In 2020, a small but determined team of educators at St. George Municipal School Unit embarked on a bold innovation journey—one that culminated in a major milestone over the summer. Guided by district leadership and a committee of teachers, families, school board members, and business owners, the team grounded its vision of a new, innovative facility in the community’s past, present, and future.

St. George Municipal School Unit was one of the first recipients of the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) grant, a $16.9 million federal grant awarded to Maine in 2020. The state was one of only 11 to receive the funding, with more than $10 million eventually distributed to 42 school districts. St. George received $350,000 to kick-start its building design process, curriculum development, and capital campaign.

St. George Municipal School Unit’s ambitious goal was to use the RREV grant to help create the nation’s first pre-K—8 Career and Technical Education (CTE)/Makerspace building. This innovative space—the GRACE Innovation Center—would honor the rich heritage of the St. George community, while preparing students for the challenges of today and tomorrow. A key inspiration for the project was the Lillius Gilchrest Grace Institute, a nonprofit founded in 1936 by the Grace family in memory of Lillius Grace, a St. George native.  The Grace Institute offered classes to St. George students in home economics and manual arts for more than 70 years, laying the groundwork for the modern CTE/Makerspace vision.

“Many have been with us since we began this journey more than three years ago,” Mike Felton, former St. George Municipal School Unit superintendent and new GRACE Innovation Center executive director, said of the team members who helped to guide this project. “[They had] a vision for re-engaging students in learning and reimagining public education by returning to our roots—hands-on, minds-on learning connected to career and community.”

On August 14, this dream became a reality with the grand opening of the GRACE Innovation Center in St. George. The celebration drew in hundreds of community members and special guests, including U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, St. George school board members, St. George students, and Steel-Pro CEO and president Steve Ladd. Maine DOE Office of Innovation staff who partnered with St. George Municipal School Unit and supported this project were honored to also attend and celebrate the hard work of so many passionate educators and community members.

“Congratulations to the entire St. George team for your vision, dedication, and relentless pursuit of innovation in utilizing this RREV grant to create meaningful opportunities for your students,” Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin said. “Your work is a shining example of all that is possible when community, history, and forward-thinking education collide.” “This building, this project, this school, this community—it’s about building and creating our future together. Our imaginations will not be limited by what others say is possible. When someone says, ‘Isn’t that a big vision for a small community?’—we know the answer,”  Felton said during the event. “We can give our kids a better today and tomorrow. We can lead the nation in returning to hands-on, minds-on learning and valuing the trades. We can do all that as a small fishing community on a peninsula in Maine. We can do this because we’re a small fishing community on a peninsula in Maine that never forgot our roots and created a new building with an old soul.”

While many additional fundraising efforts helped St. George Municipal School Unit to reach its $4.5 million goal, the RREV grant played a crucial role. It funded educator stipends for work to develop a pre-K—8 CTE curriculum and helped to support architectural designs, site planning efforts, and construction. At the August 14 event, the RREV Mobile Learning Van was present to showcase all of the innovative pilots that RREV supported.

“I’m pretty sure this is the best million dollars that Washington has ever spent,” U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree remarked during the event. “You are truly creating a role model for communities all over the country.”

This story was written in collaboration with St. George Municipal School Unit. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.