Working Waterfront

Isle au Haut teacher brings experience, experiential learning

Editor’s note: This profile first appeared on the Upper Valley Educators Institute’s website and is published here with that organization’s permission. In the first few minutes of our Zoom call, Marcela Carroll had to get up to make sure her students were transitioning to their independent activity. Elementary teachers are… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Maine’s not-so-clean history on race

Early in his presentation, Todd Little-Sebold shows a photo of a Ku Klux Klan gathering in 1926 that drew about 30,000. Mississippi? Georgia? Nope. Portland, Maine. The photo often prompts the question, “You mean the Klan was active in progressive, hip Portland?” he said. “And the answer is yes.” A… SEE MORE

A view of North Haven's landing. PHOTO: JACK SULLIVAN

Working Waterfront

North Haven to offer ‘offshore year’

Islanders sometimes wryly refer to the mainland as America. If that were true, a mainland student attending an island school would be like studying abroad. North Haven Community School is not pitching its revamped magnet program that way, but it is highlighting the surrounded-by-water nature of the experience. The school… SEE MORE

Allen Island, with part of Benner Island visible at right. Monhegan Island is also visible at the top of the image. PHOTO: COURTESY COLBY COLLEGE

Working Waterfront

Colby takes over stewardship of Wyeth islands

Colby College in Waterville has become the new steward of two historic islands where renowned American artist Andrew Wyeth painted some of his greatest works, inspired and influenced by the landscape and architecture that were curated by his wife, Betsy Wyeth. Colby has taken ownership of Allen and Benner islands… SEE MORE

Maine Maritime Academy's waterfront. FILE PHOTO: TOM GROENING

Working Waterfront

Maine Maritime Academy names new president

Maine Maritime Academy has named Jerald S. “Jerry” Paul as the college’s 15th president. Paul, current president of Capitol Access and a 1989 graduate of the institution, will take office this spring. Paul succeeds William J. Brennan who steps down from the position in April after 12 years at MMA.… SEE MORE

Ashley Bryan PHOTO: COURTESY ASHLEY BRYAN CENTER

Working Waterfront

Ashley Bryan: The prophetic voice

In the fall of 2020, the Bates College Museum of Art mounted a remarkable exhibition, “Let’s Celebrate Ashley Bryan,” in honor of a gift of the award-winning author/illustrator’s work that came to the museum the year before from Henry Isaacs and Donna Bartnoff Isaacs, the artist’s longtime friends and Little… SEE MORE

From left, W.G. Sayre, Ren Albon, and Nancy Sayre.

Working Waterfront

Castine community rallies around childcare

In the December/January issue, the Rock Bound column included observations about the nonprofit childcare center created in Castine by mostly volunteer efforts. We felt the success of this endeavor was worthy of its own story. In 2017, a couple of college professors from Pennsylvania who retired to Castine found a… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Equity can be workforce solution

“The neighborhood is changing” was the refrain from Lawrence Alexander, an equity educator who spoke at the Island Institute's Workforce Pathways Conference in October. The refrain suggests that if Maine is to thrive, it will be because we embrace change on almost every level, including changing who lives and works… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Equitable access to broadband is a worthy investment

The pandemic clarified what many already knew—your ability to connect to the internet is not guaranteed. Where you live determines the quality of the infrastructure you can access. Your ability to use that connection depends on whether you can afford internet service, if you have a device to use, and… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Challenges with a purpose is island life

A newcomer to the island, upon hearing about some of the inconveniences and stressors of island life, asked me, in all seriousness, “So why do you stay?” There are times when I ask myself the same question. Like on a dark, rolling December ferry ride, shivering in my car (because… SEE MORE