MEDIA RELEASE: Seven Maine Seniors Named U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalists

U.S. Department of Education has named seven Maine students as semifinalists in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The national program recognizes seniors across the country as being among our nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors.

“I am incredibly proud of the continued academic accomplishments of Maine students through the inevitable disruptions over the past year,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “I applaud these talented students on their well-deserved recognition and wish them the very best as they transition into the next exciting chapter of their lives.”

The semifinalist scholars are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas including academic and artistic success, career and technical fields, leadership, and involvement in school and the community. They represent excellence in education and are among the most accomplished youth in our country.

From nearly 3.6 million graduating high school seniors from across the country, over 6,500 students were identified as candidates in this program. 625 semifinalists were selected, 7 of whom are from Maine.

Maine U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalists:

Harshini K. Chaganti
Scarborough High School

Devon Michael Hunter
John Bapst Memorial High School

Pedro Santiago Little-Siebold
Ellsworth High School

**Culiandra Rose Nero
Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School

Swetha Palaniappan
Cape Elizabeth High School

Wade F. Wahlig
Falmouth High School

Aislynn K Worden
Sanford High School

** Semifinalist for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education

The semifinalists form the pool from which the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be chosen in May. Visit http://www.ed.gov/psp for the complete list of semifinalists across the country.

Seeking Outdoor Education Success Stories for WAVES

We at the Maine Department of Education know schools, educators and organizations have been working collaboratively to get students safely learning outdoors. As part of the WAVES (Wilderness Activities and Virtual Engagement for Students), we would like to collect and feature all the innovative practices and projects you been up to outdoors with youth!

Please submit this form so WAVES may learn about the wonderful things going on in YOUR school to get youth outside to connect with nature and/or your community. We are eager to highlight your work on our WAVES website and through the Maine Department of Education Newsroom as part of the Maine schools sharing success campaign!

The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families or schools.

For further information about WAVES visit our website or contact Sarah Woog, Maine DOE WAVES Director at sarah.woog@maine.gov. As a reminder, the Maine DOE is always accepting good news stories and ideas on all education related topics, those can be sent to Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Troy Howard Middle School Expands Food Pantry with Community Caring Cart

Like many school districts across Maine, RSU 71 provides a school food pantry program to ensure there are free food options for families to take home with them as an added service to those in need.

“The District has been feeding families in need since, well, forever,” said Carrie Robinson, Front Desk Secretary at Troy Howard Middle School (THMS) in Belfast.

While there is no data point in Maine that details just how many schools offer this type of service, it is abundantly clear that there are a wide range of efforts on all levels throughout Maine and often times they can be found at the local school.

“When our school buildings were closed last spring at the onset of the pandemic, our school nurses partnered with food services and transportation to send home weekly boxed meals and produce,” said Shannon Robbins, School Nurse at A Ames – Gladys Weymouth Elementary Schools in RSU 71. “In fact, we sent home over 22,000 pounds! Families shared with us how much it meant to have these necessities delivered to their homes when it felt too scary to shop in town.”

It’s worth noting that school food pantries and backpack programs are a volunteer effort at most schools and go above and beyond the complimentary school meals that students receive while learning at school and remotely. With the help of several USDA waivers during the pandemic, school nutrition programs have been allowed to be flexible and adaptive in the way school meals are served and most have been able to offer these services at no charge to families.

Suffice it to say, pantry and backpack programs are becoming an important addition to many school communities across Maine and at Troy Howard Middle School they have recently undergone an expansion to reach more families.

Although the district’s nurses, administrators, and guidance staff usually have a good idea of who needs help, they have found that it is still difficult to know if they’ve provided the service equitably.

“We really just never know who is in need,” explained Robyn Mailloux, THMS Nurse.

That is when they came up with the idea to offer the Community Caring Cart as a service to anyone who wants or needs something – they can just come pick it up. Instead of handing a backpack full of food and supplies to a specific student or families, now the cart is available in public areas at school that are easy for parents and students to just take what they need.

“Over the course of the year, I’ve been surprised at what has disappeared from the hallway shelf and who has been taking it,” said Mailloux. “You just don’t know what people’s stories are.”

In addition, there are bags available for people to donate items if they wish and the team is also working on some grab and go bags that are quick and easy to take.

“Anything taco related flies off the shelves, as does of course easy to make staples, mac and cheese and canned soups and fruits,” said Robinson. “Since we are at a middle school level many of our students have some basic cooking skills so they will grab things they can make for themselves. Any time we have fresh produce it goes well, the kids actually like fresh stuff!!!!”

“Lightweight, prepacked goods such as cereal, pasta or rice mixes, soups are very popular. We have also offered fresh produce from Maine farmers including potatoes, apples, carrots- families loved these,” adds Robbins.”

Knowing that food programs are a service provided in many community and schools throughout Maine, we asked the RSU 71 team if they have any advice for schools that are thinking about starting or expanding food pantry programs at their schools.

“I would remind any schools that are trying to do anything like this that you never really know who needs the help so get the word out every way you can,” offers Robinson.

“Partner with your community resources – we couldn’t do this without GBAM (Greater Belfast Area Ministerium Food Cupboard), GSFB (Good Shepard Food Bank), and our area boosters, such as Bell the Cat (a local restaurant) and individual donors,” said Robbins adding that when RSU 71 School Food Pantry began in 2019, they received a generous grant from the Sadie and Harry Davis Foundation that has enabled them to expand their support during the pandemic.

The Maine Department of Education would like to take a moment to thank the dedicated team at RSU 71 as well as the countless school staff members, volunteers, and community partners across Maine working tirelessly to provide services to the families in their communities through food programs and other similar efforts, especially throughout the past year. Your dedication and selflessness does not go unnoticed by the Department or the grateful people that benefit from your work.

Information for this article was provided by RSU 71 as part of the Maine DOE Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

MSSM Participates in Spring 2021 YMCA Youth and Government Program

The Spring 2021 YMCA Maine Youth and Government program wrapped up this past weekend (April 9, 10, 11). This year’s session, historically unique, occurred via videoconference, as pandemic restrictions prevented Maine high schoolers from gathering at the Maine State Capitol in Augusta for the model state program. Instead, students found themselves logging in from their respective locales across Maine to engage with one another on the pressing public policy matters of the day. Students worked to convince their peers of the merits of their own individually written bills, and the political process was front and center, as students found their voice, engaged in campaigning, learned the art of compromise, and identified ways to improve the communities around them.

MSSM’s 2021 delegation, totaling fourteen students, was especially active in the weekend’s events. And given that the majority of the MSSM delegation was on campus, students spread out across multiple rooms on two floors in the academic building to simulate separate committee rooms and legislative chambers, thereby ensuring opportunities for MSSMers to work collaboratively in person while also following covid protocols. Seeing students moving up and down the hallways over the weekend and engaging in debate and collaboration with their peers provided much enthusiasm and excitement for all.

Of particular note from this past weekend, MSSM’s own Marcello Santomenna will serve as the 79th YMCA Youth Governor of the State of Maine following his election to serve as head of next year’s program. In his campaign speech on Saturday night, Santomenna stressed the importance of compromise, compassionate leadership, and adept policy making as foundational priorities for his administration. As youth governor, Santomenna will attend the YMCA Youth Governor’s Conference, representing the Maine YMCA, and will serve as Governor for this fall’s Youth and Government program where he will be responsible for putting forth a legislative agenda for participants to consider. Additional responsibilities will include working with the Maine YMCA program director in planning the fall 2021 program and aiding in outreach for the Maine YMCA on related civic-engagement opportunities. Congratulations, Governor Santomenna!

Also, on Sunday, outgoing Governor and MSSMer Martin Brozman completed his record length term-in-office following his election in the fall of 2019 prior to the pandemic delaying the start of what would have been the fall 2020 program. Governor Brozman, in weekend remarks, spoke about the human spirit and the power of resilience, as students have faced new and unusual challenges in the past year. Brozman noted that students have shown perseverance and adaptation in the face of extraordinary challenges while remaining positive and committed to doing good work. Brozman vetoed eight bills to close out the weekend while also advancing his own legislative priorities, which included the passage of a “right to repair” law, a school start time law, and a law to promote voting accessibility.

To close out the weekend, MSSM’s Peter Butera received the Maine YMCA Youth and Government’s “Best Bill Award.” Butera’s bill, “A New Comprehensive Plan for Combating Addiction in Maine,” revised the penalties for some drug offenses to be treated as civil rather than criminal matters.

This article was provided by Maine School of Science and Mathematics as part of the Maine DOE Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Early College Online: UMF Course Gives Mt. Blue Senior the Chance to Research and Share Family History

Early College student Sylvie Haslam, a senior at Mt Blue High School recently published the first part of a three part story on University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) Professor and Author Luann Yetter’s website as part of an Early College course she took this past summer at UMF.

“Sylvie was just one of many high school students, statewide, really, who took advantage of the opportunity to take classes last summer, when the pandemic hit and UMF moved their summer classes online,” said Clarissa Thompson, Early College Campus Coordinator and Associate Professor of Secondary and Middle Education at UMF.

Early college courses are available to Maine high school students at University of Maine System Schools and Maine’s Community Colleges as well through Maine’s Aspirations Program, which is administered by the Maine Department of Education. Students may now apply for early college opportunities at all of Maine’s colleges and universities using one common application portal, this new tool is a significant usability upgrade for students and families navigating early college options in Maine.

The UMF course that Sylvie took is called, Local Stories/Your Stories. Along with classmates from across Maine, she dove into her own local town and family history as material for creative nonfiction, engaging in personal interviews, genealogies, and looking through old newspapers (among other things) to create a vivid story of her personal history.

“This is a great example of the types of expanded opportunities our high school students have as part of the Aspirations program,” said Amy Hubbard, Executive Director of Early College at University of Maine System.

As an introduction to Sylvie’s story, Professor Yetter writes:

“Last summer when I taught my class on writing local and family history I got to read some wonderful work. One of the projects I know will be of interest to my readers is this one by Mt. Blue High School senior Sylvie Haslam. Sylvie’s family history in Weld is interwoven with the Cushman family, prominent in the 1800s, and with artist Seavern Hilton who made his mark in the mid twentieth century. Join us as Sylvie explores Weld history, family history and the folk art that traveled far beyond the village of Weld. I have divided her fascinating account into three parts. In Part I, below, we are introduced to the Michael Graham farm and the Cushman family, whose ties to the land go back to the mid-eighteen hundreds. I’m sure you will agree that Sylvie is a talented writer. This high school student has a great future ahead of her!”

Read Part One of Sylvie’s story here: The Shop Land, Part I

UMF and the other University of Maine System campuses, as well as Maine’s Community College System campuses offer a wide range of classes that Maine high school students have continued to participate in online.

“Students have really jumped at the opportunity to take them,” adds Thompson. While participation had been growing steadily before the pandemic, early college programming helped provide additional options for students as high schools adjusted to online and hybrid schedules. Students who participate in early college are more likely to attend college, have higher grades in college, and are more likely to graduate on time.

For more information about early college options at UMF specifically, contact Clarissa Thompson at clarissa.thompson@maine.edu.

Information for this article was provided by the University of Maine System and the University of Maine at Farmington as part of the Maine DOE Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Maine Celebrates 21 New and 5 Renewed National Board Certified Teachers in Virtual Ceremony

Maine recognized 21 teachers newly certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) during an April 8 virtual ceremony. These exemplary educators join more than 400 teachers across the state who have gone through this highly reflective and transformative professional development, including five of their colleagues who renewed their National Board Certification this year.

Friends, family, colleagues and administrators joined the celebration hosted by the Maine Education Association (MEA) and the National Board Certified Teachers Network of Maine (NBCTs of Maine). Offering congratulatory remarks were Education Commissioner Pender Makin, MEA President and NBCT Grace Leavitt, NBCTs of Maine Chair and NBCT, Melissa Guerrette, and Representative Rebecca Millett.

Featured speaker Kelly Elder, NBPTS, NBCT Board of Directors, 2017 Montana Teacher of the Year and 2018 NEA Foundation Fellow, shared a talk titled “What’s Next? Moving Forward from the Intersection of Emotional Health and Learning in a Post-pandemic World” Elder, a grade 6 geography teacher, acknowledged the challenges involved in teaching in a year unlike any other, and the disproportionate impact the pandemic had on our most vulnerable students. Elder noted that NBCTs, given their experience in such a highly reflective process as National Board Certification, are uniquely positioned to create, innovate, and lead the differentiated work (including rethinking assessment practices) in the coming years, in order to meet the needs of all of our students.

The event’s emcee, Heidi Goodwin, NBCT and NB Professional Learning Facilitator, was joined by Kristi Charette, NBCT and NB Professional Learning Facilitator, in leading this year’s unique pinning ceremony, with attendees being “pinned” by a family member at home. Dan Allen, MEA Professional Development Director, offered closing remarks, encouraging the NBCTs to engage in ongoing leadership opportunities, including offering support to candidates working on National Board Certification.

The journey to National Board Certification is a challenging one—the process, on average, requires nearly 400 hours of time and effort to achieve. Educators must submit a detailed portfolio that includes examples of student work and video recordings that show how they teach and interact with students. In addition, they must submit a reflective piece on student assessment and learning and demonstrate mastery of the content of their chosen certification area. This evidence must meet the Five Core Propositions and the National Board Standards, a body of knowledge that is maintained by teachers. Practicing teachers, through a peer-review process, assess the portfolios.

In pursuing and achieving National Board Certification, the following teachers have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their students, schools, and districts. Please join us in congratulating them!

Maine 2020 New NBCTS

	Name	National Board Certificate	Position	District/School
1.	Heather Sinclair	Science: Early Adolescence	Middle School Science Teacher	RSU 2 Hall-Dale Middle High School
2.	Heidi Corliss	Music: Early Adolescence/YA	Fine & Performing Arts Teacher	RSU 22 Hampden Academy
3.	Alyce Delfino	Exceptional Needs Specialist: Early Adolescence/ YA	Special Education Teacher	Five Town CSD Camden Hills Regional High School
4.	Christopher Driscoll	Mathematics, Early Adolescence	Middle School Math Teacher	Falmouth Public Schools/ Falmouth Middle School
5.	Sara Jones	Mathematics: Early Adolescence	Middle School Math Teacher	Falmouth Public Schools/ Falmouth Middle School
6.	Tara Robertson	Literacy: Reading -Lang Arts: Early & Middle Childhood	Title I Teacher	Lisbon Public Schools Lisbon Community School
7.	Linda LaCasse	Literacy: Reading -Language Arts: Early & Middle Childhood	Title I Teacher	Lisbon Public Schools Lisbon Community School
8.	Julia Bemis	Science: Adolescence and Young Adulthood	High School Science Teacher	RSU 6 Bonny Eagle HS
9.	Jennifer Fronczak-	Math: Early Adolescence	Middle School Math Teacher	RSU 84 East Grand School
10.	Vicki Bailey	Generalist: Early Childhood	Grade 1 Teacher	RSU 22 Earl C McGraw Elementary School
11.	Audrey Bracciodieta	Exceptional Needs Specialist: Early Childhood through Young Adulthood	Special Education Teacher	RSU 22 George B Weatherbee School
12.	Jennifer Brown	Generalist: Early Childhood	Kindergarten Teacher	RSU 12 Chelsea Elementary School
13.	Robin Tiller	Science: Early Adolescence	Middle School Science Teacher	Biddeford Public Schools Biddeford Middle School
14.	Rachel Singh	Generalist: Early Childhood	Grade 1 Teacher	Bar Harbor Public Schools Conners-Emerson School
15.	Rebecca Sanborn	Generalist: Early Childhood	Kindergarten Teacher	RSU 60 North Berwick Elementary
16.	Krista St. Cyr	English as a New Language: Early Adolescence/YA	English Language Learner Teacher	Lewiston Public Schools Lewiston Middle School
17.	Lacey Todd	Generalist: Middle Childhood	Grade 5 Science Teacher	RSU 10 Mountain Valley Middle School
18.	Kaitlin Woodbury	Literacy, Reading Language Arts: Early/Middle Childhood	Grade 1 Teacher	RSU 1 Phippsburg Elementary School
19.	Lorene Hinkley – Gordon	Literacy, Reading Language Arts: Early/Middle Childhood	Title I Teacher	RSU 49 Albion Elementary School
20.	Jessica Archer	English Language Arts: Early Adolescence	Middle School: English, Science and Health Teacher	RSU 26 Orono Middle School
21.	Danielle Quimby	Exceptional Needs Specialist: Early Childhood through Young Adulthood	Gifted & Talented Teacher	RSU 6 Buxton Center Elementary School

Maine 2020 Renewed NBCTS

	Name	National Board Certificate	Position	District/ School
1.	Laurie Alves	Literacy, Reading Language Arts: Early/Middle Childhood	Grade 5 Teacher	Scarborough Public Schools Wentworth School
2.	Brian Cote	Science: Early Adolescence	Middle School Science Teacher	Bar Harbor Public School Conners-Emerson School
3.	David Doubleday	Literacy, Reading Language Arts: Adolescence/YA	High School English Language Arts	Five Town CSD Camden Hills Regional High School
4.	Rachel Landry	Exceptional Needs Specialist: Early Childhood/YA	Special Education Teacher	Portland Public Schools Harrison Lyseth Elementary School
5.	Joanne Powers	Literacy, Reading Language Arts: Early Middle Childhood	Elementary Literacy Teacher	RSU 1 Dike-Newell School

National Board certification is voluntary and open to all teachers who have at least three years of classroom experience and a bachelor’s degree. Certification is available in 25 certificate areas, from preschool through 12th grade.

Maine offers an annual salary supplement for teachers who have achieved National Board Certification and scholarships to support up to 30 teachers, annually, in attaining National Board Certification.

Contact information for National Board Certification in Maine:

NBCTS of Maine:

Heidi Goodwin: nbct.heidi@gmail.com

Melissa Guerrette: nbct.melissa@gmail.com

Susan O’Brien: nbct.susan@gmail.com

Kristi Charette: nbct.kristi@gmail.com

Maine Education Association:

Dan Allen: DAllen@maineea.org

Maine Department of Education:

Tamara Ranger: tamara.ranger@Maine.Gov

Maine Community College Students Named to All-Maine Academic Team

Twenty-one Maine community college students have been named to the All-Maine Academic Team in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and service.

They were honored last night in a virtual ceremony. For a recording of the presentation go to: https://youtu.be/91_Vk9STdH8

The students receiving the award and a $500 scholarship from the MCCS Board of Trustees, are:

Nicholas Bennett, Gray, Central Maine Community College in Auburn
Emma Gay, Winthrop, Central Maine Community College;
Coleen Heiser, Canton, Central Maine Community College;
Jeffrey Palmer, Tamworth, NH, Central Maine Community College;
Britney Eberhardt, Prospect, Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor;
Jennifer Hodgins, Brewer, Eastern Maine Community College;
Joy Sharrow, Bowerbank, Eastern Maine Community College;
Adrian Hoyt, Benton, Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield/Hinckley;
Felecia Paradis, Fairfield, Kennebec Valley Community College;
Natacha Valley, Winslow, Kennebec Valley Community College;
Kristin Wallaker, New Portland, Kennebec Valley Community College;
Valerie Bilogue Minkala, Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle;
Leeann Kaiser, Easton, Northern Maine Community College;
John McNally, Patten, Northern Maine Community College;
Savannah Green, South Portland, Southern Maine Community College in South Portland/Brunswick;
Cortney Luce, Poland, Southern Maine Community College;
Rachel Ackley, Cooper, Washington County Community College in Calais;
Donna Mutty, Calais, Washington County Community College;
Jessica Stevens, East Machias, Washington County Community College;
Dana Comeau, Kennebunkport, York County Community College in Wells and
Travis Richards, Moody, York County Community College.

In addition, Jennifer Hodgins (EMCC) and Kristin Wallaker (KVCC) have been named Maine New Century Scholars for earning the highest scores in the state on their All-USA Academic Team applications.

Hodgins has been named the 2021 Maine New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship.

Wallaker is the 2021 Maine New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship.

KVCC’s Adrian Hoyt was one of only 50 students nationwide name a Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship.

The New Century Pathway Scholarship program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Phi Theta Kappa. Only one New Century Transfer and Workforce Scholar is selected from each state.

The All-Maine Academic Team is a program of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges. Students are nominated and selected for the team by their college.

Information for this article was provided by Maine Community College System as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

The Portland Public Schools Is Grand Prize Winner for Equity Work

Portland Public Schools has been recognized for its commitment to equity as a Grand Prize winner in the National School Boards Association (NSBA) 2021 Magna Awards program. This is the first time in that program’s 27-year history that a Maine school district has been recognized with a Magna Award for its equity work.

The annual Magna Awards honor school districts across the country for programs that advance equity and break down barriers for underserved students. PPS, Maine’s largest and most diverse school district, won for one of our signature programs: Make It Happen! – a college readiness program that helps multilingual students build competitive academic profiles for college admission and financial aid.

An independent panel of school board members, administrators, and other educators selected the 15 winners – three Grand Prize winners and 12 first place winners. PPS is the Grand Prize winner in the category of districts with enrollment between 5,000 and 20,000 students. The other two Grand Prize winners were Massachusetts’s Mashpee Public Schools, which won in the under-5,000-enrollment category, and Michigan’s Detroit Public Schools, which was the winner for districts with more than 20,000 students. This is the fourth year that the Magna Awards program has recognized school districts and their leaders for their efforts to bring educational equity to their students. It is believed that PPS is the first Maine school district ever to win a Magna Award.

“We are thrilled and honored to be chosen as a Grand Prize winner for our work to achieve equity for all our students, which is the central goal of our Portland Promise, the district’s strategic plan,” said PPS Superintendent Xavier Botana. “This recognition shines a national spotlight on the need to remove barriers to equity at a particularly important time, when the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the longstanding disparities that exist between different groups of students in our schools. Programs like Make It Happen! are vital to helping address these disparities, but there is much more we need to do. That is why my proposed FY22 school budget targets resources to the students to whom we owe the largest educational debt: those who are learning English, have disabilities or are alienated in our schools.”

Make It Happen!, founded 14 years ago, is a program of the district’s Multilingual & Multicultural Center. It’s a college-readiness and academic success program for language minority students in grades 9 through 12, and is designed to help students raise and realize their academic aspirations. The program provides students with personalized and structured academic support to ensure their success in school and help prepare them for college. Many graduates of the program are the first in their families to attend an institute of higher education.

Steve Bailey, Executive Director of the Maine School Management Association, said that Make It Happen! “is designed to meet students where they are and assist them in achieving their goal through personalized support.” Make It Happen! site coordinators and volunteer academic coaches, recruited from the community, help students take challenging classes, develop strong college applications, and engage in civic and leadership activities.

Diora Ndagano, a senior at Deering High School, said, “I joined Make It Happen! right after I arrived at Deering. I was an immigrant and I didn’t know anything about the education system in America, but with the help of the Make It Happen! program, I was able to adapt to school and apply to college. That’s how amazing that program was to me.”

In addition to bringing national attention to the district’s ongoing equity work, the Grand Prize includes a $5,000 grant that the district will use as a foundational investment to establish a college scholarship fund for students who participate in the Make It Happen! Program. The district plans to leverage this money to grow the fund. More details around the “Make it Happen Scholarship Fund” will be announced later this spring.

“2020 was a year like no other,” said NSBA Executive Director and CEO Anna Maria Chávez. “The 2021 Magna Award-winning districts represent the enormous efforts of school leaders during the pandemic to continue removing barriers to achievement for their underserved and vulnerable students.”

“The Portland Public Schools is very grateful to have our equity work recognized nationally,” said Portland Board of Public Education Chair Emily Figdor. “Achieving equity, the centerpiece of our Portland Promise goals, is essential for us to fully realize our other strategic plan goals – achievement, whole student and people.”

The 27th annual Magna Awards program is sponsored by the National School Boards Association’s flagship magazine, American School Board Journal (ASBJ). PPS’ Grand Prize win is highlighted in the April issue of ASBJ. Read about the award-winning Make It Happen! program and the two other Grand Prize-winning districts at nsba.org/ASBJ/2021/april/grand-prize-magna-awards programs.

Information for this article was provided by Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Deering High School Senior Is Top Winner at Maine State Science Fair

Linh Nguyen, a senior at Deering High School, is the First Place Grand Award winner in the 2021 Maine State Science Fair. Nguyen came out on top among the nearly 160 students competing for prestigious state titles and more than $1 million in scholarships and awards. She won for her research on how carbon nanotubes could be used as an inexpensive remover of arsenic in drinking water systems.

In other news, Nguyen also was named on April 8 as a Cooke College Scholar, one of just 61 students nationwide to receive that prestigious honor – and the only one from Maine. The Cooke College Scholars receive up to $40,000 annually for up to four years to attend the college or university of their choice, in addition to comprehensive advising and other program support.

Celebrating its 75th year, the Maine State Science Fair (MSSF) is organized by The Jackson Laboratory and Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA). This year’s event took place virtually on April 3, and 157 students representing 23 Maine schools tuned in to present virtual research or engineering projects to a panel of judges and attend events.

Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Shah encouraged the students to communicate their science clearly to non-scientific audiences. “Just as important as learning the tools of science are learning the tools of science communication,” Shah said. “The principle that I always keep in my mind [when answering a scientific question] is you shouldn’t tell them how to build a clock, you should tell them what time it is, because that’s what they are really interested in.”

Nguyen’s research project has a very practical application. She won for her work titled “Applications of Carbon Nanotube Based Sorbents for Removal of Arsenic from Polluted Water.” She studied how carbon nanotubes could be used as an inexpensive remover of arsenic in drinking water systems, including private wells where arsenic contamination is prevalent. A nanotube is a microscopic tube whose diameter is measured in nanometers.

Nguyen was one of three Grand Award winners – students whose MSSF projects were judged to be at the top overall.

The Second Place Grand Award winner was Vetri Vel, a Bangor High School senior, who won for improving his fall-detection software that uses a thermal-imaging detector of his own creation. His system could help elderly people living alone detect falls and send a call for help. Mateus Nascimento, a junior at Brunswick High School, won the Third Place Grand Award for his project titled: “Animals Talk: Understanding Silk Moth Communication through Detection of Pheromones with an Electronic Nose.”

The three MSSF Grand Award winners are invited to form the Maine delegation to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. This is a significant honor and speaks to the quality and significance of the student’s research or engineering project. This year, the Regeneron ISEF is virtual and will be held in May. Regeneron ISEF is a competition with significant financial and scholarship awards.

In addition to winning the MSSF First Place Grand Award, Nguyen placed first in the Environmental Engineering category award. Nguyen also was the recipient of the first Cary James Water Ride Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship that she can apply to the college of her choice.

Also, Nguyen was notified April 8 by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation that she is one of their 2021 Cooke College Scholars. This year’s 61 recipients were chosen from a pool of more than 5,800 applicants nationwide. The Cooke College Scholarship Program seeks to close the gaps in higher education access for driven students with financial need. Along with financial support, Cooke College Scholars will receive ongoing educational advising and opportunities for internships, study abroad, and access to graduate school funding.

“Linh is the kind of student who inspires everyone around her. She is driven by her curiosity and she is not afraid of putting in the hard work needed to accomplish any task,” said Deering science teacher Cyle Davenport. “As someone fortunate enough to have her in two of my classes, I can say that her success at the MSSF is completely deserved. Linh does not give up. All of her teachers are overwhelmed with pride for this young woman; and we are all eager to see what she does next.”

Deering school counselor Libby Heselton said, “Linh is highly conscientious and determined, with an outstanding work ethic. She seeks to understand concepts rather than just complete assignments, and adds to her classmates’ learning with probing questions that tie back to ‘why this matters.’ She is all about collaborative problem solving. Linh’s character outshines even her academics. Accordingly, she has the very difficult decision of choosing among Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.”

“The Portland Public Schools is extremely proud of this talented, hardworking student,” said Superintendent Xavier Botana. “One of the primary goals of our Portland Promise, the district’s strategic plan, is to empower and prepare our students for 21st century careers, and STEM learning is key to achieving that goal. Linh’s work stands out. Her STEM knowledge is impressive and she used it to solve an important problem. She is an all-around student leader and excels in everything she does. The credit goes to her and also to her teachers and others who have supported her along the way. We look forward to seeing all the ways in which Linh will continue to achieve in the future.”

Learn more about other Maine State Science Fair awards and scholarship winners.

“This year’s Maine State Science Fair was an inspiring showcase of the STEM talent being fostered in Maine high schools,” said Michael McKernan, Program Director for STEM and Undergraduate Education at The Jackson Laboratory and a co-director of the Science Fair. “Students presented projects that were both highly creative and also relevant to pervasive issues in Maine.”

“It has been awe-inspiring to see the achievements of Maine’s students as the Science Fair has grown to involve more schools and educators from across the state,” said Dr. Ruth Kermish-Allen, executive director of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA). “Our young people are creating outstanding scientific research that truly can make a difference in the world, and we are able to recognize those efforts through increased scholarships to diverse higher education options available to MSSF students. The creativity and innovation we see in these complex scientific studies highlights the amazing talents of Maine’s next generation of leaders.”

Information for this article was provided by Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

How “Time Flies” at Bangor High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Academy

As part of Bangor educator Eric Hutchins’ Graphic Design class, the students learn how art is used in everyday life, especially how it plays an such a big role in the commercial world today.

Serving as the second class for students focusing on a graphic art pathway that is frequently taken by students in the Visual and Performing Arts Academy (VPA) program at Bangor High School, the students focus on how to use computer software to create interesting works of art. As a start they learn about the importance of text in graphic art, how it can be used, and why just choosing any font is not the right thing to do.

“The images you see are examples of their first text project in the class where students chose statements that are considered ‘cliche’ and then they recreate them visually only using text,” explains Hutchins.

Cat got your tongue?

Time Flies

A spoonful of sugar help the medicine go down

Live, Love, Laugh

Over the course of the semester students recreate a package for a product. They measure the packaging, create a template, and then create the imagery and designs for the product. They also create business cards, book jackets, album covers, board game designs and movie posters over the course of the class.

“This is a unique class because it teaches students the importance of art in our society, and that a graphic designer’s artwork is everywhere,” added Hutchins.

Students that take the graphic arts pathway at Bangor High School’s VPA Academy traditionally take photography, digital art, graphic design and then their senior year take Advanced Placement 2D Design and submit a portfolio to be graded for college credit.

Information for this article was provided by the Bangor School Department as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families, or schools. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.