Latest News

New Report Cites Aging Workforce, Low Pay and Support in Teacher Shortage

A new analysis of education workforce data shows that Maine’s looming teacher shortage—a crisis that could seriously affect the future Maine economy—is here. There aren’t enough new educators in the pipeline to make up for an aging workforce in the state, according to the report by Educate Maine. Comparatively low pay, uneven professional support and narrow pathways to teacher qualification cause both an exodus from the teaching profession and a reluctance of young people to become… READ MORE

Teachers' Best Advice for Back-to-School

There’s plenty of back-to-school advice out there! What supplies to get, what to pack for lunch, even what to wear. But how do you prepare yourself personally to have the best year ever? At Educate Maine, we asked some of our amazing County Teachers of the Year (and this year’s Maine teacher of the year) for their best out-of-the box tips for a successful year. Our CTOYs spend a lot of time thinking about how to improve their practice and support other teachers, so you won’t be surprised… READ MORE

Longtime advocate, policy expert joins Educate Maine

Kim Russell joins Educate Maine this month as Director of Special Projects. With more than 25 years of experience in state and federal policy issues, Kim’s focus will been early childhood care and education. She brings with her three advocacy organizations: Fight Crime: Invest In Kids (law enforcement leaders), ReadyNation (business leaders), and Mission: Readiness (retired military leaders).  Kim currently co-leads Maine's Right from the Start Coalition, is a member of the Maine Children's… READ MORE

Rockets and Landers and Slime, Oh My!

Dozens of Maine's future scientists turned out for space exploration, engineering and life-science learning last week in Bangor, as Educate Maine, the  Maine Discovery Museum and the Challenger Learning Center partnered for a Summer STEM evening. “As the school year approaches, it’s fun to take stock of all the science that happens year round—including in the summer—in Maine,” said Kate Howell, director of workforce partnerships for Educate Maine. “It was great to see these STEM… READ MORE

Recipe for a Summer of Fun

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Education Leaders Experience Launches the "Nu" Class

What's "Nu"? We're welcoming the newest class of the Education Leaders Experience, which is also the "Nu-est"--say hello to ELE's Nu Cohort, who this week launched their year of professional development at Sugarloaf. ELE is an annual program offering educators a unique professional development opportunity to engage with employers, community, business, and policy leaders from across Maine. Participants learn about Maine's workforce challenges and opportunities, the economy and the critical role… READ MORE

CS Summer of Fun Kicks Off July 29

More than 100 Maine educators will go “back to class” July 29  to study computer science and learn skills to bring to their students in the fall.  Educate Maine and our partner, the Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance (MMSA) have a full roster (and a wait list!) for the fourth annual “CS Summer of Fun,” this year at the University of Maine’s flagship campus. In all, 137 educators from 81 Maine communities will participate.  A collective 2,760 students will benefit. “Access to… READ MORE

Project Login Director Honored With 2nd Microsoft TechSpark Fellowship

Angela Oechslie, whose leadership of Educate Maine’s Project>Login has helped widen tech learning across Maine and close the equity gap in STEM, was honored for the second year in a row as Microsoft TechSpark fellow.  The fellowship is awarded to leaders from each state whose organizations focus on creating economic opportunities through digital inclusion, digital skilling, digital transformation, and ecosystem building.  “I’m honored to be able to continue this partnership with… READ MORE

Aquaculture Pioneers Highlighted in Article

Maine Career Catalyst's Aquaculture Pioneers program was highlighted in a recent article by Jobs for the Future, which noted the two-year-old program's seamless and equitable application process and the valuable support given both participants and employers.  READ MORE

Kicking Off Summer With Girls Who Code

For the fourth summer in a row, girls in Maine grades 3-12 have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer science, thanks to Project>Login.  Girls Who Code camps—this year operating in all 16 counties—kicked off June 24 in Bangor and Auburn.  Designed to close the gender-equity gap in tech, GWC camps offer fascinating, age-level appropriate classes in state-of-the-art facilities, small-group instruction, field trips, and all the fun and friendship you expect from a summer camp… READ MORE