Category: Blog

Student Reflections: Geiger Scholarship

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Archipelago Artist Profile: Christina Vincent

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Raised in Auburn, Christina came to North Haven through her husband, who came there through his brother who came there through an islander. While building their home, Christina began to create small pieces of furniture out of salvageable wood. She describes this period as “building furniture as a carpenter would think, not as a woodworker would think.” She became interested in taking classes at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, and soon set upon the path from carpenter to woodworker.

Commercial Currents: Business Systems–Part 1

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Most small business owners are jugglers. How much can you keep in the air? How effective can you be if everything needs to come back to you? At some point and time, every business owner struggles with this mindset of “I need to do everything,” but this needs to change. Change is scary, but we hope that this next two-part series will help you think a bit beyond all the current priorities and emergencies you are facing.

State and Local Leaders Address the Opioid Crisis

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The opioid crisis is ever-present along the coast of Maine, though it can be hard for many to see or pay attention to, especially during the busy summer season when our towns, peninsulas and islands teem with visitors. Not so for Dr. Jeanne Lambrew, Maine’s newly appointed Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) who, along with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, recently spent a hot summer day touring the medical centers and elder care facilities on the islands of North Haven and Vinalhaven.

Preparing for Potential Impacts on Maine Coastal Communities: The Opioid Crisis and Challenges Facing the Lobster Industry

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We’ve been paying close attention to how some of this year’s biggest issues in the lobster fishing industry might play out for our coastal communities. As peak lobster fishing season approaches, fishing communities are faced with extra challenges this year—the herring bait shortage, impending right whale rules, and the ongoing opioid crisis continues to concern us. Community members have been anticipating how and when these issues might converge, who will be affected, what resources are available, and we are keen to connect people with supportive networks and needed resources.

Commercial Currents: Business Inspiration—Our Favorite Podcasts

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This month, we decided to share some of our favorite business-themed podcasts. Not necessarily educational resources, but more inspirational. August isn’t the time to step away from your business and learn something new. It’s insane, and we know it’s hard to keep your head above water and not completely burn out. So, if you’re in need of some inspiration to keep you motivated this month, check out some of these business and start-up related podcasts.

Visit to Isle au Haut offers unique glimpse into island community

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For anyone unfamiliar with this area of Maine, Isle au Haut is a small, island community in Penobscot Bay in Knox County, accessible by ferry from Stonington. With a year-round population of around 71 inhabitants, the island is home to portions of Acadia National Park and boasts a landscape made up of blooming trees and oceanfront views. During a recent trip to Isle au Haut, Island Institute summer intern Anastasia Sapirstein takes us on a tour, shares her experience visiting the island for the first time, and highlights some of the key features of this community and its residents.