Houlton Higher Education Center celebrates 10 years of educational excellence

The Houlton Higher Education Center has worked for the last 10 years to provide students with the very best in educational experiences and services. From college preparation, to Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees, to refresher courses and lifelong learning activities, the University of Maine at Presque Isle facility brings a wide variety of educational programs under one roof.
    UMPI’s partners at the Center include University College, Northern Maine Community College, Houlton/Hodgdon Adult Education, Carleton Project, TRiO Upward Bound, and Maine Educational Opportunity Center.
To celebrate 10 years of educational excellence, the Houlton Higher Education Center is hosting a 10th anniversary celebration on Thursday, Sept. 1. The event will include an open house with guided building tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and an official program at 1 p.m. U.S. Congressman Michael H. Michaud will serve as the keynote speaker during the program, and there will also be a Native blessing and the unveiling of a new granite installation at the building’s entrance.
The public is invited to join in the celebration. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, please call 768-9452 or email sara.martin@umpi.edu.
About the Center and its Partners
The Houlton Higher Education Center is designed to meet the various needs and interests of students in Houlton and surrounding communities, including the people of southern Aroostook County, western New Brunswick, and northern Washington and Penobscot counties. Courses are delivered in three different modalities: on-site (live), interactive television, and online. Current and prospective students receive assistance in the areas of academic advising and planning, admission requirements, and financial aid. The Center provides on-site registration and sale of textbooks. Help is provided for computer applications such as word processing, e-mail, library support, and internet capabilities.
University of Maine at Presque Isle
In addition to administrative support for the Houlton Center, the University offers classes for the Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Liberal Studies, and the Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts, as well as online courses for Bachelor’s degrees in English, History and Psychology. The University also hosts the Native Education Center, established to better serve Native American students and provide them with strong support as they complete their college educations; High School Aspirations, aimed at increasing the number of students who access and succeed in college; and SAGE [Seniors Achieving Greater Education], a program that brings short courses in arts, sciences, and specialty areas to the region’s senior community.
University College
    University College at Houlton coordinates distance learning courses and degrees through the University of Maine System, including Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts, Liberal Studies, Social Services, Business Administration and Financial Services, Library and Information Services, and Medical Laboratory Technology; Bachelor Degrees in Applied Science, Liberal Studies, Business Administration, Library and Information Services and Mental Health and Human Services;  Completion Degree Programs for both Dental Hygiene and the Registered Nurse Degree Program; and  Master’s Degrees in Adult Education, Counseling/ Rehabilitation Counseling, Electrical Engineering, and Liberal Studies. University College has had a presence in the Houlton area since the late 1980’s and enjoys a robust relationship with partners at the Houlton Center that help to provide the community with a wide range of educational opportunities.
Northern Maine Community College
Since 1963, Northern Maine Community College has been a statewide and county-wide leader in this type of off-campus partnership. Annually, 70 to 80 students attend NMCC classes at the Houlton Center. Classes are offered in the areas of business, nursing and allied health, and liberal studies.
Registered Nurse Education – Students train at the Houlton Regional Hospital and the Houlton Center. Courses, originating from NMCC, are broadcast live from the Presque Isle campus to southern Aroostook student nurses at the Houlton Center.
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Northern Maine Community College has offered its Nursing Program at the Houlton Center since 2003.
Liberal Studies – The Houlton Center provides southern Aroostook citizens the opportunity to enroll in an affordable, part time college program while retaining local employment and living at home. Many liberal studies students advance to the registered nurse program, to another full-time major on the Presque Isle campus, or to a four-year University program.
Early College for ME and Aspirations – These college programs are available to qualified high school students at little or no cost to the student.
SAD 29/70 Houlton, Hodgdon Adult Education
    The SAD 29/70 Houlton, Hodgdon Adult Education program has been serving the area with high school completion, GED, vocational, and community education since 1966. Diploma and GED – Annually, over 30 students graduate from SAD 29-70 Adult Education. The program also partners with Literacy Volunteers of Aroostook to offer basic literacy instruction.
College Access Program – CAP assists adults in the transition to college level courses at any Maine institution of higher education. CAP builds math and writing skills as well as the self-confidence needed to succeed in college. The program averages over 20 students per year.
Vocational Training – This includes Certified Nurse Assistant classes at local nursing homes and Qualified Logging Professional training in sustainable logging practices.
Agricultural Winter Schools – For nearly 20 years, the program has partnered with Cooperative Extension and the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District in these programs.
Technology – PLATO online continues to be an important learning tool to help students prepare for the GED and for college.
The Local Workforce Investment Board – This program cooperates with MSAD 29/70 Adult Education to offer the WorkReady program. Participants complete a 60-hour course focusing on the “soft skills” that are important in today’s workplace.
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A LITTLE HELP — SAD 29-70 Houlton, Hodgdon Adult Education provides students with a wide range of programs, including high school completion, GED, and vocational and community education.
Family Literacy – This involves partnering with Head Start programs to provide books for the First Book program and outreach to parents of First Book students. The program recognizes the value of the parent as the child’s first teacher and commits to helping the parent fulfill that role.
Carleton Project
Carleton Project is a licensed, private alternative high school that offers students in grades 9 to 12 the opportunity to obtain their high school diploma in a non-traditional setting. It has four locations: Houlton, Presque Isle, Bangor and Winthrop. Carleton Project works closely with Aroostook County schools and the University of Maine at Presque Isle; its Presque Isle school is located on the UMPI campus. Carleton Project’s mission is “helping young adults in our community reach their unique potential.” Its model and approach are unique in that it takes a very individualized approach with each student. Graduates not only achieve their core curriculum but also secure practical life skills and strategies to carry with them. In addition, graduating students must present a one-year transition plan in order to graduate. By collaborating with UMPI and NMCC, students have the opportunity to enroll in college courses during their senior year of high school. Most graduates go on to post-secondary education, into the military, or immediately to work in the community. To date, more than 400 students have earned their high school diplomas through Carleton Project. All of these students were previously unsuccessful in public schools.
TRiO Upward Bound
TRiO Upward Bound is a federally funded program that prepares underserved high school students for college and is open to high school students who qualify financially, or are the first in their families to attend college. Its mission is to generate, in eligible participants, the skills and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high school. Some of the services provided are academic advising, tutoring, college visits, cultural events, and a residential summer program at UMPI. Upward Bound serves students in all 16 Aroostook County high schools. The program has been successful in assisting participants, who might not otherwise have attended, to go to college and persist until they meet their degree goals.
Maine Educational Opportunity Center
The mission of Maine Educational Opportunity Center is to increase the awareness of post secondary educational opportunities available to Maine’s low income, first generation adults who desire to pursue a post secondary education. MEOC is a federal education initiative established to promote access to post-secondary education for traditionally under-represented adult populations within the State of Maine. MEOC in Houlton coordinates efforts with area schools, colleges, and other service agencies to provide information and assistance in completing college admission and financial aid forms. MEOC advisors assess academic readiness, provide career counseling, and refer individuals to community resources. MEOC is committed to assisting any adult wishing to re-enter a formal education setting, and helping them to successfully match career goals to education plans with the goal of ultimately earning a college degree. Funded to serve traditionally under-represented adults, the majority of MEOC participants are of the first generation in their families to go to college.
A Brief History
The vision for the Houlton Higher Education Center first took shape in 1999 as the result of a grassroots community effort to re-establish a formal home for higher education in the southern Aroostook area.
At the time, UMPI maintained a modest education center in Houlton, and then-Northern Maine Technical College also had a presence there, but the Houlton community was looking to fill a larger void left after Ricker College closed in 1979. The community group worked collaboratively with the University of Maine System, the then-Maine Technical College System, and other educational entities to bring the Center to fruition.
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University College at Houlton offers a wide range of distance learning courses and degrees through the University of Maine System, including associates, bachelors, and masters degrees.
The idea was to transform a 15,500-square-foot building, formerly a Shop ‘n Save grocery store, into a one-of-a-kind educational facility. When approached by the University of Maine System, Hannaford Brothers graciously agreed to donate the Military Street building to the University.
In order to pay for the $2 million renovation, officials received strong support from County legislators, and critical leadership from then Maine State Senator Michael Michaud in securing state funding for the Center. The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, and in Fall 2001, the Center welcomed its first students.
Since then, the Center has reached many milestones, but one thing remains the same: everyone at the Houlton Higher Education Center works diligently to provide students with the very best in educational experiences, services and opportunities.