I love my job. I especially love the 60% of my time that is allocated to supporting and coordinating the Outer Islands Teaching and Learning Collaborative, or TLC, as we affectionately call it. Monhegan, Matinicus, Frenchboro, the Cranberry Isles, Isle au Haut, Cliff Island, and Massachusetts’ Cuttyhunk are all home to small island schools. This year, the Cranberries have the largest student population of the TLC, with nine students in their K-8 school. A network of one- and two-room schoolhouses in Maine and Massachusetts, the TLC connects teachers and students, both virtually and in person.
Category: Blog
It’s all about the journey
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
An often-quoted phrase when it comes to life is, “It’s all about the journey.” I would like to share a journey I’ve taken over the last year with 28 Mainers looking to start their own aquaculture business. I’m fortunate enough to be at the intersection of aquaculture and business in Maine, managing the Aquaculture Business Development Program for the Island Institute. This key piece of work revolves around helping fisherman diversify their income by starting a business in aquaculture that allows them to continue working on the water.
Commercial Currents: The New Year—A Time to Reflect on Your Business
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
The New Year is a popular time for self-reflection. Many people make New Year’s resolutions around their health or well-being. They buy gym memberships, start new diets, or start flossing their teeth. The New Year is a great time to check in on the health of your business, as well as your body. Most of us here in Maine are heading into the slow time of year, so we finally have the time to take a step back and evaluate the big picture.
Island Institute announces new Compass Workforce Grant
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
What do you want to be when you grow up?’ is a question kids hear a lot and answering it can get harder as the school years tick by. This is the time of year when it becomes very real as high school seniors and young adults grapple with decisions about what they want to do next in their lives and how to pay for it. Many will go right on to a traditional four-year college, but increasingly, while some will take a gap year before college, others will seek technical training and head into the workforce with a credential of value. Learn about our new Compass Workforce Grant, and how it can support island students and young adults in pursuing workforce development and professional development skills.
Addressing a problem with no clear, historical guidance for a solution
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
Owen Casas, town administrator for South Thomaston, is dealing with a problem with no clear, historical guidance for a solution. The problem is sea level rise. Island Road in South Thomaston is a critical route to the working waterfront, used daily by 115 lobster workers and 150 residents. As the seas continue to rise, Island Road is starting to flood during high tide and the problem is only getting worse. The solution is community-based climate action, and the Island Institute is guiding the way.
Commercial Currents: Transplanted Partners and Island Entrepreneurs
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
What exactly is a transplanted partner, and what does it have to do with small business? We invented the term in response to the idea of a “trailing spouse,” which is often used to describe a person who follows their partner to a new city or town because of a work assignment. This phenomenon frequently occurs in island communities—for example, when a schoolteacher moves to the island with their spouse.
Student Reflections: Geiger Scholarship
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
Are you a Maine island student interested in going to a camp or educational program? Do you want to travel, meet new people, and experience something new? If so, the Geiger Scholarship for students may be for you! Not a student? Please share with island students you know! Middle school, high school, and post secondary students are eligible to apply, and annual deadlines are November 30 and February 28.
Guest blog: Education commissioner’s keynote highlight of annual teachers conference
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
When I attend the Island Teachers’ Conference, I most look forward to the opportunity to connect with educators and administrators from up and down the coast. This year, with ample time between sessions and during meals to chat, I enjoyed conversing with teachers from Vinalhaven, Isle au Haut, Islesboro, and even some participating mainland schools. However, the highlight of the conference for me was the keynote address by Pender Makin, commissioner of the Maine Department of Education.
Guest blog: Why the Island Teachers Conference is so valuable
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
Teaching in island schools is so unlike teaching in larger mainland districts. That’s why the Island Institute’s Island Teachers Conference is so valuable—it offers a unique opportunity for island teachers to access relevant professional development and network with other island teachers. An impressive hallmark of this conference is the way in which its organizers are so responsive to feedback. There is a real eagerness on the part of the Island Institute to meet the changing needs of island teachers, and each year they tweak the conference in both large and small ways to provide the most meaningful and worthwhile event.
Commercial Currents: Business Systems–Part 2
Posted by Neil Arnold & filed under Blog.
Last month we wrote in broad terms about managing the systems of your business. Specifically, we wanted you to track your time. As the management thinker Peter Drucker always stressed: “Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.” In order to do that, we must know where we are spending that time now. There is no such thing as good time or bad time. Time is the only thing we can’t get more of, so we’d better use it wisely.
