UMaine Calendar

IMRC Center Tour
2025-03-25 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-04-22 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-05-27 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-06-24 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-07-22 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-08-26 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-09-23 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-10-28 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) and 8 more dates | Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center (IMRC), Stewart Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Join IMRC Center staff for a general tour of the facility’s event space, classrooms, common areas, audiovisual studios, and maker labs. The tour is anticipated to last approximately 45 minutes. Offered on the 4th Tuesday of each month.
Guests of any background, including UMaine students, faculty, and staff, community group representatives, business representatives, and members of the public may join a tour. Groups larger than 20, or individuals and small groups for whom the scheduled times are not convenient, please contact the IMRC Center to schedule an individualized visit. Register for a tour.

Foundations in Restorative Practices Program
2025-04-03 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-01 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-02 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-06-27 09:00 - 16:00 | Online
If your employer is a compact member of the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce, you may be eligible to take this program at a reduced cost. Click here to learn more.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Today’s best thinking in leadership, education, and change management emphasize the need to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and part of a community that cares. Whether you are a teacher, parent, principal, health care provider or authority figure, you can benefit from restorative practices. Over the course of this program, you’ll be part of a supportive learning group on a fulfilling journey of growth and change.
Through discussions, exercises and other practical activities you’ll deepen your knowledge of the philosophy behind restorative practices. You’ll also gain techniques to build strong, connected cultures. When conflict occurs you’ll have non-adversarial problem-solving tools to reach solutions that build safer, healthier, more equitable environments.
Practice new ways of relating to people and holding power. Instead of experiencing resistance and avoidance or having to rely on lecturing, scolding and threatening interventions, the systematic use of restorative practices will leave you and the people you interact with feeling connected to positive, resilient and accountable communities.
Learn firsthand from people and organizations already using restorative practices in their everyday life and work. Hear from teachers and other professionals who are using restorative practices to transform their organizations and outcomes.
A social science that studies how to improve and repair relationships between people and communities, restorative practices can help build healthy communities, increase social capital, decrease crime and antisocial behavior, repair harm and restore relationships.
Restorative practices have deep roots in indigenous peacemaking and knowledge. Global indigenous communities have a long-standing history of living in alignment with what we now refer to as restorative justice and restorative practices. The indigenous roots of these systems are not monolithic—indigenous communities practice circles and justice in different ways. Part of honoring this work means we must stay humble, knowing that these practices came before us and will outlast us.
DATES & TIMES
March 6 & 7, April 3, May 1 & 2, and June 27, 2025
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET
Register Online
MODALITY
Taught synchronously via Zoom. Participants will need access to stable internet.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
Participants will:

Acquire a strong theoretical foundation in restorative practices that have been proven to enhance both personal and professional spheres
Develop the skills necessary to facilitate proactively
Become acquainted with restorative responses to harm (though a deep dive into these responsive practices is outside the scope of this training)
Have access to planning tools and resources tailored to your specific needs
Gain techniques to build strong, connected cultures
Learn problem-solving tools to reach solutions that build safer, healthier and more equitable environments
Practice new ways of relating to people, and organizations
Improve decision-making and leadership skills.
Gain access to future support and development opportunities to become an in-house resource for restorative practices

Participants will also benefit from building connections with other professionals who are committed to living the values and principles of restorative practices.
TOPICS COVERED
In the first two-day session you’ll learn about the basics of restorative practice: the philosophy, mindset, tools and practices that make up a restorative toolbox including the use of restorative dialogue and community circles.
Subsequent sessions will provide opportunities to dive deeper into topic areas that interest you most and get feedback and support from instructors and peers.

Day 1: Restorative Philosophy and Mindset
Day 2: Community-Building Principles
Day 3: Community-Building Practices
Day 4: Conflict and Harm Repair Principles
Day 5: Conflict and Harm Repair Practices
Day 6: Implementation Planning

WHO SHOULD ENROLL
Participants from a variety of fields will benefit from this dynamic program, including

Teachers, educators, administrators of primary, secondary and post-secondary schools
Social workers and family services workers
Corrections, criminal justice and policing
Nonprofit organizations
Healthcare workers
Community development workers

This program uses a team-based model. To benefit the most from the efforts of your restorative practice, participating groups should form teams including at least three to five people from your business/community group/organization/school. At least one team member should be an administrator and your team should be representative of your school or organization’s diverse community. Those not associated with an institution will be partnered with other individuals for team-based work.
Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu or 207.581.3113 and we can help you figure it out.
FACILITATOR
Restorative Justice Project
Hanlon Kelley-Dillard has been practicing in the field of Restorative Justice since 2013. She has worked in Harm Repair case management for both youth and adults, led RJP’s Community Justice work in Waldo County, and has trained numerous cohorts of volunteers, school staff, and community members. She loves creating training spaces that allow us to show up as our full selves and to explore together what it looks like to bring mutual respect and care into all our relationships. A firm believer in the power of the restorative approach, Hanlon finds that this approach can bring new beauty and depth to every aspect of life.
Sarah Dyer, Ph.D., is a restorative justice practitioner. She has implemented restorative practices in the higher education setting. Sarah introduced restorative practices as a framework for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Husson University. Her dissertation examined how restorative approaches can support the needs of those harmed, the administration, and the community when instances of harm arise. Sarah holds a certificate in Restorative Justice from the University of San Diego. She earned her Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Maine. Sarah is passionate about restorative practices and restorative justice in her personal life, work, and research.
PROGRAM FEE
$1,250
Click here to apply for a need-based scholarship.
CLASS CAPACITY
25 participants per session.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
42 hours / 4.2 CEUs are available.
If you’d like to receive CEUs for participating in this course, please note this in your registration via our online store.
COACHING SUPPORT
For guaranteed transference of skills, ask about Restorative Justice Practices’ proven 1:1 coaching methods to support your training after the program itself has finished. For more information, contact Hanlon Kelley-Dillard- hanlon@rjpmaine.org.
ACCOMMODATIONS
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3113.

7th Annual Libby Lecture in Natural Resource Policy
2025-04-17 15:00 - 17:00 | Bangor Room, Memorial Union, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Attempting to Center indigenous People in Marine Sciences
Abstract: Dr. Marco Hatch, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at Western Washington University and Principal Investigator for the Coastal Communities and Ecology Lab will present his recent research and share some of the work being done to braid Indigenous knowledge and mainstream science. He will draw on examples from his research on clam gardens, shellfish biotoxins, and climate adaptation to discuss the importance of systems level change for removing institutional barriers to community-based partnerships.
Reception will follow the talk at 4:00pm in the Totman Room, Memorial Union.
Dr. Hatch is marine ecologist with a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a member of the Samish Indian Nation. His research weaves traditional ecological knowledge and marine science through the exploration of food systems. He is a Pew Marine Conservation Fellow and co-PI for the Native Food, Energy, Water Systems INCLUDES Alliance, which was funded by the NSF. Dr. Hatch is on the Board of Trustees for the Washington Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and an Advisory Committee member for the UN Decade Northeast Pacific Collaborative Center.

Grant Writing Certificate Program
2025-05-02 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-09 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-16 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-23 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-30 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
You have a lot on your plate. Between annual appeals, communications, virtual event planning and fundraising, you’re overwhelmed. And now you’ve been tasked with writing a grant and you don’t know where to start. Our online grant writing program can help!
This interactive online professional development program will teach you the basics of seeing a grant through a full cycle—from inception to completion. You’ll learn how to get your organization ready to apply for grants, where to find funders and funding opportunities, how to write the components of a grant and how to submit a successful application that has all the information funders want to see.
Using case studies, this program will focus on real-world grant applications. Comprehensive checklists and worksheets will guide you through every step of planning, researching, applying to and managing a grant—without missing a thing! You’ll also develop language specific to your organization that answers common grant questions.
The only thing you won’t learn in this program is how to celebrate securing a grant proposal. We figure you’ve got that one covered.

Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills
2025-05-13 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-05-20 09:30 - 16:30, 2025-05-27 09:30 - 16:30 | Online
Note: If your employer is a compact member of the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce, you may be eligible to take this program at a reduced cost. Click here to learn more.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
In your professional or volunteer work, have you ever needed to:

help a new group get started?
guide a group to solve a problem?
help a group deal with a conflict?

Skills for working with groups don’t usually come naturally and are not routinely taught. If you have ever worked with a group and wished you had more practice or skill, Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills is for you.
Are you involved with municipal boards, non-profit committees, staff teams or community members that need to produce results? Are these groups as successful at getting the job done as you’d like? This training can help you get great results.
Fun, creative, and thought-provoking, the Strengthening Your Facilitation Skills, Level 1 curriculum is a dynamic and comprehensive multi-session facilitation training series full of activities, practice opportunities, and potential aha! moments.
PROGRAM DATES & TIMES
May 13, 20, and 27, 2025 – Registration opens February 1st
9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET
For those looking to build their virtual facilitation skills, Kristen Grant also offers Building Your Virtual Facilitation Skills. Learn more here.

MODALITY
This program will be offered in-person at the University of Maine at Augusta campus.
Facilitation is a skill that can only be mastered through practice. With this fact in mind, opportunities for training participants to practice facilitation are central to the training design. Each participant will sign up and prepare to facilitate an activity with a small group during one session.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
Participants in this training will:

build competence in essential facilitation skills and knowledge
actively engage and collaborate with other participants
apply a variety of processes for guiding groups to useful outcomes
practice facilitating and receiving feedback in a supportive environment.

TOPICS COVERED
Session One: Facilitation Basics

An Introduction to Facilitation Core Values of Facilitation
Working Agreements
Contracting
Decision-making Options
Stages of Group Development
Facilitation Guiding Principles and Practices
Behaviors that Hinder and Help Groups
Developing a Meeting Design

Session Two: Facilitation in Action

Achieving Desired Outcomes
Generating Ideas, Narrowing Ideas and Action Planning
Identifying Core Facilitation Practices
Recognizing and Redirecting Difficult Group Situations
Assessing Your Facilitation Strengths and Weaknesses

Session Three: Facilitation Challenges & Opportunities

Using the Left-Hand Column
Designing Interventions and Making Interventions
Using the Diagnosis-Intervention Cycle
Clarifying Circle Consulting Method
Opening and Closing Ideas and Other Resources
Evaluation, and Celebration

WHO SHOULD ENROLL
This course is designed to benefit:

Analysts
Community-based groups
Consultants
Educators/Teachers
Executives
Managers
Municipal Officials
Nonprofit organizations
Trainers
Sales Professionals
Others whose professional and/or community work involves working with groups to achieve results.

The creation of a cohesive group is a focus of the series. It is expected that if you join the training, you will make a commitment to attend all three sessions and participate as fully as possible. If it’s not possible for you to make that commitment at this time, please consider waiting to take the training.
Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu or 207.581.3113 and we can help you figure it out.
INSTRUCTOR
Kristen Grant, Senior Extension Program Manager, Coastal Community Resilience and DEI Leader (she/her)
Kristen’s work focuses on the interactions between the people, and ecosystems of the coast. Her work includes a range of activities to build the capacity of coastal communities to plan and adapt for their future, such as building community engagement and facilitation skills, considering housing options, addressing coastal access and waterfront development issues, and understanding erosion trends and planning for coastal hazards. To this work, Kristen brings a Master of Science degree focused on Environmental Education, and has an extensive background in outreach education and community development, as well as nearly a decade of experience in training facilitators.

PROGRAM FEE
$400
Click here to apply for a need-based scholarship.

CLASS CAPACITY
22 participants

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
20 hours / 2 CEUs are available.
Certificate for completing the entirety of this program.
If you’d like to receive CEUs for participating in this course, please note this in your registration via our online store.
A micro-credential will also be available.

ACCOMMODATIONS
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3113.
