The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
Big Fat Whale  |  Failure  |  Hoopleville  |  Idiot Box  |  Lifestyle Features  |  Reality Check

Back to school

Coloring outside the educational lines
By DEIRDRE FULTON  |  January 20, 2010

1001_ed1_main

READThe perils of self improvement; When learning goes too far, get back on track. By Ashley Rigazio.

Some of us know (or think we know) our paths from a young age. We follow those trails through 12 years of school, and then four (plus) more. Some of us don't. We flounder, we search, we know what we want but we don't know how to achieve it. Some of us need to break out of our ruts, or exercise dormant creativity, or find new ways to express ourselves. The crucial component in all these scenarios? Education. Whether it's traditional or outside-the-box, we can't try new things if we simply don't know how.

There are more than 35 colleges and universities in Maine, according to the Maine Higher Education Council, which recently launched CollegeInMaine.com, a Web site dedicated to outlining those options. Indeed, Maine's public and private universities (including the University of Maine system; Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby colleges; and the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor) attract students from around New England and the United States.

But for those who chose a different path, or want to now, Maine offers several different types of learning opportunities. Here, we tell you about five unique programs in Maine that could take you down a new path, or turn a dream into reality. (Tuition costs do not include room, board, or miscellaneous fees, where applicable.)

Buoyant Force
A good friend of mine, one with a Classics degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a burgeoning writing career, has spent the past year as a carpenter's apprentice, demolishing walls and building decks. She counts this experience as challenging, educational, and character-building, and while this can be Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Shop Class as Soulcraft, quasi-elitist stuff, there's something to it. Working with your hands is rewarding in a way that's unfamiliar to many liberal-arts educated folks.

For those who want to get back to basics, one option is THE LANDING SCHOOL in Kennebunk, where students enroll in year-long wooden- or composite-boat building, yacht-design, or marine-technology-systems programs. Graduates are prepared to work in the marine industry as designers, builders, sailmakers, technicians, and salespeople. The school was recently accredited to offer associate's degrees in Marine Industry Technology (candidates must complete two Landing School programs plus 15 hours of general education). If such a commitment seems overwhelming, consider the WOODENBOAT SCHOOL in Brooklin, which offers much shorter workshops (one to two weeks) in boatbuilding, sailing, and navigation. For some participants, the program is a career move; for others, it's a learning vacation.

• The Landing School | Admission process: Application, transcript, references, essay, personal interview | Duration: One year | Tuition: Approximately $16,700/semester, with financial aid and scholarships available | 286 River Rd., Arundel | 207.985.7976 | LandingSchool.edu

• WoodenBoat School | Admission process: Registration | Duration: 1-2 weeks | Tuition: $700 and up, depending on the course, with scholarships available | 41 WoodenBoat Lane, Brooklin | 207.359.4651 | TheWoodenBoatSchool.com

The Medium is the Message
So you're the one who's always carrying around his camera, or whose blog could be published — verbatim — as an essay on modern society. You're interested in stories — how others tell them, and how to transmit them to a wider audience. Why not do something with these natural curiosities? Maine has two top-notch storytelling academies: the MAINE MEDIA COLLEGE AND WORKSHOPS, and the SALT INSTITUTE FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES.

1  |  2  |  3  |   next >
Related: Ledge Lessons, The new homeschool, Kissing off 2009, More more >
  Topics: Lifestyle Features , Health and Fitness, Nancy Frederick, Education,  More more >
| More
Add Comment
HTML Prohibited

 Friends' Activity   Popular   Most Viewed 
[ 01/17 ]   Arisia 2011  @ Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel
[ 01/17 ]   Fela! screening  @ Coolidge Corner Theatre
[ 01/17 ]   John Nikolai: "Faithful Departed"  @ Stratton Student Center at MIT
ARTICLES BY DEIRDRE FULTON
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   FUSING PORN WITH HIGH ART  |  January 12, 2011
    Porn in the form of prose and poems, along with sexy and graphic illustrations and photos, fill the pages of Salacious , a new magazine dedicated to erotic art and literature, the likes of which you may never have seen — at least not compiled in one place.
  •   PORTLANDER TO COVER 3000+ MILES IN FIVE MONTHS ON FOOT  |  January 04, 2011
    On January 8, Portland native Zoe Romano will set off for a morning run in Huntington Beach, California. Make no mistake: this isn't a begrudging follow-through on a New Year's resolution, or a jog around the block. Try more than 140 not-quite-marathons, back-to-back.
  •   2011 PREDICTIONS: WINDS OF CHANCE  |  December 29, 2010
    It's impossible to predict the future, obviously, but we at the Phoenix have peered into our crystal ball in search of important issues that will arise in 2011.
  •   YEAR IN GREENVIEW  |  December 22, 2010
    While eco-friendly initiatives gained some local traction this year, the national environmental picture was relatively bleak in 2010 — and stands to get even more depressing next year.
  •   LOOKING BACK ON 2010: MAINE GOES RED  |  December 22, 2010
    There were big wins, big defeats, encouraging signs, and disappointments. Here's a look at what Maine enjoyed — and endured — in 2010.

 See all articles by: DEIRDRE FULTON

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2011 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group