STEM Night at Mt. Ararat High School Showcases the Power of Community Outreach and Extended Learning Opportunities

Pictured: Students practice landing a plane with an aviation simulator.

Community outreach and extended learning coordinators wear many hats inside a school. This role often sits at the intersection of academics, career readiness, partnerships, and student support, connecting what happens inside the building to real-world opportunities outside of it.

That work was on full display recently as Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham, under the co-leadership of Community Learning and Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Coordinator Doug Ware, hosted its second annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Night on January 30, 2026. The event drew approximately 500 attendees and featured more than 40 vendors, transforming the school into a dynamic hub of innovation, collaboration, and hands-on discovery.

During this event, families and community members from MSAD 75 joined local businesses, industry leaders, and educators for a vibrant evening celebrating STEM. Participants of all ages engaged in activities ranging from virtual medical simulations and Lego robotics to tours of the Bath Iron Works virtual reality trailer and digital arts showcases.

For many attendees, the event highlighted the strength of Maine’s local STEM ecosystem. Paul McGuire, a local alum, entrepreneur, father, and veteran, attended with his family.

“Seeing employers represented from construction to aviation reminded me how strong our STEM community is,” McGuire said. “It’s great to know students can find those opportunities right in our backyard.”

A highlight of the evening was a performance by the Woodside One Wheelers, a juggling and unicycling group from Woodside Elementary School. Students attached sensors to their unicycles to demonstrate how scientific data is gathered and how physics principles apply in motion, blending performance, engineering, and applied science in a way that captivated the audience. The group later performed at the halftime of a local girls’ basketball game, extending the celebration of learning beyond the STEM exhibits.

Events like STEM Night exemplify the multifaceted impact of community outreach and extended learning coordination. The role includes building community partnerships that bring businesses and civic organizations into the school experience; managing ELOs that allow students to earn credit through internships, job shadows, and real-world projects; supporting career and workforce development; encouraging student leadership and service; collaborating with faculty to connect curriculum with experiential learning; removing barriers to access; and telling the story of student success in ways that inspire continued investment and innovation.

Mt. Ararat High School has demonstrated exemplary leadership in advancing high-quality ELOs through its Maine DOE ELO Expansion grant. The school’s work demonstrates how innovative, community-connected learning deepens student engagement, supports informed postsecondary decisions, and helps students envision futures grounded in real experience, meaningful relationships, and opportunity.

STEM Night was an event that reflected what is possible when schools and communities work together. By bridging classroom learning with hands-on exploration and professional partnerships, Mt. Ararat High School continues to model how education can be both rigorous and relevant—preparing students not just for graduation but for life beyond it.

For further information about ELOs and Maine’s efforts to expand career exploration for Maine students, please visit the Maine DOE ELO webpage or contact Maine DOE Extended Learning Coordinator Lana Sawyer at Lana.Sawyer@maine.gov.