UMaine Calendar

ELO: Ticket to the Moon
2025-05-11 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-05-04 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Join us in the dome with a myriad of lights and visual effects as we journey into and through space with the Electric Light Orchestra! Featuring songs such as Mr. Blue Sky, Livin’ Thing, Starlight, and more! You will be transported to a higher dimension with this rock supergroup.
Tickets are $9 for general admission.
Music programs may contain explicit lyrics, and are intended for adult audiences. All music programs may contain bright flashing lights and fast-moving images, which have been known to trigger seizures with those with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Earth, Moon, and Sun
2025-05-11 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-05-04 14:00 - 15:00 | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Earth, Moon, & Sun is a fast-paced full dome demonstration of lunar phases, eclipses, day and night, the sun and other puzzling events with the help of a confused coyote. This program beautifully illustrates basic concepts like moon phases and seasons. Based on the trickster of Native American lore, Coyote is constantly corrected in his misunderstandings of how things work. A live tour of the Maine sky and its beautiful constellations completes this micro-unit of astronomy.
Watch the trailer here!

Tickets for planetarium programs are $7 for Adults, $6 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $5 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 207.581.1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Baseball vs Binghamton University
2025-05-11 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-10 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-05-09 15:00 - 17:00 | Mahaney Diamond, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
For full schedule click here.

Celebration Brunch
2025-05-11 10:00 - 15:00 | Wells Conferemce Center, ME, United States
Even though graduation isn’t on campus, you can still celebrate at Wells Conference Center on Sunday, May 11. Join us for a full-service brunch buffet—the perfect way to honor all the special moments happening during the weekend. We are offering a 10 a.m. seating for those attending the afternoon ceremony and a 12:30 p.m. seating for those attending the morning ceremony.
Reserve tickets here: umtraining.lv-o-wpc-dev.its.maine.edu/commencement/celebration-brunch
Adult tickets: $35 | Children under 12: $16

Commencement — Undergraduate
2025-05-11
Click here to view the full 2024–25 Academic Year Calendar.

2025 UMaine Graduate School Commencement
2025-05-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Cross Insurance Center, 515 Main St., Bangor, ME, 04401, United States
The 2025 UMaine Graduate School Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to about 9:00 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center.
Please check the Graduate School Commencement page for the most up-to-date information for students, faculty, and attendees.

The Met: Live in HD – Le Nozze di Figaro
2025-05-10 13:00 - 15:00 | Collins Center for the Arts, 2 Flagstaff Road, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Conductor Joana Mallwitz makes her Met debut leading an extraordinary cast in Mozart’s comic masterpiece. Bass-baritone Michael Sumuel stars as the clever valet Figaro, opposite soprano Olga Kulchynska as his betrothed, the wily maid Susanna.
What is The Met: Live in HD Series?
The Metropolitan Opera’s Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning series, The Met: Live in HD, lets fans immerse themselves in opera up to 10 times a year. Up to 12 cameras capture the onstage drama, as well as the fascinating backstage action, and transmit it from New York City to the Collins Center for the Arts and other venues across the globe.
Learn before you go!
Please join us for free informational sessions, held prior to each opera. You’re invited to attend to learn about the upcoming opera and meet up with other opera fans. Whether you have been to a zillion operas or have never been – these sessions are for you!
Tuesday, May 6, at 4:15 pm at Dirigo Pines
Thursday, May 8 at 5 pm at Orono Public Library

The Dark Matter Mystery: Exploring a Cosmic Secret
2025-05-09 19:00 - 20:00, 2025-05-02 19:00 - 20:00 | Versant Power Astronomy Center, 167 Rangeley Rd., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
What keeps Galaxies together? What are the building blocks of the Universe? What makes the Universe look the way it looks today? Researchers all around the world try to answer these questions. We know today that approximately a quarter of the Universe is filled with a mysterious glue: Dark Matter. We know that it is out there. But we have no idea what it is made out of.
This planetarium show takes you on the biggest quest of contemporary astrophysics. You will see why we know that Dark Matter exists, and how this search is one of the most challenging and exciting searches science has to offer. Join the scientists on their hunt for Dark Matter with experiments in space and deep underground. Will they be able to solve the Dark Matter Mystery?
Watch the trailer here!

Tickets for planetarium programs are $7 for Adults, $6 for UMaine Students/Veterans/Senior Citizens, and $5 for children under 12. Click here to view our calendar.
Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at (207) 581-1341, or at our ticket box office prior to the show.

Grant Writing Certificate Program
2025-05-09 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-05-02 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.

Practical Public Speaking: From Fear to Success
2025-05-09 | Online
Do your knees turn to jelly when it’s your turn to speak? Does your mind transform everything you thought you knew into a jumbled mess? Do you intentionally avoid uncomfortable communication situations? Public speaking may not come naturally to many of us, but with the right support and training, it can be developed. Improving your public speaking skills not only benefits your business but also benefits you personally.
Using highlights of Tom Dowd’s Gold Medal award-winning book “From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-Speaking Guide”, you will:
Learn how to relieve the stress of speaking to a crowd
Become skilled in speaking with notes, without notes and using slides
Learn how to think quickly, speak logically and engage your audience
Learn how to summarize by using analogies and short stories
Understand the importance of preparation, personal stories and mental and physical insight on reducing anxiety and increasing confidence
Most importantly, you will learn how to become influential in achieving your goals and your audience’s goals.
*All participants will be given a free copy of Tom Dowd’s “From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-Speaking Guide.”

Final exams end
2025-05-09

SAT Prep Matters
2025-05-08 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Program Description
Online SAT Prep Matters and SAT Boot Camp are new courses designed by Dr Mary Smyth, a long-time SAT coach in the Midcoast. College-bound high school juniors who plan to take the SAT test will benefit from learning about the new format and updated content of the new SAT.
“I am actually a fan of the new SAT,” says Dr. Smyth. She explained the test is shorter (2 hours 15 minutes total) and questions are individualized to each student. The digital approach allows the test to “react” to the student’s prior answers and change the difficulty level. The reading passages are shorter and there is a combined section with both reading and grammar questions included. The test also has a visible built-in timer and a calculator and graphing program available for all the math questions.
The new test will require a whole new approach to studying and practicing. While there are free resources available on Khan Academy, most students will need guidance in understanding how to approach the test. For instance, students can attempt a math problem by using any of several techniques: graph the problem, write out the algebra steps, or try the answers to see which one fits. Knowing how to navigate between those options will give students more strategies and can increase their scores.
“With this new SAT format, I am amazed how much teaching I can do to help students solidify knowledge they have been exposed to in high school, “ says Smyth. “Students have to be able to use what they have learned to solve problems. That is the name of the game in the SAT.”
Dr. Mary Smyth’s SAT Boot Camp has been used successfully to prepare students to take the SAT for many years. Students attend class every day during a school vacation week and practice taking short sections of the test. Students are relaxed and well-rested, so they are able to absorb the lessons and practice at their best.
Dates and Times
February Boot Camp – PROGRAM FULL, REGISTRATION CLOSED
Feb. 18, 19, 20, and 21, 2025
5-6:30 p.m. ET
SAT Prep Matters
Thursdays May 8, 15, 22, and 29 and June 5, 2025 – Registration opens Feb. 1
6–7:30 p.m. ET
Modality
This dynamic program will be offered synchronously via Zoom—you’ll need access to a stable internet connection. There will be assignments between classes.
Program Benefits
Using lessons that she writes herself, Smyth has helped many students through their own hard work improve their SAT scores by 100-200 points.
Who Should Enroll
College-bound high school juniors who plan to take the SAT test.
Instructor
Dr. Mary Smyth

Education:
A.B. Biochemistry, Smith College M.D. University of Pennsylvania
Work History:
Watershed School Math Instructor
Middle School Math Team Coach
Gifted and Talented Math Instructor, SAD 5
Tutor, SAD 28 and CSD High School
Private tutoring, SAT and PSAT, ACT, IB Math, AP Calculus, GRE and GMAT prep, and individual support for school classwork grades 2-12
Health and parenting newsletter editor, writer
Private practice – pediatrician

Program Fee
Bootcamp: $300
Prep Matters May session: $350
Click here to apply for a need-based scholarship.
Class Capacity
8 participants
Accommodations
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3113.

Insects: Maine’s Oddballs, Tricksters & Lookalikes Webinar
2025-05-08 17:00 - 18:30 | https://calendar.umtraining.lv-o-wpc-dev.its.maine.edu/event/insects-maines-oddballs-tricksters-lookalikes-webinar/
Get answers to questions such as: can you tell the difference between a sawfly larva and a caterpillar? If you saw an eastern cicada killer would you fear you had seen a “Murder” hornet instead and think that they had arrived in Maine? Can you tell a weevil from a tick? Or a booklouse from a bed bug nymph? Fool you once … shame on them! Fool you twice, shame on you for not attending this workshop!
Charles (Charlie) Armstrong hails from western NY State with a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in entomology, the latter of which came from UMaine-Orono in 1996. He has been UMaine Extension’s cranberry guru since 1997, helping Maine’s cranberry industry with all-things pest-related, and beyond! For the past three years, Charlie has also been serving as our Extension Insect Diagnostician out of the Diagnostic & Research Laboratory in Orono, identifying not only insects, but other critters such as mites, spiders, and jumping worms. He loves gardening but has never been home enough during the day to do it justice or to even attempt it as much as he would like, so he is very much looking forward to retirement when he can finally give that a go!
Registration is required. The program fee is offered on a sliding scale, $0-$10 and is free to enrolled Master Gardener Volunteers. This session will be recorded and shared with those who register for this webinar.

Soil Testing Workshop at Waldoboro Public Library
2025-05-07 17:00 - 18:30 | Waldoboro Public Library, 958 Main Street, Waldoboro, ME, United States
Brett Johnson, sustainable agriculture educator at University of Maine Cooperative Extension, will present at the Waldoboro Public Library, 958 Main Street, about the benefits of soil testing before planting begins. The program will take place on Wednesday, May 7 from 5–6:30 p.m.
Soil testing is a cost-effective practice to optimize fertilizer use and steward the environment. Soil fertility changes over the course of the growing season and requires active management. Annual soil testing helps to produce your food or forage crop in an efficient, economical and environmentally sustainable manner. Participants can have their questions answered and receive a soil test kit. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Pamela Doherty at pamela.doherty@maine.edu, 207-832-0343.
As a sustainable agriculture educator with UMaine Extension, Brett Johnson serves commercial producers in Waldo, Knox and Lincoln counties through educational programming and direct technical assistance. Johnson also serves as the statewide farm business management educator with Extension and coordinates Extension’s statewide business planning course, Business Planning for Producers. His research and educational programming are broadly concerned with the economic and environmental sustainability of farm businesses in Maine. He can be reached at brett.w.johnson@maine.edu or by phone at 207.342.5971

Final exams begin
2025-05-05

Softball vs Bryant
2025-05-03 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-05-02 14:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-02 12:00 - 14:00 | Pierre & Catherine Labat Softball Complex, Orono, ME

Vassalboro Season Cooking Class: Focus on Vegetables
2025-05-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Vassalboro United Methodist Church, 614 Main Street, Vassalboro, ME, United States
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer Season Cooking Class, a six-session series focused on nutrition and food safety for adults ages 55 and older. The free classes will be held Fridays from 1–3 p.m., May 2 through June 6, at the Vassalboro United Methodist Church, 614 Main Street.
Each session features hands-on meal preparation with a focus on a key food group and its nutritional value. Participants will help prepare a nutritious dish, which will then be packaged to take home. Topics include vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, protein and summer salads and feature recipes like carrot ginger soup, kamut and chicken casserole, and stuffed shells. Attendees may register for individual sessions or the full series.
The class is free, but space is limited. Registration is available on the program webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Lisa Fishman at 207.834.3905.

Fermentation Friday: Starting your summer ferments
2025-05-02 12:00 - 14:00 | UMaine Food Lab, Hitchner Hall Room 160
Fermentation Friday takes place at the University of Maine in Orono. During Fermentation Friday, held at the UMaine Food Lab in Hitchner Hall, participants cook, create, share, and connect. Using recipes as starting points, we explore fermentation, ​storytelling, food rescue, and local food systems. This session will focus on fermenting cheese – we will work together to make cheese, try different fermented cheeses, and everyone will go home with something to keep.
For more information and to RSVP, click the website link below.

2025 Student Exhibition
2025-05-02 09:00 - 16:00 | Lord Hall Gallery, Lord Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, United States
Lord Hall Gallery is proud to host the Department of Art’s 2025 Student Exhibition. This show highlights diverse artwork made by students at UMaine who have taken undergraduate courses in the Department of Art. The exhibition runs from April 7rd through May 2nd and a public reception will be held on Friday April 11th from 5:00-7:00pm. During the reception, selected students will be honored with awards. This event is free and open to the public; all are warmly welcomed to attend and refreshments will be served.
Lord Hall Gallery is free, accessible, and open to the public Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm.

Foundations in Restorative Practices Program
2025-05-02 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.

Helping People Change: The Power of Group Work
2025-05-02 09:00 - 15:30 | Online
Groups help to create community to combat loneliness and isolation, and increase connection and productivity at work, within health care, and with personal relationships.
This online program will provide an integrated approach and an indispensable tool box for bringing thoughtful, nurturing, empowering practice, and strategy to relationships of all kinds through the facilitation of group work.
The assets of group work, beyond cost effectiveness and reduced isolation for patients and group leaders alike, can be utilized in many situations: teaching, team meetings, retreats, psychoeducational issues in healthcare, workshops, community gatherings, business settings, sports teams, counseling, religious organizations, and psychotherapy.
The combination of cognitive and experiential learning in this program will leave you with solid understanding, skill, and commitment to initiate group work practice in your professional, personal, and interpersonal settings.
You will become aware of your own responses to your clients, patients, students, colleagues, friends and family, and improve your ability to regulate your affect with thought and sound judgment.
You will also see the role humor plays in facilitating group work and its connecting force of cohesiveness.

Helping People Change: The Power of Group Work
2025-05-02 09:00 - 15:30
