On Monday, October 26, North Haven Community School will host the Maine Rural School Leadership Network for its 2026 Fall Conference. The full cohort, a group of current and aspiring school leaders from rural communities across Maine, will make the crossing to spend the day with us.
The network is part of Rural THRIVE, a University of Maine College of Education and Human Development initiative that supports rural educators and school leaders at key points in their careers. The fall conference is built on a simple idea: one of the best ways to learn about rural schools is to visit one. Participants will spend time in classrooms, talk with students and staff, and then gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities of leading a small school in Maine.
That is a conversation North Haven knows well. We are a small K-12 school on an island, where every student is known by name, every staff member wears several hats, and the ferry schedule has opinions about everything.
Our visitors will see the work that makes NHCS what it is: K-12 Mandarin, project-based learning, a growing makerspace and career and technical education program, and a school culture in which older students lead alongside younger ones. They will also see the ordinary rhythm of a Monday, which is often the most instructive part of any school visit.
What does it take to lead a rural school well? How does a small school offer big opportunities? Our own staff ask these questions every week. It is a privilege to ask them alongside colleagues from across the state.
Many thanks to the Rural THRIVE team at the University of Maine for organizing the conference and choosing North Haven as a host site. Please join me in giving our guests a warm island welcome.