Maine Schools Invited to Explore an Environmental Sustainability Collaboration with French Education Partners

The Maine Department of Education (DOE), in collaboration with the Académie de Nantes in France, invites Maine schools and school administrative units (SAUs) to express interest in a new international sustainability collaboration for the 2026–2027 school year.

This opportunity is designed to connect students and educators through French language education, climate literacy, outdoor learning, environmental action, cultural exchange, and global learning. Building on Maine’s international partnership with the Académie de Nantes, the campaign offers schools a flexible way to explore shared learning with French partner schools while connecting with work that many Maine students and educators are already leading in their own communities. Participation is open to schools and educators across subject areas, including French language education, outdoor learning, environmental science, sustainability, and student leadership.

Through the Maine–France Sustainability Collaboration Campaign, students will have the opportunity to learn across cultures, compare environmental challenges in their local communities, exchange ideas, practice or apply French language skills, and consider how local action contributes to a more sustainable future.

We hope to cultivate intentional connections for Académie de Nantes and Maine schools working in areas such as climate literacy, environmental sustainability, outdoor learning, French language and culture, student leadership, civic engagement, or project-based learning. It may also be of interest to schools supporting students pursuing the Seal of Climate Literacy or developing career-connected learning opportunities.

Schools can choose an approach that fits their interests, capacity, and learning goals. Some options are pairing with a school in France, collaborating with a classroom for a short-term project, or creating a shared student project or showcase.

Collaboration Examples

Partner classrooms could exchange information about environmental concerns in their communities, compare sustainability practices, or complete related local projects involving composting, recycling, school gardens, outdoor stewardship, sustainability planning, or climate literacy experiences. Students could then share what they learned through presentations, posters, videos, webpages, or a joint virtual event.

Through these experiences, students can strengthen communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while developing greater cultural understanding. The campaign also gives students an authentic opportunity to see how environmental challenges connect communities across national borders and how young people can contribute to solutions close to home.

Help Shape the Collaboration

Maine DOE is inviting public schools and SAUs to take part in developing the Maine–France Environmental Sustainability Collaboration. Schools that are interested should complete the Maine–France Sustainability Collaboration Interest Survey to indicate their current environmental and climate literacy work, the type of collaboration they prefer, topics they may want to explore with a partner school, and the support they may need to make the partnership successful.

An information session will be held on October 15 at 3:30 p.m. to provide additional details, answer questions, and discuss ways schools can participate. Following the meeting, interested schools will be contacted about potential school pairings and collaboration opportunities.

Outreach and planning are underway, with interested schools exploring possible connections and projects during the 2026–2027 school year.

Download a flyer about this annoucement (PDF)

Learn more about the Maine-France Sustainability Collaboration Campaign (PDF)

For additional information, contact Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships, at ayesha.hall@maine.gov.

This announcement was co-developed by Abigail Rasquinha, a Maine DOE Extended Learning Opportunities student contributor, 2026 Scarborough High School graduate, and Northeastern University Freshman.

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