Island Institute marks 25 Years of Fellows Program

Island Institute proudly celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Fellows Program on August 8th at the Rockport Opera House. The event brought together a vibrant assembly of past, current, and incoming Fellows, advisors, community members, and supporters. All gathered to honor a program that has profoundly shaped both Maine’s coastal communities and the careers of its participants.

Founded in 1999, the Island Institute Fellows program has paired early-career professionals with local town governments and nonprofits in Maine’s coastal and year-round island communities. These two-year assignments have tackled a wide range of critical issues, from sea level rise planning and broadband access to education and fisheries management.

Kimberly H. Hamilton, PhD, President of the Island Institute, reflected on the program’s transformative power during the event, stating, “This program transforms Fellows and it transforms communities. We’ve heard this in the voices of our 149 Fellows and seen it in nearly 500,000 hours of service delivered to communities across Maine. It’s particularly striking that nearly 60 percent of our Fellows have chosen to make Maine their permanent home, becoming long-term residents and leaders in the very communities where they once served.”