The Challenge
Maine schools continue to face challenges recruiting and retaining fully qualified special educators, particularly in rural communities. At the same time, Maine serves a comparatively high proportion of students with disabilities, creating substantial demand for specialized instruction and support.
For many rural school professionals, becoming fully certified can be difficult. Geographic distance, employment obligations, family responsibilities, and the cost of additional education may limit access to traditional preparation programs.
Schools need qualified special educators, and many people already working in or preparing to enter education need an accessible route to certification.
What success looks like
Project MAINEd aims to graduate more fully prepared special educators, strengthen the capacity of participating rural school systems, and improve access to evidence-based instruction and supports for students with disabilities.
The project will track scholar progress, program completion, certification, employment, instructional competencies and participating districts’ experiences throughout its five-year implementation period.
Our Approach
Project MAINEd brings preparation and support closer to the educators and communities that need them.
By investing in scholars, strengthening online coursework, developing local clinical and mentoring supports, and collaborating with rural school partners, the project seeks to build a stronger pathway into special education.
The project has three central goals:
Funding and Scholar Support
Make special education preparation more accessible.
Project MAINEd is designed to reduce the financial and logistical barriers that can prevent aspiring special educators from completing their preparation.
Selected scholars may receive grant-funded support that includes:
Funding is subject to the project’s eligibility requirements, competitive selection process, approved budget and applicable grant requirements. The amount and timing of support depend on the scholar’s pathway and approved plan of study.
Flexible preparation designed for working educators
Project MAINEd builds on the University of Maine’s existing online special education graduate program. The preparation model is designed to help rural educators pursue certification without requiring them to leave their communities.
Scholars may benefit from:
The project recognizes that scholars may be balancing employment, family responsibilities, coursework, and clinical requirements. Advising and scholar support are intended to help participants identify barriers, plan their progress, and persist toward completion.
Course schedules, field experiences, and individual plans of study vary by pathway and student circumstances.
Project MAINEd is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, under the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program (ALN 84.325K).
This website was produced under the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No.H325K260123. Celia Rosenquist serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.
Questions?
Email um.mained@maine.edu.
