Sam Vail

Sam is responsible for research, writing, editing, submission, and reporting of the Institute’s grant requests to private, corporate, and public foundations. As part of the Philanthropy Team, Sam works closely with program staff who facilitate the Island Institute’s major initiatives to help fund their work in the community. With his career spent running development departments… Read more » SEE MORE

Education &
Workforce Pathways

The Island Institute's Workforce Pathways Team illuminates workforce pathways by strengthening the connection between schools, employers, and higher education and training institutions. SEE MORE

Maine Islands Coalition

Island Journal

Henri, Bellows, and Luks: The Ashcan School in Maine

Storm Tide, Robert Henri, 1903. Oil on canvas, 26 x 32 inches Whitney Museum of American Art At the end of the 19th century, something of a battle began in American art, between the academicians and a group of independent artists. The former, represented by the National Academy of Design in New York City, encouraged… Read more » SEE MORE

Island Journal

Penobscot Bay—Churning Waters, Changing Tide

It’s the largest estuary on Maine’s 3,500-mile-long coast, lying at the mouth of the storied river and watershed that bear its name, which in turn was taken from the native people who even today advocate for its ecological health. More than 400 years ago, Penobscot Bay drew European fishing boats which harvested its plentiful cod… Read more » SEE MORE

Save Maine’s Working Waterfront

Maine's working waterfronts are the lifeblood of our coastal communities. Rapid changes in Maine’s climate and economy are putting tremendous stress on Maine’s coast, and now less than 20 miles of our 5,000 miles remain as working waterfront. We have to work together to save Maine’s working waterfronts. Otherwise, this way of life that keeps us connected to the coast is at risk of disappearing. SEE MORE

News

A lifeline for island communities

10/25/2021 - Whether you live on an island in one of the Great Lakes or off of the coast of Maine, the commute to and from your community is over water. However, ferry, water taxi, and air services provide more than just transportation to and from island communities. They act as emergency medical transportation, provide school and extracurricular transportation, and deliver mail and other essential freight such as groceries and prescriptions. SEE MORE

Blog

News

More people have moved to Maine’s remote islands in the last decade

8/20/2021 - The population of Maine’s offshore islands, which incurred steady declines in the decades after World War II and still face myriad challenges in sustaining their year-round communities, jumped by nearly 8 percent between 2010 and 2020. There are roughly a dozen offshore islands in Maine, reachable only by plane or boat, that have towns with… Read more » SEE MORE

In the news

Working Waterfront

Let’s talk about ‘fresh’

For millennia, humankind dwelling in the parts of the globe with four distinct seasons—during which at least one of them nothing grows—never hankered for salad in February, or asparagus in January. Or strawberries, or broccoli, except in season. They actually enjoyed good health, except when struck with contagious disease, like the pandemic we are enduring… Read more » SEE MORE

News

Building a lifelong connection to service and Maine

4/16/2021 - At the Island Institute, we have seen firsthand the tremendous impact Island Fellows have when partnered with an island or coastal community. The Maine Fellows Service is an exciting opportunity to connect the next generation of Mainers who are eager to serve to the places they’re needed most. SEE MORE

Blog