Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance - MMSA

From Maine to New Orleans ✨

MMSA’s Kate Mahan and Dr. Ruth Kermish took Maine’s work to the national stage at the 2026 NSF EPSCoR Annual Summit, a gathering of researchers, educators, and STEM leaders from EPSCoR states across the country.

Their poster showcased work from the Maine-Bridge Research Practice Partnership, focused on creating more STEM research opportunities for rural K–16 students across Maine. Researchers and educators from across the country stopped by, eager to learn how Maine is expanding access for rural students.

We're proud to see Maine's approach to rural STEM education resonating on a national stage!

Maine EPSCoR

to an incredible day at the Maine Middle School Science & Engineering Fair. ✨🔬

From creative experiments to thoughtful solutions, students from across Maine brought curiosity, innovation, and big ideas to Bangor High School. It was amazing to see months of hard work come to life through so many inspiring projects.

Thank you to the educators, schools, judges, volunteers, and sponsors who helped make this event possible and supported Maine’s next generation of scientists and engineers.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Maine Technology Institute, Texas Instruments, Machias Savings Bank, Renys, and Maine Space Grant Consortium.

We’re so excited to welcome educators from across Maine back to CS Summer of Fun this July!

This free week of professional learning brings educators together to explore practical ideas, build connections, and discover how computer science can fit into many different classrooms and subjects.

📅 July 20–24, 2026
📍 Colby College, Waterville
💰 Free for Maine educators

👉 Learn more: https://www.stemworkforceready.org/cs-summer-of-fun

The gym is buzzing, poster boards are up, and Maine’s next generation of scientists and engineers are ready to shine! 🚀

Today, students from across the state are gathering at Bangor High School for the Maine Middle School Science & Engineering Fair, bringing big questions, bold ideas, and months of hard work with them. From environmental research to engineering prototypes, every project tells a story of curiosity in action. 🔬💡

The Maine Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning Resource Directory is a dynamic and searchable tool that parents, educators, and community members can use to discover new environmental learning partners and collaborators in their area.

Watch the video below to learn more 👇

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBSNqSkW8Xk

Maine Environmental Education Association

Discover Partners in Your Community! The Maine Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning Resource Directory is a dynamic and searchable tool that parents, educators, and community members can...

Spend a week learning, experimenting, and connecting with educators from across Maine!

We’re so excited by the response to this year’s CS Summer of Fun and can’t wait to welcome educators to Colby College this July for a week of professional learning, collaboration, and fresh ideas.

📍 Colby College | Waterville, Maine
📅 July 20–24, 2026

✨ Free for Maine educators
💰 $100 per day stipend + room & board included

👉 Learn more and register: https://www.stemworkforceready.org/cs-summer-of-fun

Educate Maine
Education Development Center

Science feels different when students can see themselves in it. 🌱

Meet Kimberly Flanagan, a third grade teacher at Glenburn School and a participant in MMSA’s Sensemaking about Place (SaP) project.

Through SaP, Kim is bringing new approaches to science teaching into her classroom, connecting learning to students’ lives, stories, and communities.

In her words: “They’re genuinely looking forward to science class!”

We’re closing out Teacher Appreciation Week by thanking Kim for helping students experience science as something they can question, connect with, and make meaning from. 💙

Computer science in theater? Computational thinking in ELA?

The Winthrop STEM Workforce Ready 2030 (WFR) team says: absolutely!

Meet Danny Gay, Hannah Kibbin, Elizabeth Marshall, Meagan White, and Ashley Lanoie from Winthrop Middle and High Schools, MMSA’s newest WFR hub.

This team jumped into the project during the 2025–2026 school year and began exploring creative ways to bring computer science and computational thinking into subjects that are not always seen as “CS spaces,” including theater, science, social studies, ELA, and school leadership.

They also hosted a “Tech and Tastes” event, giving colleagues a chance to learn about topics connected to computer science and AI.

For Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating the Winthrop WFR team for expanding what computer science learning can look like and helping both students and educators see new possibilities. 💻

For Heather Bowen’s (pictured center) PreK students, science often begins outside. 🌿

We’re celebrating Heather, a nature-based PreK teacher at Camden-Rockport Elementary School and a participant in the SciEPlay project, a collaboration with MMSA, Bowdoin College, and Samara Early Learning!

Through SciEPlay, Heather explored play-based science and engineering while creating space for young children to follow their questions, notice seasonal changes, and investigate the world around them through outdoor play.

Heather has also shared her practice with other educators, including at the National Science Teachers Association conference and MMSA’s STEM PD Retreat, helping make early science feel possible, accessible, and full of wonder.

Thank you, Heather, for showing how much science can grow from children’s curiosity!