2024 Educate Maine Symposium: Full Schedule

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10:00am EST

Navigating Change: Innovative Approaches in Maine's Higher Education

Friday December 13, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am EST

Join us for an engaging discussion with a distinguished panel of college and university leaders from across Maine. This session will explore emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the landscape of higher education. Moderated by Katie Shorey of Live + Work in Maine, panelists will share their visions for the future, innovative strategies their institutions are implementing, and how they are adapting to the evolving demands in education. Engage with leaders who are at the forefront of transforming higher education and gain a deeper understanding of the direction in which Maine's higher education institutions are heading.

Speakers

Katie Shorey

Director of Engagement, Live + Work in Maine

Dr. James Herbert

President, University of New England

Dave Daigler

President, Maine Community College System

Dannel Malloy

Chancellor, University of Maine System

Jeannine Diddle Uzzi

President-Elect, Thomas College

Sponsors

Live and Work in Maine

Friday December 13, 2024 10:00am - 10:50am EST
Casco Bay Hall

Postsecondary Pathways

11:10am EST

Addressing Maine’s Educator Gap: Collaborative Strategies for Success

Friday December 13, 2024 11:10am - 12:00pm EST

Casco Bay Hall

Maine is committed to enhancing educational quality through robust support for educators and a strong teacher education pipeline. This session will explore Maine's current educator pathways and highlight innovative strategies to address these challenges. Led by Jason Judd, Executive Director of Educate Maine, the session will introduce the organization’s newest initiative, The Teach Maine Center, designed to strengthen teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention. Panelists will share their groundbreaking efforts to retain talent and support both new and mid-career educators. The session will also examine teacher certification processes and their role in shaping the educator workforce. Join us to gain actionable insights and best practices for building a stronger educational workforce in Maine.

Speakers

Wendi Malenfant, PhD

Education Program Director, University of Maine at Presque Isle

Maria Frankland

Guidance Director, Narraguagus High School

Patricia Hrusa Williams

Division Chair for Teacher Education, Health, and Rehabilitation Services, University of Maine at Farmington

A focus of my work since the pandemic has been on understanding and solving teacher workforce issues. Approaches include conducting needs assessments, developing supports for new and alternatively certified teachers (UMF's New Teacher Academy), and designing work-embedded training... Read More →

Jason Judd

Executive Director, Educate Maine

Friday December 13, 2024 11:10am - 12:00pm EST
Casco Bay Hall

Educator Workforce

1:50pm EST

The Aspirations Incubator - strengthening school-community partnerships to raise aspirations in rural Maine communities

Friday December 13, 2024 1:50pm - 2:40pm EST

Casco Bay Hall

The Aspirations Incubator is a long-term comprehensive mentoring model designed to bolster and sustain rural youth aspirations for post-secondary education. The model is rooted in nurturing a sense of belonging for rural youth through building individual and community relationships both inside and outside of the school environment. Following the successful completion of a 6-year pilot to test implementation of the Aspirations Incubator model in 5 rural Maine communities, we will share information about the model, and provide reflections from program and school staff from the pilot sites about what worked and what was challenging during the pilot implementation process. Workshop participants will learn about the Aspirations Incubator and what readiness factors need to be in place in order to implement a model like the Aspirations Incubator in their own communities.

Speakers