressional District high school principals and school counselors. Completed applications should be mailed to:

Mary Becker, Maine State Board of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023

After applications close on March 1, 2022, they will be reviewed according to the process described in Maine Education and School Statutes, Title 20-A, Chapter 5, State Board of Education. Semifinalists will be interviewed in March 2022, after which three finalists will be chosen. The names and application materials of the finalists will be sent to the Governor’s office for final selection. The selected student will be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine State Senate.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for Maine students to practice civic engagement while serving as both a representative of Maine students and an active education leader in our state.

For further information please visit the Maine State Board of Education web page or contact Mary Becker, Board Assistant, at 624-6616 or via email at Mary.Becker@maine.gov.

Horatio Alger Scholarship Now Open for Student Applications

The Horatio Alger Association awards college scholarships to students who have significant financial need and have exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming personal adversity. The scholarships are given to deserving students each year and range in award value from $10,000 to $25,000.

This year the Association is shifting the focus of their National and State Scholarship Programs to make the awards to high school juniors, with the goal of supporting students at an earlier age and providing them a path to achieve their dream of a college/university education. High school seniors are encouraged to apply, as well, for the specialized awards which can be found under the “Target Scholarships” tab on their scholarship website.

To apply for the Horatio Alger Scholarship Programs, the following items must be completed by March 15:

An online application at scholars.horatioalger.org
One Support Form completed online through the application process. This must be completed by an adult over the age of 21 who is not related to the applicant and who is aware of the adversities mentioned in the application. This form must be filled out online. Faxes, emails, or letters will not be accepted.
Online Certification Form. A login will be emailed to the applicant’s counselor.
High school transcript. Applicants should upload a transcript through the application. Transcripts must be submitted online and must include completed grades for the Fall 2021 semester.
Income Verification. A copy of the first page of the applicant’s parent(s) federal tax return (1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ or 1099 SSA-Social Security form) or tax transcript (request a tax transcript here www.irs.gov/Individuals/Order-a-Transcript) from 2019 is needed in order to verify income stated on the application. If an applicant’s parents were not required to file a tax return, include statement copies of any government benefits, such as Public Assistance or Disability payment documents. Income verifications may be uploaded online or sent by mail. Applicants of divorced or legally separated parents need to submit tax forms from both parents. No emails or faxes accepted.

For more information and questions, visit https://scholars.horatioalger.org/ or contact the Horatio Alger Association at (844) 422-4200,

Sign up for Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

Administered by the Office of the Maine Attorney General, the mission of the Civil Rights Team Project is to increase the safety of elementary, middle level, and high school students by reducing bias-motivated behaviors and harassment in our schools.

The Civil Rights Team Project recently revamped their newsletter to broaden their reach to Maine schools and community across Maine.

See the latest Issue: Winter 2021-2022 Issue of The Torch

To sign up to receive the newsletter email:

Kathryn Caulfield, Project Assistant, kathryn.caulfield@maine.gov

Brandon Baldwin, Project Director, brandon.baldwin@maine.gov

For more information about the Civil Rights Team Project, visit their website.

Sign up for the Maine App Challenge!

There’s an App for that!

Are you a student who’s interested in app design? Or a teacher looking for ways to get your students more involved with innovative processes? Consider signing up for the Maine App Challenge! Since 2015, the Maine App Challenge has provided Maine students with the opportunity to delve into the technology sector of app design and development. The Maine App Challenge is open to middle and high school students age 13+. Submissions give students a chance to win scholarships and other prizes.

To help support the development of the skills needed to be successful, The Maine App Challenge is offering free innovation workshops through the University of Maine’s Foster Center for Innovation.

The Maine App Challenge is accepting submissions now through May 15, 2022.

Download the Infographic here.

Click here for more information and details about the Maine App Challenge.

Maine CDC Announces “Tick Wise” Poster Contest

Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) announces the 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest. This contest is for Maine students in grades K-8th to raise awareness of tickborne disease prevention. The 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness Month poster contest theme is “Tick Wise.”

Maine CDC encourages students to show how they are “Tick Wise.” Posters should illustrate at least one of the four approaches to personal prevention:

Use caution in tick-infested areas
Use an EPA-approved repellent
Wear protective clothing
Perform daily tick checks both by sight and by touch

Maine CDC will choose one winner each from grades K-1st, 2nd-3rd, 4th-5th, and 6th-8th. One winning poster will become Maine CDC’s 2022 Lyme Disease Awareness poster. Visit Maine CDC’s Lyme Disease Awareness Month website for more information. All posters must have a signed parent consent form.

Maine CDC created free downloadable school curriculum materials for students in 3rd – 8th grades to learn about ticks. Parents and teachers can also find tickborne disease posters, brochures, and other resources to download and order here. Explore these resources to become “Tick Wise” and prevent tick bites and tickborne disease.

For more information about tickborne diseases in Maine, visit www.maine.gov/lyme. For questions about the poster contest, contact megan.porter@maine.gov.

2022 Mitchell Scholarship Online Application Open Until April 1

The 2022 Mitchell Scholarship online application is now open until April 1. You can find the application link, requirements, and a few additional college and scholarship resources on the Mitchell Institute’s Website.

In addition to the $10,000 scholarship that the Mitchell Institute will award to a graduating senior from every public high school in the state, they provide numerous resources and programs for Mitchell Scholars:

Leadership and career development events
Access to a wide array of professional networks
Customized career advising and personal support through individual meetings with Mitchell Institute staff and community members
Fellowship Awards of up to $1,500 to support internships and personal/professional growth opportunities
Emergency financial assistance for unexpected financial challenges

Mitchell Scholarships are awarded to students planning to attend two- or four-year degree programs at colleges either in- or out-of-state. The strongest applicants demonstrate financial need, academic promise, and community impact. Please encourage any graduating college-bound students from Maine’s public high schools to apply before the April 1 deadline.

For more information contact the Mitchell Institute at info@mitchellinstitute.org or (207) 773-7700.

Maine FFA Members Convene for Fall Workshop

Over 100 middle and secondary student members of the Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) met at the University of Maine in Presque Isle on November 19, 2021 for a workshop on leadership skills and FFA opportunities.

The FFA is available to students grades 7 to 12 at schools featuring an agriculture or natural resources class/program that has chartered an FFA chapter. As the largest student-run organization in the United States, with over 750,000 members, the FFA relies on its student officers to conduct activities and trainings.

The November 19th workshop was no exception, as the three State FFA Officers, Nickie Deschaine, President; Delaney McKeen, Vice President; and Ryder Brewer, Secretary-Treasurer, presented sessions that they themselves had developed to FFA students from Ashland High School, Ashland Middle School, Easton Junior/Senior High School, Central Aroostook High School, Central Aroostook Junior High School, Presque Isle Regional Career & Technical Center, and Washburn High School.

Workshop topics included: “What is FFA?” “Qualities of Leadership,” “Balancing Life” and “Opportunities in FFA.” FFA-cited opportunities included travel, competitions, awards, scholarships and a number of specific events available to members. Workshop participants left with information and resources to take the best advantage of their school years and their FFA experiences.

FFA Students complete reflection activity with guidance from trainers (standing)

Central Aroostook High School FFA students respond to workshop karaoke challenge

For more information on FFA and on starting an FFA chapter, please contact: Doug Robertson, Maine FFA State Advisor, Maine Department of Education, 207-624-6744, doug.robertson@maine.gov

MEDIA RELEASE: Video Message – Governor Mills Proclaims Dec. 6th-12th CS Education Week in Maine

Augusta, Maine – Monday December 6th marks the start of the 13th annual National Computer Science Education Week, which serves as a call to action to inspire PreK through 12th grade students to learn computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.

In honor of National Computer Science Education Week, December 6th-12th, Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed December 6th-12th, 2021 as Computer Science Education Week in Maine and has a special message to share.

To read the official proclamation, click here.

You can access the message from Governor Mills here:

To learn more about how you can get involved with Computer Science Education Week, check out our website or contact Maine DOE Director of Innovative Teaching and Learning Beth Lambert at Beth.Lambert@maine.gov.