After 19 years as superintendent of schools for Maine Indian Education, Ron Jenkins became superintendent of the Calais School Department. In this role, he has been a strong partner of the Cobscook Experiential Program. This partnership comes largely out of Ron’s belief in the need for the program: “I have always recognized a need for additional education programs for those students who want more flexible learning environments.”
A recent visit to CCLC made Ron an even stronger believer in what Cobscook is accomplishing. He described seeing a group of obviously bright teenagers who are on track to meet their goals “in an educational atmosphere where they can have every expectation to succeed.”
When asked about Cobscook’s regional impact, Ron said, “The Cobscook Experiential Programs have had a huge impact on all the students that have been involved. For most, it has been an opportunity to succeed in school where they have not felt connected, challenged, or successful before. They have been able to set goals that, for them, might not have been achievable in a more conventional environment. But make no mistake, this program is an academic program. The programs of CCLC make it possible to learn in an environment that is more suitable to their learning styles.” Ron hopes that programs like Cobscook can be replicated to serve more students across Washington County moving forward.