4-H working to increase reach of STEM education programs, BDN reports

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

September 12, 2017 Cooperative Extension, Outreach, UMaine in the News

The Bangor Daily News reported on the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H program’s efforts to bring STEM to Maine youth by providing learning materials and support to schools and other community organizations. Since its founding, 4-H has sought to enrich the lives of children through hands-on learning experiences that not only inform them on a topic but give them the life skills they will need as adults, according to Lisa Phelps, Maine’s 4-H program administrator. As technology advances and the need for students to be proficient in STEM studies continues to rise, 4-H is working to increase the reach its STEM education programs have. “Our biggest focus right now is STEM and promoting STEM education,” Phelps said. A growing program offered by 4-H is its STEM Ambassador program, which partners with University of Maine System students across the state who then go into regional school systems to conduct STEM lessons in classrooms or after-school programs, the article states. “We’re looking to increase [the number] of people who have those STEM literacy skills and are looking to go into some sort of a STEM career in the future,” said Laura Wilson, a 4-H STEM Ambassador program coordinator. “It’s just another way of meeting the youth where they are.”