Mentoring, Access, and Persistence—or MAP—is designed for students from or attending school on Maine’s 15 year-round, unbridged islands. Our goal is to support a cohort of students throughout the college application and transition process by providing leadership training, monthly webinars, individualized support, peer mentoring, and scholarship support.

The 2018 Annual Report contains program accomplishments and financial information for the Island Institute. 

Islands and rural communities throughout the United States pay some of the highest costs for electricity and heating fuel in the nation. They also face several geographic, financial, and awareness barriers that make it difficult to invest in home energy upgrades. These barriers combine to create a market failure we call the “rural energy efficiency gap.” This report provides data about the rural energy efficiency gap, identifies barriers to energy efficiency in rural communities, and highlights strategies that are helping to bridge the gap for residents in cold climate, petroleum-dependent states.

The Geiger Scholarship supports students from Maine’s year-round, unbridged islands who are eager to expand their educational horizons through off-island enrichment and travel experiences. The focus is on providing this opportunity to students who will grow individually through participation in off-island enrichment experiences.

The Geiger Education and Travel Scholarship supports full-time teachers and administrators in schools on Maine’s year-round, unbridged islands through funding for off-island professional development and experiential learning opportunities.

The 2018 Island Teachers Conference took place Thursday, October 4-5, 2018, at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast, Maine. The theme of the conference was "Moving Forward Together," and educators from the coast of Maine and beyond were invited to attend and exhibit at the conference and to lead workshops and presentations on a wide-range of topics, including: place and project-based learning through collaboration, creative expression, social issues, STEM education, and much more.

The MAP Program supports island students through the college application and transition process by providing leadership training, monthly webinars, individualized support, peer mentoring, and scholarship support.

For the second year, the Island Institute will be hosting a free six-week lecture series focusing on the Maine coast. Join us in Rockland – Wednesdays this summer, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. – to hear from authors, artists, community members, and other experts about life along Maine's waterfront and their perspectives, reflections, and insights on everything from art and aquaculture to modern-day challenges and connections.

"Waypoints: Livelihoods on Maine’s Coast and Islands" is dedicated to quantifying the way coastal Mainers make a living and presents new data that tells the story of how income levels, prevalence of self-employment, impacts of fisheries, and seasonality of the labor force define the economic and cultural landscape of our region.

By working closely with island and coastal residents, we've identified that improved access to high-speed internet is an essential tool for encouraging economic growth in line with the culture of coastal communities. Check out this resource page to learn more about this challenge and access resources to address it.