Welcome to the Many Flags/One Community website
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Welcome to the Many Flags/One Community website – We are in the process of researching and designing a unique educational concept for Knox County and Midcoast Maine that will result in a high performing learning environment that will balance career and technical education with traditional academic education on an integrated campus that will truly prepare our children, as well as our adult learners, for a successful career and life in the ever changing the 21st Century.
To make this all a reality we will need your input, your advice, your experience, and your vision for the future of education in the midcoast.
Latest News
- “Many Flags” hires Regional Executive Director:
click here for full Press Release
- Many Flags featured on ABC Chl 7 Bangor (2/18/13)
"Proposed Midcoast School to Boost Local Economy"
- WCSH News Center 6 coverage of USDOE Grant for Many Flags:
Click here to watch 1/18/13 WCSH News Center 6 piece on Many Flags and the USDOE Grant:
"Innovative project gets federal funding"
- Jan 2013 - "MF/OC" cited by Maine Policy Review as "exemplary" model
In the January edition of the Maine Policy Review (Vol. 21, No. 2), a publication of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center,Many Flags/One Community is cited as an effective model for Maine. The article, "Improving Maine's Future through Education: Overcoming Challenges and Learning to Row Together" presents nine (9) recommendations for strengthening Maine's educational system. Under the recommendation of "Learning to Row Together" the authors state:
"An exemplary case of rowing together to provide multiple pathways for students is the Many Flags/One Community initiative in greater Knox County, Maine.......The Many Flags model exemplifies the benefits of working together across education and business institutions to improve access to and success in K-16 education; it is a model that offers new hope for building local and regional partnerships that may have state-wide benefits."
Click here to read full Maine Policy Review article.
For other recent coverage of the Many Flags/One Community model, check out these news stories:
"Many Flags receives Federal Support fo Planning" -- Courier Gazette (Jan 17, 2013)
"Federal Grant gives boost to Regional School project in Knox County" -- Bangor Daily News (Jan 7,2013)
"Many Flags Gets $348,000 Promise Neighborhoods Grant - One of 10 projects selected nation-wide" - Free Press (Jan 10,2013)
- Jan 2013 - Many Flags recieves $348,100 USDOE planning grant - one of only 10 planning grants awarded to innovative programs nationwide:
“Many Flags/One Community,” a regional education initiative in Midcoast Maine, and Penquis, the Community Action Agency serving Knox, Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, have been selected by the Obama Administration to receive a “Promise Neighborhoods” grant for 2013 in the amount of $348,100. U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, announced the winners of the Promise Neighborhoods grant fund on December 21st in Washington, D.C
click here for full press release
- Dec 2012 -- Major Milestone reached - new Many Flags/One COMMUNITY Regional Governance body launched:
On Tuesday, December 11th, the new Regional Many Flags/One Community Board of Directors began their work. The 21 member “Steering Committee,” that developed the new governance structure over the past 18 months, launched the new Many Flags Regional Board of Directors at a special meeting to held in the conference room at Fisher Engineering in the Rockland Industrial Park.
The initial work of the new Regional Many Flags Board will be focused on the coordination of programs and services for all high school, career and technical and higher education students in the region. Linking programs, sharing existing resources, coordinating curriculums and policies, offering early college and dual credits, and using technology to provide extensive virtual learning opportunities for all students in the region will be stressed.
click here for full press release
- July 2012 - Many Flags applies for a USDOE "Promise Neighborhood" grant:
The Many Flags/One Campus Foundatiuon jointly applied with Penquis CAP for a USDOE "Promise Neihborhood" grant. The federal grant would support a year-long research and planning effort to assist the "Many Flags" region in devleoping a comprehensive education network and social services and health support system. Announcement of grant awards is expected by 12/31/12.
- May 21, 2012 -- Special Joint Informational Board Meeting to discuss Many Flags governance recommendations well attended (see video below):
Over 35 School Board members from RSU 13, MSAD 40, Five Town CSD, MSAD 7, MSAD 8, Islesboro School Committee, and Mid Coast School of Technology attended the special meeting. Plus another 25 members of the public attended.
Click here to watch video of the 5.21.12 Joint Board meeting
Click here to download a copy of:
Click here to read the Bangor Daily News aritcle about the Special joint informational meeting
- April 2012 -- Many Flags model endorsed by the Governor's State Workforce Investment Board:
On April 6, 2012, the State Workforce Investment Borad, appointed by Governor LePage, endorsed the Many Flags concept and urged the Governor to move the project forward as a part of his education reform and economic development strategies for Maine. The specific resolution passed by the State Workforce Investment Board states:
The SWIB supports the Many Flags/One Campus model for industry directed workforce training and seamlessly integrated secondary and post secondary education – and we urge the Governor to include the innovative Many Flags model as a part of his education reform and economic development strategies for Maine.
- March 2012 -- Conference on Standards-Based Education a success:
The March 29, 2012 conference was huge success - over 100 educators attended the Many Flags/One Campus conference on the subject of Standards-Based Education. Teachers, administrators and Board members from MSAD 40, RSU 13, the Five Town CSD, Region 8 Mid Coast School of Technology, and the Island Schools attended the conference to learn from educators from around the state.
The evening Community Forum that Many Flags sponsored day was also a
very important and well attended event for our region. Approximately 200
community members attended the evening forum to hear MDOE Commissioner Steve
Bowen and a panel of educators speak about how Standards-Based Education
systems are being implemented around the state.
- Jan 2012 - Many Flags to fund Regional Common Scheduling research project:
4 Regional School Districts (MSAD 40, RSU 13, Camden Five Town CSD, and Region 8 Mid Coast School of Technology) have agreed to allow the Many Flags Foundation to use a portion of its grants to provide the funding to study the existing school day schedules used throughout our region, and to recommend the steps needed to move toward a common regional school scheduling system.
- Oct 2011 - “Mainstream Fund” grant for pilot program announced:
The Many Flags/One Campus Foundation announced that it has received a $25,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation “Mainstream Fund” to be used to design and implement standards-based, dual credit courses in “STEM” subjects (i.e., science technology, engineering and math). These pilot courses will be used as prototypes for the integrated course offerings envisioned for the future Many Flags/One Campus model.
- Sept 2011- Many Flags receives Davis Family Foundation Grant
Alan Hinsey, Executive Director of the Many Flags Foundation said, “We are very pleased to announce that the Davis Family Foundation has awarded the Many Flags Foundation a $50,000 grant that will allow us to continue facilitating the work of the Many Flags Steering Committee. In addition, a portion of the grant will be set aside to fund another innovative pilot project that will help us advance the Many Flags model one step further.”
- Oct 2011 - Forum a Success - Governor touts Many Flags:
Over 300 attended the communty forum“Education – an Economic Imperative for the Midcoast” at the Strand in Rockland on Oct 3, 2011. Click here for a Bangor Daily News article about the forum and a 2 min video excerpt of speech on education by Governor LePage at the forum:
Governor touts Many Flags asa model for Maine
- March 2011 - Governor adds spending authority for Many Flags:
In Spring of 2011, Governor LePage added a separate spending authority category for the Many Flags project into the FY 2014 State Eduction budget. Earliest date that funds could be available (if approved by the Legislature) would be July 1, 2013 - now less than 2 years away.
- Oct 2010 - Many Flags selected by MDOE as "the" model for Maine:
On Oct 15, 2010 "Many Flags/One Campus" was selected by theMaine DOE and the Maine State Board of Education as "the" Innovative 9-16 Model Program for the State of Maine!
Click here to watch News videos re Many Flags:
May 2011: "Group working to put several schools under one roof"
July 2010: "Many Flags increases access to Higher Education"
Many Flags/One Campus - winning application selected by MDOE 6/2010
"Five Stories - One Campus" - what "Many Flags" will be like (from 5 perspectives)
Current Many Flags Power Point Presentation
