Maine Solutionaries Literacy Project Kicks Off with Engaged Educators

On February 3, 2026, the Institute for Humane Education, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning, launched the Maine Solutionaries Literacy Engagement Project. This initiative centers on Solutionary learning, an approach that engages students in identifying real-world problems, researching root causes, considering multiple perspectives, and designing ethical, sustainable solutions, while strengthening literacy skills across disciplines.

The in-person kick-off event opened with a reflective prompt, inviting participants to name a skill, habit, or disposition they hope their students develop before leaving their classroom. This question grounded the work ahead and set a shared goal for the next two months to better equip educators to cultivate those outcomes.

This first session featured literacy-focused activities that modeled authentic reading, thinking, and collaboration. Participants rotated through stations to read and analyze texts through a Solutionary lens. A role-based reading and perspective-taking exercise then invited educators to explore the impacts of pollution from the viewpoints of both people and animals. Finally, small-group discussions supported collaborative meaning-making, as participants shared passages and built understanding through structured conversation.

Together, these experiences highlighted core literacy practices, including reading across text sets, explicit vocabulary development, active listening, annotation, and collaborative discussion. The energy in the room was palpable: Although many participants had just met, a strong sense of community quickly formed around a shared commitment to engaging students in meaningful, real-world learning.

As a follow-up to the in-person kickoff, educators from across the state gathered virtually on February 9, 2026, with noted educator and author Cris Tovani. Tovani guided participants in exploring the critical role of background knowledge in building comprehension and deepening literacy skills. Educators reflected on their experiences creating text sets and discussed the power of pairing non-fiction and fiction texts to spark engagement and understanding. This session also focused on curating accessible resources that promote universal access and support ongoing inquiry.

The Maine DOE’s Solutionary-integrated literacy work is set to continue, with additional virtual sessions scheduled later this month and into the spring. 

For further information, please contact Kathy Bertini, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Coordinator, at kathy.bertini@maine.gov.

Title 4A funds received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $50,000, of which $50,000 is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ED or the U.S. government.