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Maine Education 2050 Maine Citizens' Assembly on Education Priorities · 2026
A statewide collaboration

Project partners

Researchers, lawmakers, funders, and statewide organizations supporting informed public deliberation.

Learning collaborators

Organizations that support delegate learning

The MEPRI Steering Committee, plus a small group of additional organizations chosen to better reflect the diversity of Maine, were invited to collaborate by sharing with their networks the invitation to volunteer for the delegate selection lottery. Most of these organization further contributed by sharing educational materials or attending the learning day of the assembly in person to speak with delegates directly.

  • Maine Education Association
  • Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition
  • Maine Municipal Association
  • Maine Principals' Association
  • Maine School Boards Association
  • Maine School Superintendents Association
  • Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies
  • Count ME In!
  • Educate Maine
  • Maine Policy Institute
  • Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities
  • Maine Children's Alliance
  • Maine Community College System
  • Maine Curriculum Leaders Association
  • Maine Development Foundation
Major funders

Support for the Assembly

The largest philanthropy in New England focused exclusively on education. nmefoundation.org

The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.

A cross-ideological community of donors concerned with the health of American democracy. democracyfundersnetwork.org

Technology

The deliberation platform

The Assembly uses Comhairle, a structured deliberation platform built in Scotland by CrownShy. It is not used for open-ended advocacy or real-time debate. Partners in Democracy supports the integration of the technology and helps ensure delegates have a smooth experience.

Partners in Democracy is a nonprofit that works to make government more responsive and accountable to the people it serves. Its work spans civic education, community organizing, and building the kind of online tools that make it easier for residents to follow what their government is doing and to weigh in.

What Comhairle does
  • Receives and tracks lottery registrations
  • Serves a responsive, queryable library of learning resources
  • Runs delegate quadratic voting for more nuanced reports to legislators
  • Organizes Steering Committee feedback at defined points