COEHD faculty, staff and students present innovative work at UMS Rural Issues Symposium
The University of Maine System held its inaugural Rural Issues Symposium at Buchanan Alumni House on the University of Maine campus on Friday, Nov. 1.
The statewide conference highlighted research on rural opportunities and challenges through the lens of rural resilience and revitalization, with an aim toward fostering collaboration, innovation, and practical solutions to enhance the long-term sustainability of Maine’s rural communities from an environmental, economic and social perspective. The event featured a diverse array of sessions, including plenary sessions, a poster session, and breakout discussion groups, designed to showcase and advance community-engaged research and initiatives.
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and School of Educational Leadership, Higher Education and Human Development Director Catharine Biddle was conference co-chair. Below are some of the poster sessions featuring research and initiatives led by members of the COEHD community.
- “The Rural Educator Resilience Project: A Statewide Approach to Rural Educator Career Development” – Catharine Biddle, Ezekiel Kimball, Gert Nesin, Maria Frankland, and Esther Enright
- “Cultivating Teacher Resilience Through a Teacher Leadership Collaborative” – Rebecca Buchanan, Kari Thurman, Bailey Edward, Carli Goodsell, Ethan Mathieu, Mo Weitman, and Miranda Snyder
- “Lighting the Way: Rural Schools and the Future of STEAM Education” – Justin Dimmel and Eric Pandiscio
- “Supporting Students, Strengthening Communities” – Maria Frankland
- “Effects of Delivery of the PEERS® Curriculum via Telehealth as Part of Pre-ETS Provided by a Rural State Office of Vocational Rehabilitation” – Sarah Howorth, Joo-Young Lee, and Libby Stone-Sterling
- “Creating Inclusive Teaching Capacity in Rural Schools” – Sarah Howorth, Tracy Whitlock, Erin Frazier, Sara Flanagan, Kate McLeod, Rachel Brown-Chidsey, and Walter Kimball
- “Outdoor Learning in Rural Maine Schools: Lessons From a Positive Outlier Case Study” – Lauren Jacobs, Christiaan Abildso, Adam Daigneault, Jessica Leahy, and Christopher Nightingale
- “Building Resilience in Rural Communities Through Strong Schools – RiSE Center Programs to Counter Teacher Isolation and Teacher Turnover, and Improve Student Engagement and Learning in the STEM Disciplines” – Susan McKay, Mitchell Bruce, Beth Byerssmall, Kelsey Davis, Jim Fratini, Jennifer Fronczak, Sara Lindsay, Laura Millay, Beth Muncey, Eric Pandiscio, Franziska Peterson, Maureen Raynes, Heather Rockwell, Christina Siddons, MacKenzie Stetzer, Dave Thomas, Marina Van der Eb, and Bill Zoellick
- “What is Missing? Policy Silences in Rural Serving Post Secondary Articulation Agreements” – Tobby Bragdon and Kathleen Gillon