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, including the Guilford-based SAD 4. 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 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, over 50 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, 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 and a local strawberry farm, Golden Ridge Farms.
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.