Current Projects

The Hub is dedicated to advancing rural community thriving and student success through a focus on rural educator workforce development, culturally responsive, place-based education and school-community partnerships. The following projects highlight some of the work being down by our regional network to achieve these goals:

 

Rural Teacher Pathway Program

In 2023, the Rural Schools Collaborative awarded 91르적’s College of Education and Human Development a $25,000 Catalyst Initiative to design and implement a teacher corps program that helps rural schools recruit, support and retain educators. One focus of this program will be to promote inclusion, building on the university��셲 support for Wabanaki studies in Maine schools. Another will be to support transportation costs for pre-service teachers who want to work in rural schools to do their field experiences in schools.

 

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Feet in a circle around a set of words that connote collaboration

M.Ed in Rural Educational Leadership桂

In 2019, the 91르적 College of Education and Human Development, in partnership with the , launched its first explicitly rural-focused with a cohort of students from across Washington and Aroostook Counties. This pilot program was offered in a blended format, with students attending as a cohort through the online video-conferencing platform Zoom, as well as meeting for Saturday classes once a semester in Houlton, Maine.

 

 

 

Young people stand in a circle holding their hands in the air touching. They are outside. Rural Vitality Lab

A collaborative partnership between the University of Maine, Colby College, and now the University of Southern Maine, the Rural Vitality Lab is dedicated to 桂promoting rural vitality in Maine and beyond by better understanding the factors that contribute to creating and sustaining healthy developmental ecologies for rural children and youth. Co-led by Dr. Catharine Biddle, Dr. Lyn Mikel Brown, and Dr. Mark Tappna, the lab has partnered with organizations across Maine to conduct research, including the , the , and .

More information on the Rural Vitality Lab, including its projects and publications, .

 

Interested in partnering with members of the Hub network for research, professional development, or technical assistance?