Maine School of Science and Mathematics
Rethinking STEM Education for What Comes Next

For more than 30 years, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) has challenged students through advanced STEM education while continually examining how that education should evolve. The school does not treat its model as fixed. It evaluates changes in student preparation, engagement and future skill requirements, then adjusts the learning experience accordingly. This willingness to question established practices and refine how students are taught and supported has become central to MSSM’s identity.

One of the country’s few public boarding schools, MSSM creates an immersive academic community where faculty and residential instructors guide students through challenging coursework while helping them build the confidence needed for college success and beyond.

“We take students where they are, give them a level of challenge they may not see elsewhere and provide the support that helps them thrive and reach levels they would not reach in traditional settings,” says Rob Constantine, executive director.

Building Confidence Through Community

Learning at MSSM begins with strong faculty-student relationships. Teachers understand individual capabilities and build the trust students need to ask questions, persist through difficult work and attempt problems whose solutions may not be immediately apparent.

The residential model extends that support beyond the classroom. Nightly study halls, evening faculty office hours and extra-help sessions help students work through demanding material, while evenings and weekends offer guest speakers, workshops and applied activities. Residential instructors strengthen the organizational and time-management skills students need to handle challenging coursework independently.

Living alongside classmates who share their curiosity and ambition further enriches the experience. For students who previously felt academically isolated, the community offers encouragement, new perspectives and the security to take greater intellectual risks.

Strengthening Knowledge with Application

As students become more confident learners, MSSM focuses on helping them apply their knowledge across disciplines. The school is examining both the depth of its academic content and how effectively students transfer what they learn to unfamiliar situations.

Discussions between the science and mathematics departments, for example, revealed that some students who had completed the required mathematics courses still struggled to apply mathematical concepts in advanced science classes. In response, mathematics faculty redesigned portions of the curriculum around application-based learning. Students now gain a clearer understanding of how mathematical processes work and when to use them in other disciplines, strengthening both comprehension and knowledge transfer.

Capstone projects extend that emphasis on application. In engineering, students collaborate with a client throughout the academic year, moving from problem identification to solution development. MSSM is exploring similar capstone experiences in science, mathematics and the humanities so more students graduate with a substantial applied project.

Communication, leadership and collaboration are also being incorporated more deliberately into classroom experiences because subject knowledge alone is not enough. Students must be able to explain their thinking, contribute to a team and adapt as circumstances change.

Broadening Students’ Future Choices

Academic challenge, practical application and sustained support can reshape how students view their future. One alumnus from rural Maine arrived believing college was beyond reach because few in the local community pursued it. Living and learning alongside peers preparing for higher education made college, research and STEM careers feel attainable. The experience changed the direction of the student’s education and career while broadening what later generations of the family might consider possible.

MSSM is extending that impact beyond campus through a $100,000 Edward E. Ford Foundation grant structured as a one-to-one matching challenge. The funding will support a Community Programs Manager who will identify educational needs, build partnerships and expand STEM opportunities across Maine.

Continually rethinking how students are challenged, supported and prepared to apply their knowledge, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics helps young people pursue new opportunities and recognize the full extent of what they can achieve.