*Goodwill VISTA* Maine Green Schools Coordination VISTA

The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) leads statewide efforts to expand environmental and climate literacy. The MDOE Maine Green Schools Program is designated by statute to play a central role in the development of the Green School Network (GSN). Established in 2025, the Green Schools Network is designed to connect educators, administrators, community partners, and youth to strengthen practices, improve school facilities, and expand access to curriculum. MDOE collaborates with statewide networks such as the Nature Based Education Consortium (NBEC), the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA), Maine Early Childhood Outdoors (MeECO) and other community-based nonprofit organizations, to support outdoor learning, education, school planning and career pathways for all Maine youth. The host site will provide statewide communication tools, existing partnerships, and programmatic leadership that the VISTA volunteer will help organize into a cohesive statewide network.