2025 PowerServe volunteers power through rainy conditions

By Ed Pierce

As steady rain fell and damp conditions persisted, the enthusiasm and willingness to help others of more than 200 PowerServe volunteers was evident on Saturday, April 26 in Windham.

Members of Windham High School's varsity and JV baseball
teams were among 200 volunteers from throughout the
community who pitched in to assist with various projects
to help neighbors and the town during the 2025 PowerServe
event on Saturday, April 26. PHOTO BY CHRIS DOUGHTY 

PowerServe was created in the memory of Windham High School sophomore Shane Donnelly, who was 16 when he passed away unexpectedly in May 2015. Shane’s family says he was passionate about helping others and he cared deeply about his community.

To show their love for Shane, his family helped to create and organize the very first PowerServe in 2016, It was intended to be just a one-day event where volunteers served Windham area organizations and individuals who needed assistance by performing various tasks ranging from painting to yard work to household repairs and few other projects benefiting the town.

But because of an outpouring of volunteers willing to donate their time to help their neighbors, PowerServe has become an annual event held in Windham every April that completes dozens of meaningful projects and tasks throughout the community.

“Despite the rain, we had over 200 people turn out to do almost 30 service projects this year,” said Kim Donnelly, Shane’s mother. “A couple of them had to be moved to another date when it wasn’t pouring out, but we were so excited at how positive the volunteers were and how happy the recipients of the projects were. There were great connections made between the volunteers, getting to know not only the homeowner, but those people on their teams that they worked alongside that day.”

She said the number of projects that PowerServe volunteers worked on this year were the most since the event started in 2016. Some of their projects included building bridges and performing a trail clean-up at Black Brook Preserve. Past projects performed by PowerServe volunteers include work on the community basketball courts/skate park, building conduits for the 302 Rotary holiday lights, at the Historical Society Community Gardens, on RSU 14’s Cross Country trails, at Manchester School and various plantings at Windham High School.

Volunteers were organized into teams that went out from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to work together on the projects and then they all met back on the Windham Historical Grounds to share stories and enjoy a free barbecue for their work.

“The majority of our projects are for Windham residents who are in need of spring clean-ups, outside light stain or painting, spring plantings and mulch, power washing, and more,” Kim Donnelly said. “These are people with disabilities, sickness, who are elderly, an educator or public servant that we want to show our thanks for or just don't have the help and support needed to take care of these projects around their homes. Each year we go out to the town, community, and local businesses requesting nominations for projects for Windham residents to help with.”

She said PowerServe was fortunate to have Chuck Daigle serve on its planning committee this year.

“He quickly secured the Windham Town Hall gymnasium for our registration and the free barbecue afterward for PowerServe volunteers.

Because of the weather, Kim Donnelly said that there were two projects that PowerServe needed to push off until last weekend.

“Both have been completed with the help of Fuller House volunteers and then a larger project at Dundee Park with the help of Andrew Daigle, Sean McGuire and his team from McGuire Home Services was finished,” she said. “This included a new stage for entertainers at the Dundee Park Concert Series in the summer.”

Many of the homeowners and recipients of PowersServe projects were so surprised that the volunteers showed up despite the rain.

“I think that added to a feeling of pride from the volunteers that come rain or shine, they committed to helping these individuals and they showed up to do it, like a real Mainer would do,” Kim Donnelly said.

With the success and even bigger outpouring of volunteers and projects to be completed, the organization has already scheduled next year's PowerServe event, which will be its 10th year anniversary. The 2026 PowerServe will be conducted Saturday, April 25, rain or shine.

“My family and I feel so blessed to live in such a kind and compassionate community that gives back and supports its neighbors in need,” Kim Donnelly said. “Shane would be so touched by the outpouring of love and support for those around us. This is a life lesson for all of the youth in our community who volunteer. I bet they received so much more than the few hours they gave that day.”

To see more photos from the 2025 PowerServe, visit their Facebook page or go to www.powerserve.me. <

WHS graduate dazzles in leading role in new Broadway musical

By Ed Pierce

Robyn Hurder is a shining example of someone who has worked hard to achieve her dreams and is now dazzling audiences in a starring turn in a hit Broadway musical in New York City.

Robyn Hurder, a 2000 graduate of Windham High School,
is the star of the new musical "Smash" which debuted on
Broadway in April. She started taking dancing lessons at
a young age and expressed a desire to appear on Broadway
stages as a young girl.
PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY AND PAUL KOLNIK   

Growing up in Windham, Hurder leads the cast of the new musical “Smash” that opened at the Imperial Theatre on April 10. It’s a role that secures her place in Broadway history after years of performing in the cast of 22 Broadway shows and receiving a Tony Award nomination in 2020 for her part in “Moulin Rouge.”

Hurder graduated in 2000 from Windham High School and is a former member of the Windham Chamber Singers and studied dance at the Maine State Ballet.

Her mother enrolled Robyn at age 7 in a dance studio in Scarborough. She says that she liked the tap and ballet lessons there but by age 8, she wanted out to spend time playing with her friends from school. Robyn’s mother was adamant that she continue her training in dance, and when the dance studio added jazz dance that spring, her interest in choreography intensified.

When she saw the musical “CATS,” Hurder says she figured out her life’s path.

“I’m that girl – who saw ‘CATS’ and said, ‘I’m gonna do that for a living.” she told Dance Magazine in 2020.

Dr. Richard Nickerson, the director of the Windham Chamber Singers, said Hurder was a special talent.

“There are some students that, from the moment you meet them, you know they are destined for greatness,” Nickerson said. “Robyn was one of those students I knew that she could do whatever she set her mind to.”

He said that Robyn was no different in high school than she is now and that's one of the things that makes her unique.

“She is as genuine a person as you will ever meet,” Nickerson said. “She has a positive energy about her that lights up a room. She always worked incredibly hard yet never complained. She is the kind of person that everyone wants to be around because she always makes you feel like a better person. I remember her singing voice, but what really sticks out in my memory is her laugh. She truly loves life.”

According to Nickerson, while Robyn is what he calls a triple threat for acting, singing, dancing, he believes that her greatest strength is her personality.

“She works in an industry that is extremely competitive, yet has remained positive,” he said. “That's not to say that she hasn't had struggles. She hasn't let those struggles define her. It has been inspirational to watch her hard work be rewarded.”

RSU 14 Superintendent of Schools Chris Howell had Hurder as a student when he taught Biology at Windham High School.

“She was a fantastic student who worked really hard in my class to be successful in mastering the content,” he said. “It has been exciting to follow her career over the years and see how far she has gone with her talents.”

After graduating from WHS, Hurder attended the University of New Hampshire for two years before moving to New York City and auditioning for Broadway shows. In 2003, she landed a part in a national tour of “Starlight Express” and her professional career was off and running.

She was a member of the original Broadway cast of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in 2005. That was followed in order by parts in productions of “Spamalot,” “The Wedding Singer,” “Chicago,” “Grease,” and “A Chorus Line.” During a tour of “A Chorus Line” Hurder married her castmate and Broadway actor Clyde Alves.

By 2010, Hurder was a veteran performer and appeared in 12 more productions over the next decade before originating the role of Nini in “Moulin Rouge” at the Al Hirschfield Theatre on Broadway in 2020. That performance earned Hurder her first Tony Award nomination for Best featured Actress in a Broadway Musical.

In her next role, she won a Chita Rivera Award for Dance and Choreography as Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show when she appeared as Neil Diamond’s second wife, Marcia Murphey, in “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” in 2023.

She’s also appeared in dramatic roles on television in such shows as “The Equalizer” and “Fosse/Verdon” and been interviewed on “CBS Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley,” “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” and “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Now she is currently starring as Ivy Lynn, who plays actress Marilyn Monroe in the new Broadway show “'Smash.”

The Broadway musical “Smash” with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman is based on the 2012-2013 NBC television series “Smash” created by Theresa Rebeck. It includes songs from the TV series and original songs written for this new production. Like the television series, the musical follows the creation of a musical about the life of actress Marilyn Monroe.

Nickerson and his wife saw “Smash” last week and he said it is outstanding.

“Robyn's performance was unlike anything I've seen,” he said. “Her performance filled me with an enormous amount of pride.” <

RSU 14 budget heads to voters on May 14

By Ed Pierce

The RSU 14 Board of Directors have approved a budget for 2025-2026 of $67,861,394 and the proposal now heads to voters in Windham and Raymond for approval on May 14.

Staff members and Superintendent of Schools Chris Howell
at RSU 14's administrative offices in Windham helped to
formulate the school district's $67,861,394 budget for
2025-2026 that will be voted upon by Windham and Raymond
residents on May 14. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

During a meeting of the board on April 9, RSU 114 Superintendent of Schools Chris Howell said the budget represents a 12.75 percent increase over last year’s budget, with a 6.4 percent increase stemming from the construction of the new Windham Raymond Middle School. Also driving up costs are increases in RSU’s Regular Operating Expenses and a Pre-K expansion program.

“This is an unusual budget this year, with a higher than typical increase due to the initial bonds for the new middle school and an expansion to our Pre-K programming,” Howell said. “Both new projects are coupled with increased subsidies for the district. When examining the budget this year, it is best to look at the increase as being made up of three different parts.”

Howell said that first, the budget proposal contains a 5.6 percent increase in year-over-year expenses with the increase largely being driven by an increase in salaries and benefits contained within negotiated contracts.

“This increase, which is in line with proposed increases for other districts in our region, will result in compensation packages that are competitive and on average with other Cumberland County school districts,” Howell said. “In addition to the increases covered in contracts, the increase is also being driven by increased costs for electricity, energy, equipment and supplies.”

The second factor to consider with this proposed budget is it includes roughly a 1 percent increase for the addition of 59 Pre-K enrollment slots which will result in roughly a $620,000 increase to the budget. Howell said $510,000 of this increase will be offset by additional state subsidy specifically allocated for expanding Pre-K programs.

“The additional Pre-K placement slots will significantly reduce our current waiting list of students who are hoping to participate in the Pre-K program,” he said.

According to Howell, a third factor in the budget proposal is the inclusion of the first bond payment for the new middle school construction project resulting in nearly a 6 percent increase.

“Importantly, 90 percent of the cost of this first bond will be paid by additional subsidy from the State of Maine, significantly reducing the overall cost of the project for local taxpayers,” he said. “The total of the three budget areas represents a 12.75 percent increase over the current year, but it does not represent a similar increase in taxation. Over half of the proposed increase for this year will be reduced through an additional state subsidy and fund balance that will be used to reduce taxation.”

The school district began working on the budget in early November. Howell said that each line of the budget was reviewed to look for any possible savings.

“Current enrollment numbers and projected enrollment numbers for every grade level were reviewed,” he said. “Where possible, classroom positions were reallocated from grade levels with lower enrollments to grade levels with higher numbers.”

The budget proposal includes cutting a Day One teaching position and 3 ½ Ed Tech positions while adding an educational interpreter from Support Services. Manchester School will cut a Grade 5 classroom teacher but add a Grade 4 classroom teacher. Raymond Elementary School will cut one classroom teaching position. Windham Primary School will cut one classroom teaching position but add a Pre-K teaching position and add a Pre-K Ed Tech. RSU 14 Technology will add 1 Grade Level of Computers. Overall, the school district will add a part-time assistant cook.

Howell said challenges in putting together this budget proposal included negotiated contracts; taking increasing valuations for Windham and Raymond into account; a reduction in the subsidy the district receives for economically disadvantaged students; and a new 1 percent salary tax to fund Maine’s Paid Leave Act. Other budget considerations were inflation of goods for purchased services, increased energy costs for electricity and motor fuels and ongoing increases in costs for employee health insurance.

The 2024-2025 RSU 14 budget approved by voters was $60,185,403.

Howell said that the 2025-2026 budget proposal is available for review by the community by visiting rsu14.org or by calling the district office at 207-892-1800.

The district will be holding a public budget meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14 in the Windham High School Auditorium. All registered voters in Windham and Raymond are welcome to attend. The budget approved at the May 14 meeting will be sent to the voters in Windham and Raymond for the June 10 school budget vote. <

Spirituality remains prominent element in Boston Post Cane recipient’s life

By Ed Pierce

Pearl Grant believes that every life has a spiritual purpose, and that every person plays a role in the spiritual development of others. It’s a philosophy that has guided Pearl throughout her life and now as the oldest resident of the town after she was presented with the Boston Post Cane by the Town of Windham.

Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell, left,
presents a replica of the Boston Post Cane
to Pearl Grant on Tuesday, April 22 at her
home in Windham. Grant turns 100 on June 2
and Morrell presented the cane to her
signifying that she is the oldest living
resident of the town.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE  

Grant will turn 100 on June 2 and remains an active churchgoer and hosts a bible study group at her home every week. She graduated from Windham High School in 1943 and says that her family and God are key elements of her life as she’s about to reach the centenarian milestone that only 0.027 percent of Americans live to.

“Now that I’ve lived this long, I honestly can’t see a big difference from being 99 and being 100,” Grant said. “It’s about the same to me. God has certainly blessed me to live this long.”

Windham Town Clerk Linda Morrell visited Grant at her home on Tuesday morning and presented her with a replica of the town’s Boston Post Cane before a gathering of friends and family.

Morrell read a citation recognizing Grant’s longevity and Pearl recalled that she was present when Morrell gave the cane to her mother Ethel in 2001. Ethel Verrill had the cane as Windham’s oldest resident until she passed away in 2007.

The history of the Boston Post Cane is a story that has long outlived its creator, Morrell said.

“On Aug. 2, 1909, Edwin A. Grozier, the publisher of the Boston Post newspaper, forwarded to the Board of Selectmen in 700 towns in New England an ebony cane with a gold-head with the request that it be presented with the compliments of the Boston Post to the oldest male resident of the town.”

Launching the Boston Post Cane as a gimmick to promote his newspaper, Grozier mandated that no cities were to be involved, only towns, and that the recipient of the cane was to use it as long as he lived or moved away. Upon the death of the town’s cane recipient, Grozier said that the honor should be handed down to the next oldest citizen of the town. That way, the cane would come to be a symbolic representation of the town and not the individual who received it.

The original Boston Post Canes were manufactured by J.F. Fradley and Company of New York and derived from ebony that was shipped in 7-foot lengths from the Congo in Africa. The ebony was cut into suitable cane lengths, seasoned for six months, and then turned on lathes to just the right thickness, and then coated and polished.

Each original cane had a 14-carat gold head some 2 inches long and decorated by hand with a ferruled tip. The cane’s head was engraved with the inscription — Presented by the Boston Post to the oldest citizen of (name of town) — “To Be Transmitted.”

At its inception, 700 towns received the canes. By 2020, more than 510 towns were still participating. In 1930, the Boston Post Cane tradition was modified to include women recipients and in 1956, the newspaper stopped publication, but its legacy and tradition endures to this very day.

Windham’s first Boston Post Cane recipient was Elijah Cook in 1909, and now that distinction belongs to Grant, who succeeds the late Hazel Gilman as the cane recipient. Gilman died last October at the age of 106.

The original Boston Post Cane for Windham is displayed at the Windham Town Hall. Morrell said a replica cane to be passed from recipient to recipient was created in 1999.

“Lloyd Murphy designed and created the showcase to display the original cane at no cost and Bruce Pulkkinen of Windham Millworks donated the wood,” Morrell said. “Ed Kimball of Classic Impressions in Portland was the artisan of engraving the replica cane, brass plates for all past recipients and history of the cane. Frank Sennett of General Machine was the artisan of the brass head and stainless tip of the replica cane, and he spiffed up the original as well. The ends were looking beat up.”

Families sign a document agreeing to return the replica cane when the time comes, Morrell said.

Grant was born on June 2, 1925 to Fred and Ethel Verrill in Windham and grew up on the family farm on Highland Cliff Road. After graduating from high school, Pearl found a job working for Blue Cross on Exchange Street in Portland.

In March 1947, she married Stanley Grant, and the couple were the parents of three children. Stanley died in 2014.

Of all the inventions that Grant has witnessed in her lifetime, she cites television as the one she thinks has had the most impact upon her life.

“I gave up driving at 96, so watching TV fills the time and gives me something to do,” she said. <

Polar Plunge or Spring Soak? Chamber event boosts ‘Feed the Need’

By Kira Pilot

On Saturday, April 19, roughly 30 community members and their sponsors gathered at the sunny lakefront on Saint Joseph’s College campus in Standish to raise money for hungry neighbors.

A mother and son team of Lisa and Sean
Deane of Windham is in costume and ready
to wade into Sebago Lake during the George
Bartlett Polar Plunge at Saint Joseph's
College on April 19. More than 32 people
took a dip in the lake to help raise money
for the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of
Commerce's 'Feed the Need' initiative which 
supports 11 different food pantries in the 
Lakes Region. PHOTO BY KIRA PILOT

Amber Rankine, the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, sounded the countdown at 11:55 a.m. by exclaiming “Five minutes to the plunge.”

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce may have billed this event as a “Polar Plunge” but Saturday’s noon temperature – almost 70 degrees – had several participants joking about a rebranding as they cast anticipatory glances at the yet undisturbed waters of Sebago Lake.

Rankine explained that 100 percent of the proceeds from the day's event would be donated to the Feed the Need charitable trust.

“Feed the Need is our ending hunger campaign, and we give funds to all 11 food pantries that are in the Sebago Lakes Chamber region. And it’s not just food. Some people need things like toiletries or diapers or formula,” she said. “The funds go directly to the pantries. We don’t purchase anything for them. We just let them do what they need to as far as taking care of their community goes.”

She hoped to collect about $1,000 from the event but said that any amount raised was sure to help, especially given the current economy and recent federal cuts. Research done by the national nonprofit organization Feeding America shows that food insecurity affects one in eight Mainers. Inclusive in that number are roughly 45,000 children.

The concept of the Polar Plunge was simple: participants registered for the plunge, raised money through sponsorships, and committed to jumping in the lake at midday. Some folks arrived costumed, most notably, the mother-son team of Lisa and Sean Deane of Windham, who showed up dressed as Disney’s Ursula, and rock legend Elvis. To help participants warm themselves, local business Too Haute Saunas provided portable saunas which had frequent use throughout the day as plungers emerged from Sebago Lake. Face painting, a food truck, lawn games, and an egg hunt were also part of the event.

Despite the amenities and the warm weather, participants understood the spring thaw has not yet warmed the depths of Sebago Lake.

John Daniels and his 13-year-old son Isaiah have participated in several past plunges hosted by various organizations, however, both voiced good-natured trepidation as the noon hour approached, and estimated the water temperature to be around 33 degrees. Despite reservations, the duo eventually took the plunge without hesitation.

“This is a good cause, and we want to help out,” said Daniels, who works at Edward Jones in Windham and solicited sponsorship from his colleagues, some in attendance.

Misty Coolidge of the Coolidge Family Farm in New Gloucester detailed her motivation for attending the event as she watched her three children, Caden, Eva, and Grace, gleefully make the jump.

“I am Mrs. New England and my platform for over 20 years has been fighting hunger,” Coolidge said. “As a member of the Chamber, I love that they have the Feed the Need cause. I try to go to all their events because this need is so important.”

She drew attention to the success of the Feed the Need program outside of this singular event. Just this last year, the Chamber donated $20,000 to food pantry directors in need of assistance.

“I wish there were hundreds of people here,” Coolidge said.

Before the day was over, Marcel Vachon, a member of the Chamber Board, took a few moments to recognize the media sponsors who helped make the event possible: Too Haute Saunas, Androscoggin Bank, J. Priest Insurance, as well as Paul’s Boutique who provided T-shirts for plungers. He also thanked St. Joseph’s College for hosting the event.

Lindsay Drumm, who manages corporate partnerships at the college, believes hosting such an event made sense for Saint Joseph’s.

“We really like to give back to the community however we can and sharing this beautiful spot we have on Sebago Lake,” Drumm said. “It’s for a good cause – Feed the Need – and it really aligns with the mission of the college.”

And as for the plunge itself? Not too bad, agreed the refreshed participants, wading back out to the shore after the initial shock of immersion. Flashing a bright smile, a young girl exclaimed “I want to do it again.”

The receiving food pantries are Casco Village Church Food Pantry, Casco Alliance Church Food Pantry, Gray Community Food Pantry, Crosswalk Community Outreach, Naples Community Resource Council, First Congregational Church in New Gloucester, Raymond Food Pantry, Sebago Warming Hut, Standish Food Pantry, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church Food Pantry, and Windham Food Pantry.

Donations to Feed the Need can be made directly on the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber’s website: https://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/feed-the-need/ <

Maine Mobile BIOLAB ignites JSMS student science interest

By Ed Pierce

Creativity may just be the secret sauce to unlocking interest in science, technology, engineering, and math, and if that’s the case, Jordan-Small Middle School students received a hefty dose of it last Friday when the Maine Mobile Biolab paid a visit to the Raymond school.

The Maine Mobile BIOLAB visited Jordan-Small Middle
School in Raymond last week and students were able to
participate in laboratory activities and a variety of
classes ranging from sample testing and data analysis
to basic chemistry and environmental science.
COURTESY PHOTO

The Maine Mobile BIOLAB is part of Educate Maine’s larger strategy to connect students and educators with career pathways within the life sciences sector and develop a larger and career ready workforce in Maine through educational investments. This high-tech mobile laboratory brings scientific tools and techniques right to the schools it visits, allowing students access to experiences far beyond what many schools can provide.

The curriculum features laboratory activities appropriate for a variety of classes ranging from sample testing and data analysis to basic chemistry and environmental science. All BIOLAB activities are focused on problem-based learning with real-world applications that align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Maine Learning Results and include common bioscience techniques such as DNA extraction and agarose gel electrophoresis, and relevant themes such as aquaculture, bioengineering, and forestry.

Each Maine Mobile BIOLAB activity goes beyond textbook learning and offers students a firsthand look at the world of bioscience and the multitude of career possibilities in the field.

Kellie Ouellette, a Science and Math teacher at Jordan-Small Middle School, said the BIOLAB visit was an exceptional method to spark interest in STEM-related fields among her students.

“The Maine Mobile BIOLAB brought in a series of high-tech laboratory experiences for students to participate in that we just do not have the materials or resources to carry out in a small school,” she said. “They brought all of the equipment and had well-designed lab experiences that gave the students hands-on experience with water testing for ph and turbidity, with connections to ecosystem health.”

Ouellette said another lab that JSMS students were able to participate in was called "Where Did the Sugar Go?" and was an exploration of how sugar travels through the human body, and how diabetes can interfere with that process.

At another station, students ran tests on simulated blood to determine which patient was the diabetic patient, and they were then tasked with designing a meal plan that would work based on the units of insulin the person had brought with them.

The Maine Mobile BIOLAB approach emphasizes the practices of science and engineering, building the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities that are vital for success in STEM fields. In addition to learning new skills in a hands-on environment, participants gain a holistic understanding of the bioscience industry and opportunities available to them.

The biolab curriculum was 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. The Maine Mobile BIOLAB launched last spring with an initial focus on grades 5 to 8 and the entire program is available at no cost to schools.

Across America and in Maine, employment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations has grown substantially in the past 35 years, rising from 9.7 million in 1990 to 17.3 million this year, according to research complied by the U.S. Labor Department.

Having a STEM-related degree can also boost potential earnings as students explore potential careers. Statistics show that the average STEM worker earns $54,745 annually while a non-STEM worker typically earns $40,505.

The Life Sciences field happens to be one of the fastest growing industries in Maine and in the past five years, high-paying bioscience jobs in Maine have risen by 42 percent. With more STEM graduates, it is expected that in the future Maine could become a busy biotech hub, so the mobile lab might foster more interest among students who had not previously considered these types of careers.

“The novelty of having lab sessions in a giant RV with four large lab stations was fun,” Ouellette said. “In class we are following up on the labs we completed by looking at the data collected and continuing our learning.”

She said that the Maine Mobile BIOLAB’s “Where Did the Sugar Go? connects well with material her students were studying such as human body systems and structures and the functions of cells, tissues, and organs. We also can connect it to photosynthesis and respiration, and other chemical processes that occur in the cells of organisms.”

The BIOLAB is an initiative of Educate Maine which believes that all Maine people must have access to a high-quality education that provides them with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for career and economic success. It is committed to addressing inequities across the state and believes that the mobile lab will increase access and decrease barriers and create unique experiences for middle school students in Maine. Educate Maine champions career readiness by increasing the educational attainment of Maine residents, enabling all students to succeed in postsecondary education and in the workplace. As a business-led education advocacy organization, Educate Maine also administers four signature programs with key partners: Maine Teacher of the Year Program, Project>Login, Education Leaders Experience, and Maine Career Catalyst. <