WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a total of $773,280 in grant funding to the University of Maine System and the University of Maine at Presque Isle to help students succeed in higher education.

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Susan Collins today met with Sophia Wood of Auburn and Elise Kenney of Orono, Maine’s National Youth Correspondents who are attending the Washington Journalism and Media Conference hosted by George Mason University and the Newseum.  Sophia is a rising sophomore at Edward Little High School, and Elise is a rising senior at Orono High School.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the U.S. Department of Education is awarding $1,663,407 in school improvement grant funding to the State of Maine. This funding will allow the state to award competitive subgrants to school districts that demonstrate the greatest need for funds and the strongest commitment to raising student achievement in low-performing schools.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are encouraging Maine high school students to apply for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), which has begun its statewide selection process for the program’s 55th Annual Washington Week. The USSYP brings two students from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity to Washington to experience an intensive week-long educational program about the workings of the Senate and the federal government overall.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins met with leaders of the Maine Afterschool Network and the Maine Seacoast Mission this afternoon at an Afterschool Showcase event in Washington, D.C.  During the event, Senator Collins was presented with a Superhero Cape award for her bipartisan work to reauthorize and improve the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a program that supports afterschool programs. 

Washington, D.C. –Last night, the Senate passed a bill authored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Casey (D-PA), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Joe Donnelly (D-IN) to increase the amount of Pell Grant aid available to qualifying students who are the children of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS workers, and fire police.

The bipartisan legislation, the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act, makes the child of a fallen first responder with financial need eligible for the maximum Pell Grant award.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King released the following statement today in response to the announcement that University of New England (UNE) President Danielle Ripich plans to retire in June 2017, at which point she will have spent nearly 11 years at the helm of the University:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King congratulated the Bangor High School Science Bowl team for advancing to the Finals of the 2016 National Science Bowl and wished them luck in the national competition, which will be held in the Washington area from April 28th – May 2nd.

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King met with Julia Blackwell of Woolwich and Lexie Jamieson of Scarborough, the two Maine delegates to the 54th Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). Julia and Lexie are among the 102 students from around the country who were selected for the prestigious program and are spending this week in the nation’s capital where they will have an opportunity to study the American political process first-hand.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI) renewed their commitment to encouraging healthy reading habits among young Americans by introducing a bipartisan resolution designating today, March 2, 2016, as “Read Across America Day.”  The resolution was unanimously passed by the Senate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $1,950,034 grant to the University of Maine to support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in rural Maine. The grant will support 22 fellowships for recent STEM graduates or current STEM professionals to further their knowledge base and become certified STEM teachers in rural, high-need Maine schools.

U.S. Senator Susan Collins will visit All Saints Catholic School tomorrow to deliver remarks and join students and faculty for a Flag Retirement Ceremony that will be led by members of the St. Paul the Apostle Parish Cub Scout Pack 17.  Following the ceremony, Senator Collins will read Antlers Forever! to Pre-K students. Senator Collins’ visit will be open to the press.  

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins recently met with Dr. James Dlugos, the President of Saint Joseph’s College, and Elizabeth Schran, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, in her Washington, D.C., office.  Dr. Dlugos and Ms. Schran were in D.C. to attend the annual meeting of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today congratulated Kathy Welch, a school counselor at York’s Coastal Ridge Elementary School, for being named Maine’s representative to the nationwide School Counselor of the Year Program held in Washington. The program, which is organized by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), honors counselors around the country who run high-quality, comprehensive school counseling programs at either the elementary, middle or high school level.