Cat Biddle is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Maine and has worked in education for 20 years. Her research focuses on ways in which rural schools and communities respond to social and economic change in the 21st century. She is co-author of the book “Trauma Responsive Schooling: Centering Student Voice and Healing” with Harvard Education Press and worked for many years with the Transforming Rural Experience in Education (TREE) program in Downeast Maine. She is also the director of UMaine’s Center for Applied Research on Education and Schools (CARES), which focuses on connecting researchers with community organizations and schools in Maine to conduct and apply research to solve real-world problems.

**Jakob Erle (**Ph.D. Cultural Sociology), director of the International Academy for Education and Democracy (IAED), is an expert in democracy development and assistance for the development of political parties and citizenship processes through dialogue.
He has a background in non-formal adult education in the Danish Folk High Schools as well as decades of experience in the fields of democracy education and dialogue, dialogue on human rights and governance, globalization, policy analysis and development, and adult education. Jakob is a highly experienced and motivating educator, public speaker, and facilitator with the competencies to navigate challenging contexts and create dialogue between conflicting parties. He has deep experience with curriculum development, the creation of educational games and simulations, teacher training, and supervision of educational processes.

**Cyril Francis,** Passamaquoddy tribal citizen born in Eastport, Maine, and raised in Sipayik (Pleasant Point, Maine). With pride, she carries the roles of being a mother, grandmother, and recently a great-grandmother. Cyril attended the University of Maine Machias and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Behavioral Science. In 1996, Cyril attended the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Maine Orono, where she graduated in 1998. Cyril's life experiences vary from working as a wellness program director in Motahkomikuk (Indian Township, Maine), a behavioral health director, at the Pleasant Point Health Center, a school social worker at the Beatrice Rafferty School in Sipayik, Maine, and served on the Board of Directors for the Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company. Currently, Cyril is semi-retired. She works part-time for Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness (WPHW) as a Language and Culture Advisor. Cyril is active in protecting Sipayik from development that would harm the natural environment. She is active in preserving the Passamaquoddy culture and language, participates in energy resilience programs, and actively seeks tribal self-sustainability and sovereignty from the State of Maine. In Sept. 2022, Cyril was elected to serve on the Sipayik Tribal Council.

**Maria Frankland i**s a National Board Certified Counselor and Maine-certified school counselor with over 20 years of experience in preK-20 education. She is passionate about helping students overcome the short- and long-term impact of childhood adversity. Dr. Frankland’s research interests center around social and emotional learning, community schools, and comprehensive district wellness programs, the impact of trauma on students and teachers, and ways in which trauma-informed approaches may support student development, particularly in rural settings. She received the 2022 Best Research Award from the National Rural Education Association and a 2024 Faculty Mentor Impact Award from the University of Maine.

**Alan Furth**, Co-founder, founding ED, and current board member with Cobscook Institute. Alan moved to Washington County in 1978 to teach in the public schools and to join the faculty of Lesley University’s Audubon Expedition Institute. This region has been his home ever since. Alan’s career reflects his commitment to increasing pathways to success for all learners. As ED of Cobscook, Alan led initiatives that included:
Bringing Wayfinders’ Passages program to Washington County to serve pregnant or parenting high school youth (expansion to Washington County, 2008),
Partnering with Calais School Department to establish Cobscook Experiential Programs for high school youth (launched, 2010),
Creating TREE: Trauma-Responsive, Equitable Education, a multi-year research pilot project conducted in partnership with Washington County schools, the University of Maine, and Colby College (2013 – 2020),
Establishing Cobscook Institute’s beautiful campus, a nurturing learning environment operated with the mission of creating responsive educational opportunities that strengthen personal, community, and global well-being.
Linking our region globally through Association for World Education (AWE) and Jakob Erle’s International Academy of Education for Democracy (IAED). Jakob and Alan have been friends and collaborators since 1999.
In 2011, Alan received University of Maine’s Alumni Career Award for his work in education.

Newell Lewey currently works for Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness as their Culture and Language Manager where his responsibilities are helping to promote the knowledge of the Passamaquoddy language and culture and promote access to education. Newell also collaborates with other tribes and tribal entities to discuss best practices for language learning and teaching methods, along with understanding how our languages are used and interrupted. Newell has taught language classes for many years. He has taught in his tribal communities, has taught at the University of Maine (Machias), and is teaching at a local high school as well.

Newell is also the current Chair of the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission (MITSC) serving a four (4) year term. He has served two (2) terms as a Tribal Councilor for the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe (2010-2014 and 2014-2018). The Council is the sole governmental structure for the Tribe and Newell works to effect positive change for all who live in Sipayik.

In 2018, Newell received a Master of Science in Linguistics from M.I.T. with a focus on Indigenous languages. He was born and raised by Native-speaking parents, where he learned a lot of his language as a young child.

In describing himself, Lewey writes, “I am a father and grandfather who is concerned about my family’s future and the future of all our People... we must find the connection and roots back to our language, culture, and land.” Newell has been in recovery and following the traditional ways of the Passamaquoddy for more than thirty-eight (38) years.

Kara McCrimmon has been with Cobscook Institute since 2004, and currently serves as a Co-Executive Director at Cobscook Institute as well as the Director of Cobscook Experiential Programs. She is part of the teaching team for Cobscook Experiential Program for High School Students (a high school pathway offered in partnership with Calais High School), and was part of the team that brought the Cobscook Program to life in 2010. She holds a BS in geology from Western Michigan University and a MS in Environmental Education from Lesley University. She’s a Registered Maine Guide, an American Canoe Association certified instructor, Wilderness First Responder, Maine Master Naturalist, and has Professional Maine 7-12 Teaching Certifications in Social Studies and Physical Science. With deep experience in experiential education, Kara is interested in leveraging the power of relational ways of being to serve students and instructors in co-creating teaching and learning environments.