A year of growth and impact for Educate Maine.
Early childhood educators are the "workforce behind the workforce."
The impact on families, businesses, and taxpayers could cost the state $403 million a year.
An aging workforce and narrow pathways to the profession.
We're proud to share this overview and recap of our work and impact in 2023.
Of all our economic development strategies, education is the one with the greatest return on investment. Investment in the education of Maine people creates lifelong learners, opens pathways to promising careers, and produces civically engaged citizens. Our annual Education Indicators report is a trusted, nonpartisan resource developed to better understand Maine’s entire education system—from early childhood through postsecondary.
2022 was our busiest year to date. We know there is so much work to be done to make sure that all Maine people reach their greatest educational and economic potential, and we're just getting started.
We're proud to share this overview and recap of our work and impact in 2022.
Educate Maine, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, and the Maine Development Foundation are proud to present you with Making Maine Work: Critical Investments for the Maine Economy 2022. The goals and recommendations within this report were informed by over 500 respondents to a survey of employers and business leaders statewide. That survey asked them to identify the top priorities for the next governor and legislative leadership. It is not an exhaustive list of issues but rather a focused list of the top priorities for Maine employers. It is no surprise that workforce - skill, size, and diversity - as well as rising costs - energy, insurance, and housing - were at the top of that list!
Educate Maine is proud to share the work of the Maine Early Learning Investment Group (MELIG). In 2012, MELIG formed as a consortium of business leaders who understood that the success of Maine’s economy depends on investing in high quality early childhood education starting at birth. The initiative, Elevate Maine, was designed to demonstrate the impact that such an investment has on school readiness and to raise public awareness about the benefits and financial return on such an investment. In 2013, MELIG formed a private-public partnership with Educare Central Maine and its regional administrative partner, Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP) and selected rural Somerset County as the site for the demonstration project which is called Elevate Maine/Somerset. This project’s goal was to fundamentally change the early childhood education system in Maine --- one community at a time. Please review the reports below to learn more about this great work.
Educate Maine and EDC collaborated in 2019 to create a guide for businesses to think about computational thinking and computer science skills and practices in terms of their company's mission, goals and overall work.
This policy brief series focuses on individual indicators within the larger report and presents recommendations for strategies and actions that will improve outcomes. By design, the recommendations do not represent the full list of possible best practices, but rather focus on a few selected strategies with high return for Maine people. This policy brief series is brought to you through a partnership between Educate Maine and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce.
