Bringing Maine Energy Topics to Classrooms
Rural Energy Futures brings together energy professionals, local communities, and middle and high school students to explore energy transition topics and careers in rural Maine.
REF will be recruiting in early 2026. Subscribe to MMSA’s newsletter to find out when and how to sign up.
This initiative currently has two grant-funded projects working towards its goals:
Middle School Rural Energy Future
This NSF-funded project provides educators and 8th-grade students with the opportunity to collaborate with Maine energy professionals and community members to analyze local data and explore energy topics through mathematical modeling.
High School Rural Energy Futures
A portion of the program involves co-designing and field testing a place-based learning experience that connects rural high school students with clean energy and energy efficiency careers in Maine, and is funded by the Maine Governor’s Energy Office.
The Rural Energy Futures Approach
Recent state and federal investments signal that investments in efficient energy infrastructure are going to be a significant part of social and economic futures. Rural areas, like those in Maine, have gotten a lot of attention as places that have the natural resources to build energy transition infrastructure. But, these investments don’t always consider the ways they might disrupt local cultures, customs, and industries.
Rural Energy Futures directly acknowledges these tensions and opportunities in rural Maine by co-designing and implementing—alongside educators, students, policy leaders, and community workers involved in and affected by energy transitions—a place-based learning experience aligned with state energy transition goals.
In Rural Energy Futures, teachers and students in middle and high schools work with local energy experts to understand the breadth of wisdom and experience that informs local energy transition conversations. Along the way, they build confidence in their STEM identities, realize the STEM expertise of their family and neighbors, and connect with career opportunities that are available locally.
Read recent blog posts about Rural Energy Futures:
- When Students and Teachers Lead: Designing Energy Lessons That Matter Locally
- Governor’s Energy Office Announces Funding for Clean Energy Workforce Training
- $1.3 Million Awarded to MMSA for Rural STEM Project
MMSA Project Staff
Research Team Lead
Math Programs Team Lead
Programmatic and Research Director
STEM Education Specialist
STEM Education Specialist
STEM Education Specialist
Research Assistant
Researcher
Project Partners
Audience
Subject
Project Funding
