Blog

Winter is often a slower time for business along Maine's coast, allowing all of us a bit of space to think about upcoming opportunities and challenges facing our businesses. Maybe there is a certification that you have been meaning to pursue for years that would allow you to expand your business. Or maybe you are interested in working with a consultant to be more effective in advertising your products. The Island Institute is offering our Microgrants for Entrepreneurship and Community Impact (MECI) to island and coastal businesses who want to improve the way their business is run. Learn more about applying for a MECI grant, and reach out to us to discuss your idea!

Transitioning into the first year of high school can be intimidating and stressful. At the annual Middle School Retreat, hosted by the Maine Seacoast Mission’s Island Outreach program with support from the Island Institute, the goal of the event is to prepare outer island middle schoolers for the transition to mainland high schools and create an open, safe place to discuss and ask questions.

Have you ever thought about gaining a new source of income through growing mussels, oysters or seaweed? Now is a great time to launch your small-scale aquaculture business. Through our Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) program, the Island Institute is working to help fishermen and people from fishing communities diversify into shellfish or seaweed aquaculture. Learn how you can join our third ABD cohort and apply today!

Tax season is here, and your to-do list is likely getting long. Tax experts from Maine find that early planning pays off in the long run. Here are the top ten tasks that can help small business owners or the self-employed save substantial time.

Can real-life stories be just as exciting and is there any power in sharing these everyday stories to a larger audience? To tackle this question, a team of four people from the College of the Atlantic, Island Institute, and Maine Sea Grant collaborated to develop a 10-week course focused on how Maine’s remote coastal and island communities live in relationship to the ocean. By collecting oral histories, the team hoped that this information would help give island and coastal communities a stronger voice in ocean policy and decision-making processes affecting nearby ocean waters.

The Island Fellows Program places college and master’s degree graduates in Maine’s coastal and year-round island communities for 1-2 years, giving them the opportunity to gain experience and use their skills to help these communities address some of the significant challenges they face. Here, Meghan Cooper, Millinocket's new Fellow, talks about her new community and the work she's doing there.

What do a high school sophomore, a direct marketer, and a sternman have in common? Seaweed and shellfish aquaculture, of course! They're all members of our Aquaculture Business Development (ABD) program, who spent a clear, cold December day touring farms and learning from industry partners at our latest Industry Day in Portland.

Maine’s share of the recent settlement with Volkswagen for emissions violations is about $21 million. While the funds come with numerous restrictions, the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) recently found itself asking just this question as staff worked with Governor’s Energy Office and Efficiency Maine Trust to put together a draft plan for how to spend the money. MaineDOT is currently accepting comments, and the deadline for submitting comments is January 15, 2018.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree had some inspiring words for island and coastal students during a video conference call on December 19th. As the students from Long Island Elementary in Casco Bay and Edna Drinkwater School in Northport shared questions as well as the marine-related project work they’ve been doing over the last year, Congresswoman Pingree highlighted the importance of talking to everyone about what they’re learning and the critical issues the ocean is facing.

Simply stated, “broadband” is a high-speed internet connection. It provides the reliability and speeds required by businesses, telecommuters, students of all ages, telehealth users, municipalities and emergency services, and residents who seek 21st century economic and social opportunities. Over 30 island and coastal communities in Maine are working to bring broadband and its benefits to their towns through their economic and community development efforts.