Center for Teaching and Learning

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United States
Edgecomb, ME
Center for Teaching and Learning

A Pre-K--8 demonstration school in mid-coast Maine dedicated to authentic, rigorous and joyful teaching across the curriculum.

The Center for Teaching and Learning was founded in 1990 as a non-profit demonstration school. CTL is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, licensed by the Maine Department of Education, and has state and federal tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) corporation. It draws students from twenty-three communities in the mid-coast region.

08/25/2026

Support CTL's future by donating to the endowment! Right nowwe are running a matching campaign, which means any contribution you make today will be DOUBLED.

Visit c-t-l.org/donate/ways-to-give or use the link in our bio to donate. Thank you for helping us ensure that September always means back to school season on Cross Point Road.

08/17/2026

CTL Then and Now: Students have always been teachers here on Cross Point Road. Our name, Center for Teaching and Learning, refers to the idea that here, everyone is engaged throughout the day in both ways. Kids of all ages have the chance to teach the group: whether at the board in math class, in the rocking chair during a booktalk, as part of a science or history presentation to older or younger peers, or in front of the whole community at Morning Meeting.

Thank you to all of those who have learned and taught with us over the years!

08/10/2026

Need some book ideas to get you from now to the first day of school? CTL teachers work with their classes to update lists of "Kids Recommend" books that are always available on our website. Haley and her kiddos' pre-k recommendations are now up, too!

All CTL kids head into the summer with a big bag full of books from our shelves, but we know many of our readers may have worked through their bags by this point in the summer. Jot down some titles that look intriguing before you swing by your local library or bookstore. Happy reading!

https://c-t-l.org/reading-resources/kids-recommend/

08/03/2026

CTL Then and Now: Technology has always been used intentionally in the older grades at CTL. From the first desktop computers that arrived via a grant in 1993, to the colorful Macs of the early '00s, to laptops that are used today: all have been tools for doing the authentic work of writers and researchers. And alumni who remember the overhead projectors may be interested to know that document cameras have been a great upgrade for sharing work with the group!

At CTL there are no tablets, and computers are not used in pre-k through grade 2. For the older grades, laptops are used primarily in writing workshop, where students compose, revise, and edit their writing on the computers. Teachers also teach responsible research practices in history and science, using individually assigned laptops that stay in the classroom.

07/27/2026

A lot of behind-the-scenes work happens at CTL over the summer. Last month, the Board of Directors met at co-president Pia's home for its June meeting to reflect on a school year completed and to plan for the ones to come. CTL’s board members are connected to the school in a variety of ways (as current parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, faculty, donors, and more). They share a deep commitment to CTL, its mission, and its future.

CTL has nine board members and one faculty representative. Brief bios can be found on the website: c-t-l.org/about/board-of-directors/ The group meets as a full Board roughly seven times per year.

Thank you to our deeply hardworking, skilled, and caring board, pictured here at Pia's and at the 35th celebration in May!

07/20/2026

CTL Then and Now: Service has always been an important value at CTL. Over the years, we've engaged in food drives, trail clean-ups, meal preparation, songs and cards for our older community members, and more—and we've collected funds monthly for the organizations Safe Passage and Maine Needs. The past two years, CTL's Service Auxiliary Program has taken giving back to the next level by carving out weekly time after school to make contributions to our local community.

We hope you enjoy these pictures of the spring club presenting at Morning Meeting, a 2015 donation to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry, and a 1993 session of baking and wrapping breads for Thanksgiving relief boxes. Thank you to all the students (and caregivers) who have participated in service at CTL over the years!

07/13/2026

CTL Then and Now: Reading buddies are a beloved and time-honored tradition at CTL. Each kindergartener is paired with a fourth-grade buddy who meets with them weekly to review sight words, practice reading strategies, and enjoy read-alouds together. The bonds formed continue into other parts of the school day when the older friend takes on a mentoring role: at recess, on field trips, as a lap to sit in at Morning Meeting.

The first photo shows the very first group of reading buddies meeting together in the Primary Reading Room in 1993; the last two photos were taken this year. Thank you to all the buddies, younger and older, who have been part of this very special partnership over the years!

07/06/2026

Do you recognize this building? CTL's dear friend, Paul Durgin, took these photos of the first part of the school coming together during the summer of 1990 and brought them to our 35th celebration this spring.

It's amazing to see the pieces be assembled just in time for those first students to attend school—and to think that two big additions, the Barn, and an outdoor classroom have gone up since then, plus endless facilities improvements, to create the CTL in the final slide.

We look forward to sharing more perspectives on CTL over the years this summer. Thank you, Durg, for sharing these pictures, for all your work then, and for your friendship in the years since!

06/29/2026

Have you driven on Cross Point Road lately? If so, you may have noticed our beautiful new school sign, by Edward Staples of Seafar'n Sign Works. Its lovely, hand-carved design and depiction of our oak tree will welcome all to CTL, and the way it's double-sided and perpendicular to the road will ensure easy visibility for visitors.

Thank you to Ed and his assistant Alex for installation. We look forward to adding landscaping to showcase his stunning work this summer. Check it out the next time you're near school!

06/22/2026

As summer officially kicks off, we're remembering the beautiful day at Chewonki Campground for our Field Day in early June. Misha captured stunning photos of all the day's adventures: swimming, tennis, baseball, hockey, face painting, playground exploration, and most importantly precious time with classmates and teachers before saying goodbye for the summer.

Thank you to CTL's very dear friend Pam Brackett and her family for making this day possible each fall and spring. It's one of our most cherished CTL traditions!

Address

119 Cross Point Road
Edgecomb, ME
04556

Telephone

+12078829706

Website

http://c-t-l.org/, https://linktr.ee/CTLpreKto8

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