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In addition to several National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects, the MMSA science staff also works on a variety of other government, corporate, privately-funded, and fee-for-service projects in the areas of science content, instruction, formative assessment, leadership, design and publication of science materials for teaching and learning, new teacher support, data-driven decision making, technology, and the integration of science and literacy. Several projects have been designed and developed by the MMSA staff. Other projects include partnerships that support other organizations' projects in which the MMSA plays a key role in design, development, implementation, or dissemination. Recent projects include:













June 2008

The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance has received funding from the Maine Department of Education under the competitive MSP program. Under the grants, the SCITEC project from 2007-2008 will be expanded into a network that includes "Sanford Area Engineering and Design Collaborative" and "Mid-Maine Partnership for Engineering and Technology". More details soon to come.





NNECN Center (2007-ongoing)
The NNECN Center began as a four year, ME, NH, and VT teacher enhancement project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), called the Northern New England Co-Mentoring Network. The NNECN Project provided professional development to middle and high school science and mathematics mentors and new science teachers. After the NSF funding ended, the network evolved into a physical and virtual center which now offers state, regional, and national consulting services and products to support science and mathematics mentoring, instructional coaching, and new teacher induction into the science and mathematics teaching and learning community. Operating under the same philosophy of the original NNECN project, the NNECN Center provides new teachers with the content-specific support that goes beyond the general mentoring typically provided by district induction programs. The NNECN Center recognizes that science and mathematics teachers have content and pedagogical needs that are specific to their disciplines. In addition science teachers must deal with equipment and safety issues. to learn more about the mentoring and new teacher support services offered through the NNECN Center.

NNECN Center Director: Page Keeley
NNECN Center Maine Coordinator: Lynn Farrin
NNECN Center New Hampshire Coordinator: Joyce Tugel
NNECN Center Communications Coordinator: Brianne Van Den Bossche



SCITEC (2007-ongoing)
The SCITEC Program is a year-long project aimed at helping Maine high school students meet Maine's Learning Results revisions related to engineering and technological design. The SCITEC program brings faculty and students from Maine high schools, Career and Technical Education centers and the University of Maine together with staff from the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance and the .

The SCITEC program targets three main goals related to the proposed revised Maine's Learning Results for Science and Technology, standards B2, C2 and C3:

• Increased teacher content knowledge
• Curriculum integration of engineering and technological design, and
• Increased student opportunities in engineering and technological design projects and career and work awareness

Capital area school partners for the initial year of the SCITEC program include the Capital Area Technical Center, Cony High School, Erskine Academy, Gardiner Area High School, Hall-Dale High School, Maranacook High School and Monmouth Academy. The SCITEC program is a Math and Science Partnership supported through the Maine Department of Education by US Department of Education funds.

Project Director: Chad Dorsey




Earth as a System is Essential – Seasons and the Seas (EaSiE-SS) (2007-2010)
The EaSiE-SS project focuses on the need for a relevant, contextual curricular theme for middle school learning. The goal of EaSiE-SS is to utilize NOAA () resources and virtual visits by NOAA scientists to integrate authentic earth systems science content into existing instructional units. The "Seasons and the Seas" theme bridges students' prior knowledge of the changing seasons in New England to oceanic seasonality. Middle school teachers from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts will work with state science supervisors, NOAA scientists & educators and the MMSA to develop materials that investigate the larger interactions of organisms, land, oceans and atmosphere that form the Earth system. EaSiE-SS is funded by a NOAA Environmental Literacy grant, and partners with the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Maine Sea Grant, Stellwagon National Marine Sanctuary, AIRMAP, and National Weather Service.

Principal Investigator: Francis Eberle
Co-Principal Investigator: Page Keeley
Project Director: Joyce Tugel
Project Associate: Mary Dunn




Maine Energy Education Curriculum Project (2007-2010)
The Maine Energy Education Curriculum Project is a three-year project to develop a coherent set of standards-based energy education curriculum materials for Maine students in grades 4-8. Curriculum units, consisting of 7-12 lessons that follow a conceptual storyline, use Maine's energy context, and follow an inquiry-based, instructional model, are being developed for three grade spans: Grades 4-5, Grades 6-7, and Grades 7-8. The curriculum materials are based on national standards, are research-informed, and are aligned with the newly revised Maine Learning Results. Resources specific to Maine will be included. The Maine Energy Education Curriculum Project is funded by the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Project Director: Lynn Farrin
Project Associate: Mary Dunn


Linking Science, Inquiry, and Language Literacy (L-SILL) (2005-2008)
The L-SILL project is a is a three-year leadership and professional development initiative designed to build and support two cohort groups of K-6 teachers at 12 Maine school sites, engaged in linking inquiry-based science and language literacy. By linking inquiry-based, hands-on science with language literacy, the L-SILL Project will emphasize how high quality elementary science programs play a pivotal role in improving student achievement in both science and language literacy. L-SILL will address the reciprocal effect of improving reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills iUn the context of an engaging, hands-on science program, in order to improve learning in both science and literacy. The L-SILL project is funded by the National Semiconductor Corporation. to visit the L-SILL project website.

Project Director: Lynn Farrin
Project Manager: Nancy Chesley


Science Content, Conceptual Change, and Collaboration Partnership (SC4) (2005-2008)
The SC4 Project is funded by the Maine Department of Education through the United States Department of Education Math-Science Partnership Program (MSP). SC4 is a partnership of the Auburn School Department, School Union 29, MSAD 35, and MSAD 60, the University of New England and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. The SC4 partnership's professional development component utilizes the research based WyTRIAD model developed by Dr. Joseph Stepans and focuses on research-based teaching and learning using the Conceptual Change Model (CCM), an instructional approach that mirrors research on conceptual change in science. The project aims to increase elementary science teachers knowledge of content and effective science pedagogy. to visit the SC4 Page.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Francis Eberle
Co-Principal Investigators: Page Keeley and Dr. James Vesenka, University of New England
Project Manager: Joyce Tugel
Project Associates: Nancy Chesley, Chad Dorsey, Mary Dunn, and Lynn Farrin  


Maine NASA Explorer School Collaborative (MNESC) (2005-2007)
The Maine NASA Explorer School Collaborative (MNESC) is designed to help Maine’s first NASA Explorer Schools located in Biddeford, build, strengthen, and sustain its efforts beyond their initial program funding. The MNESC grant is funded by the NASA Explorer School Partnerships for Sustainability and awarded in cooperation with the National Alliance of State Science and Mathematics Coalitions (NASSMC). MNESC’s focus is on building teachers’ content and pedagogical content knowledge, providing technical assistance for the development and implementation of coherent, standards-based, K-8 curricular units in line with the unique opportunities and resources afforded to the NASA Explorer Schools. A key role of the MNESC is to help link the NASA Explorer schools to community, regional and statewide partners and resources, aimed at raising the awareness of the importance of science, technology, and mathematics education in Maine. to learn more about the NASA Explorer School program or to learn about the NES Sustainability program.

Principal Investigator/Project Director: Lynn Farrin



Maine Governor’s Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership (2002- 2005)
The Maine Governor’s Academy is a two year leadership program for highly accomplished teacher leaders in Maine. The Governor’s Academy began with science and is now in its second cohort group which includes science and mathematics. Governor’s Academy Fellows go through a rigorous two-year program learning about the link between science and mathematics standards and research, exemplary instructional practice, the theory and practice of professional development, building learning communities, facilitation and communication skills, the change process, using data, and policy development and advocacy. All Fellows complete and implement a plan for impacting mathematics or science at the school, district, or state level. Past Governor’s Academy Fellows are filling major state and national leadership roles including serving on the National Board of Science Education, NAEP Science Assessment Framework Committee, and Distinguished Educator overseeing the revision of the Maine Learning Results.

Project Director: Page Keeley
Mathematics Co-Director: Cheryl Rose



QUEST (2003-2005)
QUEST is an emmy award winning series of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) that features natural science and scientists in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The MMSA was contracted by the MPBN to develop the classroom lessons and curriculum guide that accompany each televised program. The QUEST lesson plans can be accessed at:
Co-Curriculum Developers: Henrietta List (High School) and Lynn Farrin (Middle School)
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