For the past month, a School Supply Drive was undertaken at the Portland Elks Lodge 188. Three elementary schools in Cumberland County were contacted and asked what supplies would be helpful to teachers in their classrooms.

The three schools, Longfellow School in Portland, Sacarrappa School in Westbrook, and Brown Elementary School in South Portland all responded with items that would be helpful: crayons, washable markers, colored pencils, glue sticks, pencils, erasers, Kleenex, hand wipes and snacks.

Members of Lodge 188 were given the list and asked to make donations by Sept. 30. At the same time, the Lodge applied for a $4,000 Beacon Grant to purchase extra supplies (electric pencil sharpeners, dry erase marker sets, construction paper, copy paper, bulk snacks) and warm winter clothing. Members of Elks Lodge 188 came through with hundreds of items as well as cash donations.

Deliveries to the three schools took place on Oct. 12-13, and the three schools received a combined $6,000 in school supplies and warm winter clothing.

Ketcha Outdoors hires new executive director

The Ketcha Outdoors board of directors announced Laragh Kavanaugh as the new executive director for the organization. According to an Oct. 14 news release, “Laragh brings over 20 years of leadership experience to the role of executive director, both as an outdoor educator and as a director at an international nonprofit. From guiding youth wilderness expeditions for Outward Bound, to leading international programs in India and Ghana, to directing operations for Maine-based Council on International Educational Exchange, Laragh’s breadth of nonprofit management and youth development experience will serve Ketcha’s community well.”

“Ketcha Outdoors plays an important role in our community and builds caring, confident youth who respect the natural world,” Kavanaugh said in an email. “I am committed to delivering safe and high-quality programming, enhancing communication and building inclusive communities. Having grown up in Maine and since becoming a parent, I understand the positive impact the natural world has on youth and how important access to quality outdoor programs is to Maine families and communities.”

Since 1964, Ketcha Outdoors has provided children of all ages with connections to the land and the confidence to create their sense of place in the world. The year-round nonprofit outdoor education organization is most well known in the community as Camp Ketcha in Scarborough. The Scarborough location offers a summer day camp, preschool and pre-k programs, after-school care, and other nature-based youth programming. The organization also administers the Portland Gear Hub, a nonprofit bike and outdoor gear shop in downtown Portland, which increases access to the outdoors through affordable, reliable gear, and education. The Gear Hub offers free earn-a-bike programming to youth and adults, teaches bike maintenance classes, and sells refurbished bikes, camping gear, and cross-country skis.

“Having received over 70 applications for executive director, the Ketcha Outdoors community feels very fortunate to have Laragh Kavanaugh accept this exciting challenge of leading the Scarborough and Portland campuses into our next chapter of service to the greater Portland community,”  said Jay Evans, Ketcha Outdoors board president, in an email. “With Laragh’s thoughtful leadership and strategic mindset, Ketcha is well poised to serve Maine’s children, families, and individuals for many years to come.”

Fall enrollment up at Southern Maine Community College

Fall enrollment at Southern Maine Community College is up 10.5 percent in headcount and 16.4 percent in credit hours, according to numbers released Oct. 19 by the Maine Community College System, boosted by the new Free College Scholarship program.

“Maine’s Free College initiative, our flexible and accessible programs, and our dedicated and talented staff and faculty who have been working diligently to assist students have had a significant impact on our increased enrollment,” Joe Cassidy, president of Southern Maine Community College, said in an email. “Our new students are excited to start or continue their educational journey after a difficult few years due to COVID-19. Our free and affordable tuition options allow them this opportunity.”

Total headcount at Southern Maine Community College this fall is up by 572 students, from 5,435 last year to 6,007, according to an official tally on Oct. 18, with first-time student enrollment up 46.9 percent. The college’s Assistant Dean of Enrollment, Amy Lee, said the Free College initiative and an increased focus on community outreach contributed to the increase.

“We grew our partnerships with every Maine high school and tech center in New England, hosted several online Free College info sessions and heavily promoted the Free College scholarship,” Lee said. “In addition to increased enrollment numbers this fall, we have already processed hundreds of fall 2023 Free College-eligible student applications.”

More than 38 percent of Southern Maine Community College’s 2022 enrolled students are Free College eligible. Maine High school graduates or equivalent from 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 all qualify for Maine’s Free College Scholarship. The scholarship pays 100 percent of tuition and mandatory fees after grant aid has been applied to student accounts.

Also contributing to the increase in enrollment is the stream of students who enroll at Southern Maine Community College after participating in the college’s Early College program and earn college credit while in high school, said Matt Goodman, dean of academic excellence and strategic initiatives. We are seeing more of these students continue on to Southern Maine Community College after graduating from high school. Opportunities like Spring Ahead, an innovative program in which high school seniors spend the spring semester at Southern Maine Community College, have seen nearly 100 percent of students enroll at a college or university the fall of their high school graduation, many of whom enroll at Southern Maine Community College.”

Goodman highlighted that an increased focus on strengthening community partnerships was a contributing factor in growing enrollment at the college. “Southern Maine Community College continues to engage in innovative collaborations with community partners like the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center, In Her Presence, and PropserityME to help support the career and educational goals of New Mainers, immigrants, and asylees,” he said. “We could not be more excited about these collaborations and where they’ll lead us in the future.”

Increased outreach efforts resulted in students participating in on-campus and online one-to-one or group advising sessions where they enrolled in fall classes and created an individualized plan for success.

“The Southern Maine Community College Advising Office offered over 2,300 student appointments to new and persisting students between March and July,” Associate Dean of Student Success Kathleen Doan said. Approximately 1,000 of the sessions were with students who were eligible for Free College.

In addition to an increase in those enrolling in degree and certificate programs, Southern Maine Community College has seen an increase in those enrolling in and completing short-term training opportunities in leadership training, education, and health care fields, including the college’s new LPN program. The programs benefit students while meeting Maine’s critical workforce needs.

“Our short-term training opportunities are a chance for individuals to earn the skills they need to find gainful employment in an expedited fashion,” said Jim Whitten, dean of workforce development and the Midcoast Campus. “With many programs offered free of charge and some with attendance incentives, students can get the hands-on training they need while still affording to live their everyday lives. And, if they decide they’d like to continue their education down the line, our supportive staff will help them determine the best path to take.”

“Our mission is to help better the lives of our students and the members of their communities,” Cassidy said. “We are more committed than ever to achieving that goal while helping each and every one of our students to achieve theirs.”

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