Summer University
2025-08-18, 2025-08-19, 2025-08-20, 2025-08-21, 2025-08-22
Click here to view the full 2024–25 Academic Year Calendar.

SAT Prep Matters
2025-08-18 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | 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.
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.
Program Details
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
Dates and Times
SAT Prep Matters — Session Full
Mondays and Wednesdays: July 28 & August 4, 6, 11, 18, 2025
5:30–7:00 p.m. ET
SAT Prep Matters — Preparing for the September 13 & October 4th test dates
Mondays and Wednesdays: August 25, 27 & September 3, 8, 10, 2025
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 Fee
$350
Class Capacity
8 participants
Accommodations
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3167.

Grant Writing Essentials
2025-08-19 09:00 - 12:00 | 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. Visit our Harold Alfond Center Workforce Development Funding page for more information.
Program Description
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.
Program Benefits
This online grant writing certificate program is intensive, active and results-driven. You will learn how to:

Identify funding sources
Write and present persuasive grants that inspire funders
Produce high-quality grant proposals
Increase your knowledge of the development field
Manage a grant
Nurture a relationship with funders

By the end of the program, you will have developed text specific to your organization that can be used in any grant application, a list of resources and concrete next steps to move forward in the grant process, and 1:1 guidance from the instructor on the grant topics most relevant to you.
In addition, you’ll get an invitation to a private Facebook group, where fellow alums of the grant writing program can support each other, share opportunities and resources, network, etc.
Graduates of the program have the opportunity to register for Grant Writing 1:1 Help Sessions with instructor, Elizabeth Haffey. Click here for more information.
Topics Covered
Week One: The Basics

Grant myths, misconceptions and pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
Components of a grant
Understanding the different kinds of grants and funders
RFPs
Your responsibilities as a grant writer

Week Two: Planning and Research

Looking critically at your capacity
The “grant-ready” checklist
Determining your funding priorities
Developing your ideas
Using online resources to find opportunities
Profiles of grantmakers
Vetting funding opportunities as a team
Developing relationships with funders

Week Three: Applying for Grants

Developing your proposal
Gathering data and documentation
Components of the narrative
How to organize information
Writing style
Creating a budget
Attachments

Week Four: Managing Grants and Developing Your Skills

Application follow up
Managing a grant
Completing reports
Nurturing relationships
Difficult situations in grant writing

Week Five: Practicing Your Grant Writing Skills

1:1 feedback with program instructor
Sharing your common application questions for feedback

Who Should Enroll
This program is designed to benefit people across the grant-writing spectrum, including those new to the genre, those in the midst of writing grants and successful grant writers who are looking to refine their skills and gain new insights, particularly:

Administrators
Art organizations
Aspiring freelance grant writers
Board members
Educators
Executive Directors
Nonprofit workers
Researchers

This program is 100% online and can be taken from anywhere! The course is offered synchronously, on Eastern Time.
All of our professional development and continuing education programs are open to the public. You do not need to be a UMaine student, staff member or faculty in order to participate.
Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu and we can help you figure it out.
Program Details
Instructor
Elizabeth Haffey is a Maine-based professional grant writer. Through her business, E. Haffey Grant Consulting, she helps clients develop and write proposals, researches opportunities, and trains staff and volunteers to apply for grants. Haffey received her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University and is currently working on her Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine.
Dates and Times
July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19, 26, 2025
(Tuesdays) 9:00 am – noon ET
Pre-class work will be sent a week before the start of the program.
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 (as well as time during sessions to work on your proposals). Breakout sessions with other participants as well as one on one time with the instructor are built into the program.
Program Fee
$895
Class Capacity
14 participants
Evidence of Learning
Certificates
Certificates of Completion available.
Continuing Education Units
30 contact hours / 3 CEUs available.
If you’d like to receive CEUs for participating in this course, please note this during your registration.
Microcredential Pathway
Successful completion of this course satisfies the learning requirements for the University of Maine System Grant Writing Microcredential Pathway, Levels 1 & 2.
Accommodations
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3167.

Mediation and the Process of Conflict Transformation
2025-08-20 08:30 - 16:30, 2025-08-21 08:30 - 16:30, 2025-08-22 08:30 - 16:30 | University of Maine, 160 College Ave., Orono, ME, 04469, United States
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. Visit our Harold Alfond Center Workforce Development Funding page for more information.
Program Description
This 40-hour mediation program explores the basic premises, practices and policies of Mediation and Conflict Transformation. Understanding the underlying assumptions regarding conflict, reflecting on the nature of conflict, acquiring communication skills and strategies and fulfilling the requirements to serve on the Maine Court Alternative Dispute Resolution roster all make up essential topics of the course.
Participants will also explore the applications and extensions of the Transformative Mediation model as it applies to the workplace, town planning, schools and family conflict.
In light of the polarization in the world today, this mediation program provides a much-needed approach to dialogue that emphasizes how living with our differences is just as important as reaching an agreement.
Program Benefits
Further your career through this 40-hour mediation course which meets the Maine State Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediation Roster requirements.

Gain a clear understanding of the theoretical foundations of mediation and conflict transformation.
Acquire and practice communication skills supportive of mediation and conflict transformation.
Explore applications of these models for working through conflict as applied to a wide range of social and professional contexts, including multi-party stakeholder meetings for town planning, climate change mitigation efforts, and restorative justice programs for youth.

The program will culminate in a final project and presentation prepared by each participant.
Topics Covered

The Nature of Conflict
Spectrum of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Responses
Mediation Models
Communication Skills
Dispute Resolution Systems Design
Ethical Dilemmas

Who Should Enroll

Town planners
Board members
Educators
School Administrators
Attorneys
Social workers
Concerned citizens

Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu or 207.581.3167 and we can help you figure it out.
Program Details
Instructor
Will Galloway, M.A.T (he/him/his) offers over three decades of experience working in the field of conflict transformation. He has served as a court-appointed mediator, was co-owner and founder of the mediation firm Charbonneau & Galloway, mediated cases with the United States Postal Service and has offered courses in basic and advanced mediation. He has also previously served as the Head of School and co-founder of the Watershed School in Camden, Maine, where the principles and practices of conflict transformation have been integrated into the design of the academic program. Currently, Galloway is the Director of Education and Programs at Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership. Galloway lives with his wife and three children in Hope, Maine. He enjoys biking, Tai Chi Ch’uan, and spending time with his family wherever their interests take them.
Dates & Times
Aug. 20, 21, 22, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (in person)
Modality
This program is offered on a hybrid basis, composed of both in-person and online meetings as part of the same program.
The in-person meetings will be held on the University of Maine campus in Orono. The online meetings will be held via Zoom, and will require a stable internet connection. There will be required assignments outside of the meetings, including preparation for a final project and presentation. All components together make up the 40 contact hours for the session.
Program Fee
$1,250 Snack and lunch are included in registration for each day.
Participants are responsible for their own dinner and lodging.
Class Capacity
20 participants
Continuing Education Credits
40 hours / 4 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.
Accommodations
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3167.

Maine Pasture Walk Series in Knox County
2025-08-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Aldermere Farm Welcome Center, 20 Russell Avenue, Rockport, ME, 04841
University of Maine Cooperative Extension invites local farmers, service providers and agricultural stakeholders to the 2025 Maine Pasture Walk Series, an opportunity to explore and learn at five working farms throughout the state. The free series will be held at locations across Maine, each beginning at 11 a.m.
The series includes events on Saturday, June 21 at Heritage Oak Farm, 1400 Main St., Palmyra; Tuesday, July 8 at Faithful Venture Farm, 17 Borough Rd., Searsmont; Saturday, August 2 at Tibbets Farm, 192 Salmon Falls Rd., Hollis; Wednesday, August 20 at Aldermere Farm, 20 Russell Ave., Rockport; and Saturday, August 30 at O’Meara Family Farm, 272 East Rd., New Sweden.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about livestock production systems, pasture management, forage species identification, climate-smart practices, regenerative grazing and more from fellow farmers and assistant Extension professor Jaime Garzon. The Maine Pasture Walk Series is open and free for all participants.
Visit the event webpage for more information and to register. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Babcock, 207.581.2788; melissa.libby1@maine.edu.

Helping to Calm Strong Emotions with Resonant Language
2025-08-20 16:00 - 17:30 | 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. Visit our Harold Alfond Center Workforce Development Funding page for more information.
Program Description
Do people seem more edgy and argumentative these days? Would you like your own inner voice to be nurturing and supportive during challenging moments? Are you eager to support the emotional well-being of the people around you during these high-stress times? Could you use some easy-to-learn tools to help calm things down without using punishment or fear? Tools you could readily employ to mitigate conflict between students, dispel tension during customer service interactions, reduce workplace friction and intentionally minimize stress with your family and friends?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, this interactive online Resonant Language workshop will offer you many tools to move toward your goals.
Participants will learn practical strategies for helping calm strong emotions in ourselves and others. Together, we’ll delve into verbal and somatic strategies to move away from brittle reactivity and into resilient responsiveness. You will leave this course with an understanding of how neuroscience and resonant language can help strengthen harmony and authentic connection.
Program Benefits

Improve your ability to self-regulate
Strengthen your self-empathy
Learn how to teach empathy to others–even children and teens
Increase your tolerance of strong emotions so that you can move beyond being triggered yourself
Experiment with verbal and somatic strategies to de-escalate strong emotions during conflict
Gain confidence in your ability to manage strong emotions in diverse situations

Topics Covered
We will explore:

practical things to do and say to help people calm down
how whatever is happening makes sense and can be worked with
sources of trauma and what happens in our brains and bodies when trauma is activated
the practical power of Resonant Language

These tools are easily learned and can have immediate results.
Who Should Enroll
This program is designed to benefit:

People who work with youth (childcare providers, ed techs, educators, school counselors, school administrators, social workers, teachers)
Frontline workers
People who work in service industries
Municipal workers
Parents/guardians

Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu and we can help you figure it out.
Program Details
Instructor
Peggy Smith (she/her) holds a master’s degree in literacy and language arts from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a certified trainer with the International Center for Nonviolent Communication with over four decades of teaching experience. A co-founder of the Maine Nonviolent Communication Network, Smith is at the forefront of bringing empathic thinking and communicating to midcoast Maine. Since 1991, Smith has studied with Zen teacher and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh and is a dharma teacher within his tradition. Smith enjoys designing and implementing programs that support empathic thinking and communicating as part of systemic culture change. She lives in Lincolnville, Maine and greets the day watching the sunrise over Islesboro.
Program Dates and Times
August 6, 13, 20, & 27, 2025
4:00–5:30 pm ET
Modality
This dynamic, participatory program will be offered synchronously via Zoom—you’ll need access to a stable internet connection. This is NOT a pre-recorded program.
Participants will benefit from having a copy of Your Resonant Self Workbook, by Sarah Peyton (Norton Press). Please consider sourcing from a local bookstore.
Program Fee
$200
Maine Community Foundation Scholarship Resources
Class Capacity
25 participants
Continuing Education Credits

6 hours / 0.6 CEUs
Certificate of Completion Available Upon Request.

Accommodations
For more information or to request an accommodation contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu.

Virtual Summer Equine Speaker Series: Care of the Senior Horse
2025-08-21 18:00 - 19:00 | https://calendar.umtraining.lv-o-wpc-dev.its.maine.edu/event/virtual-summer-equine-speaker-series-care-of-the-senior-horse/
University of Maine Cooperative Extension announces a virtual Equine Speaker Series for 2025. The theme of the summer webinar series is “From Foaling to Farewell: Essential Knowledge Covering the Equine Lifecycle” with presentations by topic experts from Maine and across the country. All webinars start at 6 p.m. EST.
The first in the series will be held on June 26 with Devan Catalano, Ph.D, Extension equine specialist at Colorado State University speaking about setting up foals and young horses for success. On July 30, Dr. Fran Roew, DVM, Equine Nutritionist at Mad Barn, will discuss basic equine nutrition at every life stage. On August 15, Mary Walby, the founder of God’s Window Senior Horse Rehab and Hospice, will talk about grief management for equine and livestock care givers, and on August 21, she will present her experience with senior horse care. Last in the series on September 3, is a talk about managing equine mortalities on-farm, presented by Nicholas Rowley, sustainable agriculture professional at UMaine Extension. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of each presentation.
There is a suggested donation of $5 per event. Registration can be found on the program web page. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Sue Beaz and 207.667.8212 or sue.baez@maine.edu.

Grant Writing Essentials
2025-08-22 08:00 - 17:00 | 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. Visit our Harold Alfond Center Workforce Development Funding page for more information.
Program Description
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.
Program Benefits
This online grant writing certificate program is intensive, active and results-driven. You will learn how to:

Identify funding sources
Write and present persuasive grants that inspire funders
Produce high-quality grant proposals
Increase your knowledge of the development field
Manage a grant
Nurture a relationship with funders

By the end of the program, you will have developed text specific to your organization that can be used in any grant application, a list of resources and concrete next steps to move forward in the grant process, and 1:1 guidance from the instructor on the grant topics most relevant to you.
In addition, you’ll get an invitation to a private Facebook group, where fellow alums of the grant writing program can support each other, share opportunities and resources, network, etc.
Graduates of the program have the opportunity to register for Grant Writing 1:1 Help Sessions with instructor, Elizabeth Haffey. Click here for more information.
Topics Covered
Week One: The Basics

Grant myths, misconceptions and pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
Components of a grant
Understanding the different kinds of grants and funders
RFPs
Your responsibilities as a grant writer

Week Two: Planning and Research

Looking critically at your capacity
The “grant-ready” checklist
Determining your funding priorities
Developing your ideas
Using online resources to find opportunities
Profiles of grantmakers
Vetting funding opportunities as a team
Developing relationships with funders

Week Three: Applying for Grants

Developing your proposal
Gathering data and documentation
Components of the narrative
How to organize information
Writing style
Creating a budget
Attachments

Week Four: Managing Grants and Developing Your Skills

Application follow up
Managing a grant
Completing reports
Nurturing relationships
Difficult situations in grant writing

Week Five: Practicing Your Grant Writing Skills

1:1 feedback with program instructor
Sharing your common application questions for feedback

Who Should Enroll
This program is designed to benefit people across the grant-writing spectrum, including those new to the genre, those in the midst of writing grants and successful grant writers who are looking to refine their skills and gain new insights, particularly:

Administrators
Art organizations
Aspiring freelance grant writers
Board members
Educators
Executive Directors
Nonprofit workers
Researchers

This program is 100% online and can be taken from anywhere! The course is offered synchronously, on Eastern Time.
All of our professional development and continuing education programs are open to the public. You do not need to be a UMaine student, staff member or faculty in order to participate.
Not sure if this program is right for you? Contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu and we can help you figure it out.
Program Details
Instructor
Elizabeth Haffey is a Maine-based professional grant writer. Through her business, E. Haffey Grant Consulting, she helps clients develop and write proposals, researches opportunities, and trains staff and volunteers to apply for grants. Haffey received her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University and is currently working on her Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine.
Dates and Times
August 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2025
(Fridays) 9:00 am – noon ET
Pre-class work will be sent a week before the start of the program.
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 (as well as time during sessions to work on your proposals). Breakout sessions with other participants as well as one on one time with the instructor are built into the program.
Program Fee
$895
Class Capacity
14 participants
Evidence of Learning
Certificates
Certificates of Completion available.
Continuing Education Units
30 contact hours / 3 CEUs available.
If you’d like to receive CEUs for participating in this course, please note this during your registration.
Microcredential Pathway
Successful completion of this course satisfies the learning requirements for the University of Maine System Grant Writing Microcredential Pathway, Levels 1 & 2.
Accommodations
For more information or to request an accommodation contact um.continuinged@maine.edu, 207.581.3167.
