Initiative Will Build Awareness of Maine Bioscience Careers through Traveling Program

PORTLAND, Maine, Sept. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Portland-based nonprofit organization Educate Maine, in partnership with Bioscience Association of Maine, Northeastern University’s Roux Institute and Learning Undefeated, has announced plans to build a mobile bioscience laboratory for Maine students that will increase interest in and awareness of bioscience content and careers. Funding for this initiative has been provided in the Congressional Budget of the 2024 fiscal year, thanks to legislation introduced and supported by Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King.

“This investment in the state’s future workforce will introduce students to the game-changing biotech jobs available here in our state and support educators to expand life science opportunities in schools across Maine” said Jason Judd, Executive Director of Educate Maine. “We are grateful to Senator Collins and Senator King for their strong and forward-thinking support of Maine students.”

The mobile lab is a traveling trailer that will bring scientific tools and techniques right to the school parking lot, allowing students a field-trip style experience in STEM along with career exposure, curriculum based on real-word Maine jobs, and educator professional development opportunities.

“In today’s knowledge economy, it is important for students—at all levels—to understand that STEM is for all. But currently the pipeline into STEM opportunities in Maine is very narrow,” said Aileen Huang-Saad, Director of Life Sciences, Health, and Engineering at The Roux Institute. “The new mobile learning lab will provide the opportunity for more students from every corner of Maine to explore hands-on STEM learning and potential careers using state-of-the-art equipment.”

Agnieszka Carpenter, Executive Director of Bioscience Association of Maine agrees, “Life sciences is one of the fastest growing industries in Maine. In the past five years alone, our high-paying bioscience jobs have grown by 42 percent. With such substantial growth, Maine has a unique opportunity to become a thriving biotech hub, but our industry currently lacks appropriate career pathways for Maine students, especially in rural areas. The mobile lab will open doors to students that were previously unavailable.”

Educate Maine has partnered with nonprofit organization Learning Undefeated, a thought leader in immersive education environments, to design and build the mobile bioscience lab that will serve Maine students.

“Growing up in the Bangor area, I had very little exposure to STEM careers in Maine. A fun and engaging bioscience experience that travels right to the school parking lot will completely change the way that students like me feel about Maine careers,” said Janeé Pelletier, EVP of Communications for Learning Undefeated. “This program will engage Maine students early with the high-demand fields that offer a living family wage and power Maine’s economy, showing them that there are great careers right here at home.”

The biolab curriculum is being co-developed with input from Maine bioscience employers and industry stakeholders. Public school teachers also provided feedback to inform the program through an educator survey with additional focus groups in Presque Isle, Machias, Farmington, and online in early August.

The Maine bioscience lab is expected to begin serving schools in spring 2024, with an initial focus on grades 5 to 8. The entire program will be available at no cost to schools.

About Educate Maine
Educate Maine champions career readiness by increasing the educational attainment of Maine people, enabling all students to succeed in postsecondary education and in the workplace. As a business-led education advocacy organization, Educate Maine currently administers four signature programs with key partners: Maine Teacher of the Year Program, Project>Login, Education Leaders Experience, and Maine Career Catalyst.

About Bioscience Association of Maine
Bioscience Association of Maine (BioME) is a trade organization that promotes the industry’s steady growth, interprets its benefits to the public, and influences pertinent public policy. BioME aims to advance economic growth and opportunities within the life sciences community in Maine by allocating equal involvement in life sciences advocacy, education, economic development, workforce development, and attracting out-of-state business.

About the Roux Institute
The Roux Institute at Northeastern University, located Portland, Maine, serves as an engine of innovation, talent–building, and economic growth for Portland, the state of Maine, and northern New England. Designed with partnerships in mind from day one, the Roux Institute creates programs that prepare the workforce to stay agile and thrive in a competitive landscape of emerging technology. Offering high-tech graduate and customized learning programs targeting in-demand fields like computer and data science, bioengineering, data analytics and project management, the Roux Institute introduces experiential learning for real-world impact. Part of Northeastern University, an R1 global research university, the Roux Institute focuses on applied research in artificial intelligence, computational medicine and life sciences, human-data interaction and engineering. The Roux Institute is also focused on helping launch and grow startups through education and experience, venture creation and acceleration and community support. Together with their partner network, the Roux Institute is creating an innovation corridor that will stretch from Boston to Portland and beyond.

About Learning Undefeated
Learning Undefeated is driving race and gender equity in STEM through experiential and deep-impact learning experiences for students from under resourced communities. Best known for its fleet of traveling STEM laboratories, Learning Undefeated’s flagship STEM education program has prepared more than 1.3 million K-12 students for STEM careers since 2003, through hands-on content exploration, game-based learning, summer camps, and talent development programs. Learning Undefeated also operates several other celebrated STEM education programs including custom curriculum development, summer camp, and STEM disaster recovery education.

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SOURCE Learning Undefeated