MEDIA RELEASE: Department of Education Supports Learning and Enrichment Over the Summer

The Maine Department of Education has awarded $2,788,372 in Summer Learning and Enrichment Grant funding to 61 Maine schools. Summer programs differ from school to school, sometimes taking the form of community partnerships, field trips, career exploration, and innovative curricula that prepare students for the school year ahead while addressing pandemic-related learning loss.

“This investment in summer learning across 61 Maine schools demonstrates the Department’s commitment to year-round, holistic education,” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “From prioritizing outdoor education in Stacyville to pre-apprenticeships in Skowhegan, we’re seeing innovative approaches that address students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. We’re ensuring every Maine student has the opportunity to thrive, both in summer and throughout the school year.”

Summer Learning and Enrichment programs address k-12 students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, prioritizing underserved students and students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They continue to aid students’ post-pandemic recovery by offering extra math and literacy instruction, tutoring, and outdoor learning.

“We’re excited to get this work underway this summer and demonstrate how much kids can grow their skills when engagement is at the core of instructional design,” said Nikki Remsen, the Elementary Summer Academy Lead for South Portland Public Schools. Remsen is leading a Summer Learning and Enrichment-funded program for South Portland students in grades K-5. “Rising 1st -5th graders will be diving into interdisciplinary units founded in engineering with support from the Boston Museum of Science and their Engineering is Elementary (EiE) units,” explained Remsen. The EiE programs started in the summer and will then roll into the fall, ensuring more students can access the museum’s lessons.

In Skowhegan, at Somerset Career & Technical Center (SCTC), over fifty students have enrolled in Summer Learning and Enrichment programs like Career and College Prep, Financial Literacy, Writing Workshop, and the inaugural session of their Pre-Apprenticeship program with Sappi Global’s Somerset Mill. Sappi, Maine DOL, Maine DOE, and SCTC worked together to create a unique pre-apprenticeship opportunity for their newest graduates focused on the electrical and instrumentation fields. Participants gained insights into mill operations, acquired essential safety skills, and heard of the benefits to Sappi employees. As the week concluded, students were interviewed for the chance to participate in Sappi’s Electrical and Instrumentation apprenticeship program.

“The initiative underscores SCTC’s commitment to equipping students with practical skills and real-world experiences that pave the way for successful futures in their chosen fields,” said David Dorr, the Director of Somerset Career and Technical Center.

At Katahdin Elementary School, students spend the summer outside, learning through community partnerships. Guest speakers from Chewonki and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry came in with hands-on lessons about Maine vertebrates, flora, and fauna. Students also went on field trips to Katahdin Children and Families Foundation (KCFF) and a local strawberry farm, Golden Ridge Farms.

You can find a complete list of awardees below.

The Summer Learning and Enrichment grant is funded by the American Rescue Plan and is part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. Please visit Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response page to learn more about the American Rescue Plan and how Maine used Federal Emergency Relief Funding to support Education.

Organization Name	County
Acton Public Schools	York
Andover Public Schools	Oxford
Appleton Public Schools	Knox
Bangor Public Schools	Penobscot
Bar Harbor Public Schools	Hancock
Biddeford Public Schools	York
Brewer Public Schools	Penobscot
Bristol Public Schools	Lincoln
Brooklin Public Schools	Hancock
Deer Isle-Stonington CSD	Hancock
East Range CSD	Washington
Easton Public Schools	Aroostook
Ellsworth Public Schools	Hancock
Great Salt Bay CSD	Lincoln
Jefferson Public Schools	Lincoln
Kittery Public Schools	York
Lisbon Public Schools	Androscoggin
Madawaska Public Schools	Aroostook
Maine Arts Academy	Kennebec
Maine Connections Academy	Cumberland
Mount Desert Public Schools	Hancock
Nobleboro Public Schools	Lincoln
Portland Public Schools	Cumberland
RSU 09	Franklin
RSU 10	Oxford
RSU 11/MSAD 11	Kennebec
RSU 12	Lincoln
RSU 13	Knox
RSU 15/MSAD 15	Cumberland
RSU 16	Androscoggin
RSU 17/MSAD 17	Oxford
RSU 20	Waldo
RSU 21	York
RSU 24	Hancock
RSU 34	Penobscot
RSU 35/MSAD 35	York
RSU 38	Kennebec
RSU 40/MSAD 40	Knox
RSU 54/MSAD 54	Somerset
RSU 56	Oxford
RSU 57/MSAD 57	York
RSU 63/MSAD 63	Penobscot
RSU 72/MSAD 72	Oxford
RSU 75/MSAD 75	Sagadahoc
RSU 78	Franklin
RSU 80/MSAD 04	Piscataquis
RSU 82/MSAD 12	Somerset
RSU 84/MSAD 14	Washington
RSU 86/MSAD 20	Aroostook
RSU 88/MSAD 24	Aroostook
RSU 89	Penobscot
Saco Public Schools	York
Scarborough Public Schools	Cumberland
South Bristol Public Schools	Lincoln
South Portland Public Schools	Cumberland
Southwest Harbor Public Schools	Hancock
Tremont Public Schools	Hancock
Trenton Public Schools	Hancock
Veazie Public Schools	Penobscot
West Bath Public Schools	Sagadahoc
Winthrop Public Schools	Kennebec
Yarmouth Schools	Cumberland