Explore how collaboration among employers, higher education, and nonprofit organizations can support career-connected learning through internships. Featuring perspectives from an employer partner, higher education, internship program leadership, and a program alumnus, this session will highlight approaches to building sustainable partnerships, strengthening connections across sectors, and creating opportunities that benefit students, employers, and Maine's workforce. Participants will leave with practical ideas for fostering partnerships that create meaningful experiences for students and support long-term workforce development.
Director of Health Professions Advising, Bowdoin College
Valerie joined Bowdoin as Director of Health Professions Advising in 2024. She brings draws upon her teaching experience to advise and guide students through their exploration, preparation for and application to not only medical schools, but dental, vet, PA, nursing and many other... Read More →
Marketing & Logistics Coordinator/Internship Program Coordinator, Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education
Kaitlynn is the Marketing & Logistics Coordinator for the Hanley Center, where she has led the coordination of the organization’s internship program for the past three years. She is committed to pipeline work that strengthens Maine’s healthcare workforce and helping emerging leaders... Read More →
Russ is the Director of Community Engagement at Martin’s Point Health Care. In this role, he is responsible for leading the development and execution of Community Engagement and Partnership strategies for the organization. He has worked with non-profits for over 20 years and has... Read More →
Executive Director, Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education
Judiann is the Executive Director of the Hanley Center. Judiann joined the Hanley Center in April of 2015 after playing a variety of roles at Spurwink, Maine’s largest non-profit mental health agency, over a period of 18 years. At Spurwink, Judiann served in 3 progressively... Read More →
The workforce is changing faster than ever. How are we going to encourage students to follow career paths that we don’t know the future of? What about careers that do not exist yet? In this interactive session, Live + Work in Maine will facilitate a conversation between educators, Maine employers, and Maine Universities on preferred methods for keeping educators informed about career options and Maine sectors, what employers are anticipating in their sectors, and how we keep Maine students excited (and not concerned) about their futures. The goal of the session will be to create partnership opportunities between Maine’s educators and Maine’s workforce to help ensure Maine students do not fall behind on career trends. Alongside this, educators will leave with practical insights on the latest happenings in Maine’s workforce and sectors, as well as what Universities are looking for to take back to their classrooms.
Moderator:Katie Shorey is the Director of Engagement at Live + Work in Maine (LWM) and a proud boomerang to the state. She returned to Maine after gaining experience in the political, nonprofit, and consulting sectors in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Prior to joining LWM, Katie... Read More →
Come join us as we explore the ways in which the Central Maine Education Consortium (CMEC)-- an organization connecting higher education institutions, PK-12 schools, and community education stakeholders-- has addressed the challenges in education in Central Maine, including teacher workforce development, alternative education, arts integration, STEM, and other "special interest groups" (SIGs) formed through the CMEC. You'll have an opportunity to discuss or showcase your own innovative teaching techniques or joyful moments in education during this session!
Dr. Sherry Pineau Brown, Director of the Central Maine Education Consortium, is an educator with 25+ years experience. Currently a Lecturer in Education and Coordinator of Teacher Education at Colby College, her research focuses on Teachers' Positive Persistence, dedicated to fostering... Read More →
Katie Rybakova, Ph.D., is an academic leader at the Thomas College Lunder School of Education and currently serves as chair of the school of education. She is also the Executive Director of the Maine Association for Middle Level Education and Assistant Director and Co-Founder of the... Read More →
Many students are unaware of the high-demand technical careers available in Maine, including careers in advanced manufacturing, robotics, automation, and industrial technology. This session will explore how partnerships among CTE programs, employers, industry associations, nonprofit partners, and workforce leaders can help students move from career awareness to exploration, technical education, work-based learning, and apprenticeship pathways. Panelists will discuss CTE IGNITE pilot opportunities, teacher externships, employer engagement, and student-facing strategies that make career pathways more visible, relevant, and connected to Maine communities. (Session 2 of 2 related submissions)
Discover how Maine is creating seamless pathways from education to employment through the power of partnership. This interactive panel brings together leaders from K–12 schools, Adult Education, the Maine Community College System, and Educate Maine to share how pre-apprenticeship can successfully lead to Registered Apprenticeship. Using Maine's educator apprenticeship model including the Gorham School District, as a real-world example, participants will learn practical strategies for building "grow your own" talent pipelines, leveraging funding, engaging partners, and launching apprenticeship programs in their own communities. Leave with actionable ideas to strengthen workforce development in any industry.
Wendy Kostenbauder is a focused leader with nearly two decades of experience in program administration, strategic planning, and business operations. Currently serving as a Program Manager for the Maine Apprenticeship Program, she excels in overseeing grant activities, developing performance... Read More →
Teachers in coastal communities from Kittery to Machias have worked alongside community partners, experts, and education researchers to study how data literacy is taught and understood by students, working in the context of marine science related topics and technologies. After four years of learning and modifying, we want to share what we know and give teachers across Maine resources and confidence to explore using authentic data investigations in their classrooms and communities. Join us as our teachers and researchers discuss their experiences and why this could be a meaningful addition to your curriculum.
A long time science and math teacher Shane has been with the RiSE Center at the University of Maine for the past year and a half. Shane has served as the program coordinator on the Coastal TRACERS grant and helped organize and facilitate monthly professional learning for teachers... Read More →
This will be changed: Carol teaches grades 9-12 at Washington Academy in East Machias, Maine. A former potato grower, Carol has been teaching for more than 20 years and is a local clammer. At Washington Academy she teaches coastal ecology, Honors Biology and Chemistry. When she started the Coastal TRACERS pr... Read More →
This will be changed: Tim teaches 9th grade Earth Science and is an adjunct faculty member at SNHU (COLT). He has been teaching science for more than 14 years. He is using his science background in salt marsh ecology, fisheries & aquaculture, and rapid environmental assessment to guide students in their i... Read More →
A Professor of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine and member of the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education, Sara has been working with educators and scientists to build students’ STEM literacy for more than two decades. She is a marine biologist by training, and has... Read More →
This will be changed: Ally started working with the Coastal TRACERS project as a graduate student at the University of Maine and then joined as a teacher. Now in her 3rd year of teaching, Ally teaches Biology, Anatomy and Marine Science at Boothbay Region High School. She is very interested in the int... Read More →
This session will spotlight Let’s Get Ready (LGR’s) approach and our experience partnering with The University of Maine Systems- Early College. We will share insights into how we leverage near-peer coaching to address barriers to enrollment and improve college enrollment and completion rates, and how we use technological solutions to scale human relationships through near-peer coaching. Our model allows us to identify key barriers and early indicators of student setbacks in Dual Enrollment and Early College Pathways.
We will spotlight our partnership with The University of Maine System- Early College, showcasing how their work serves as an intentional on ramp into educational and career pathways. With LGR’s support, their approach supports students in navigating both high school and college systems simultaneously, providing access to two educational systems within one platform. Through a strengths-based advising framework, students are guided in course selection and equipped with the tools needed for a more seamless transition into their educational and career interests and it highlights the power of partnerships through advising and students support through the near-peer coaching and how our cross sector collaboration and partnership aligns institutional supports to expand opportunities for Maine students to explore potential educational and career pathways with purpose, skill, and confidence.
In addition, we will share data describing the student success and equity challenges being addressed, with attention to key metrics and equity gaps. LGR’s work addresses these gaps by providing near-peer coaching and differentiated supports designed to improve outcomes across the postsecondary pipeline. Early results demonstrate promising impact. For example, 88% of UMS Early College students with an LGR coach achieved on-time college enrollment, exceeding both the 81% national average and the 74% average last reported for all UMS students. These outcomes highlight both the challenges students face and the opportunity to address them through scalable, relationship-based supports that strengthen enrollment, persistence, and completion. These outcomes are possible because of deep integration between LGR and our partners. This includes proactive collaboration and engagement strategies designed to identify student needs early and drive targeted outreach. We focus on utilizing partner-provided data and LGR-sourced data that shapes how LGR designs and delivers student support. This includes building data-sharing systems, identifying key indicators that flag student needs, and developing customized coaching strategies, curricular interventions, and staff outreach plans aligned to partner-specific trends and challenges. Specific collaborative practices will be outlined, including:
Whole cohort enrollment and integrated data-sharing agreements that expand access to support at scale
Customized and differentiated curriculum, and individualized interventions and escalation supports that address challenges earlier and more effectively
Consistent, collaborative data reviews leading to continuous improvement practices that strengthen advising and student support structures.
Together, these strategies not only improve student outcomes
Director of Partner Success & Enrollment, Let's Get Ready
Miah Lugrand serves as the Director of Partner Success & Enrollment at Let’s Get Ready, bringing over 20 years of experience across K–12 and higher education. Throughout her career, she has supported students through special education leadership, served as a Director of Special... Read More →
Director of Early College Programs, The University of Maine Systems-Early College
A passionate learner, leader, and advocate for helping people reach their potential, Kari Suderley, originally from Ohio, relocated to Maine in 1999 and has spent her professional career helping individuals navigate educational, career, and life transitions while working to create... Read More →
