Welcome to Maine’s Pathways to Partnerships (P2P) Grant Website! We’re glad you’re here! On this site you can learn about resources for preparing for college, careers, and independent living. Whether you are a student, family member, educator or service provider, we can help with the pathway to adult living.
What's New
- 5/1/2025: Grant enrollment underway in Houlton and Belfast school districts!
- 9/29/2023: Maine Awarded $7.6 Million Pathways to Partnership Grant
Upcoming Meetings and Events
| Date | Meeting/Event | Website |
|---|---|---|
| July 18, 2025 | Disability Pride Day, Augusta, ME | Disability Pride 2025 |
| September 23 & 24, 2025 | SUFU Conference (Speaking Up for Us) Bangor, ME | SUFU Conference |
| October 20 & 21, 2025 | MADSEC Fall Conference |
P2P Success Stories!
P2P Grant Team Engages Youth in Building Skills for “Getting Around Maine” at June Teen Conference
The Pathways to Partnerships(P2P) team was invited to present at the Youth Leadership Advisory Team’s (YLAT) 35th Annual Teen Conference “Bright Beginnings, Growing Stronger Together”, held this year on June 25th at Colby College. YLAT is a dynamic group of young leaders and adult partners working together to improve outcomes for youth in foster care.
P2P Grant Manager Becky Okolita, Maine Parent Federation Youth Coordinator Dylan Campbell and Alpha One Independent Living Specialist Caleb Jones collaborated to offer a fun and engaging workshop on “Getting Around Maine”. As they completed the skill-building activities, the young people shared the challenges they face in their daily lives – from limited public transportation, to budgeting for car ownership and maintenance.
Youth left the session with new resources and tools to help them meet their transportation needs in their own communities – and they all enjoyed closing out the session with a chance to explore AlphaOne’s adaptive driver’s ed vehicle which was onsite!
Capacity Building Institute Offers Unique Learning and Planning Opportunity for Maine P2P Team
The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: the Collaborative (NTACT:C) hosted representatives from Maine’s P2P Core and Advisory Teams at this Spring’s Capacity Building Institute “Cultivating Growth – from Seed to Bloom” in Charlotte. Agencies and programs represented included: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Alpha One – Maine’s Center for Independent Living, Office of Aging and Disability Services, and Maine Parent Federation. The Institute featured intensive learning sessions alongside facilitated state team times. The group was very excited to hear from other Disability Innovation Fund grants as well as national experts in the field of transition. During state planning time, the group made progress on work towards an interagency “transition portal” – work that will continue with input from additional partners this summer! Maine P2P work on Resource Mapping was highlighted in a joint presentation offered with Pennsylvania’s P2P project! The group returned to Maine with stronger interagency working relationships and ready to apply their learning!
Addtional Information
Are you ages 10-24 and interested in participating in P2P? Apply her for enrollment in the Pathways to Partnerships Grant?
Interested in having your school join P2P?
Maine’s Pathways to Partnerships Grant will be enrolling additional school districts during the life of the grant. If you are interested in learning more about how your district can become a P2P school and access innovative services and strategies for your students with disabilities ages 10-22, we invite you to complete this form to set up a time to talk with our team.
If you have any questions please email p2pgrant@maine.gov.
Maine was awarded a Disability Innovation Fund Grant “Pathways to Partnerships” from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office Special Education and Rehabilitative Services – Rehabilitation Services Administration in the amount of $7.6 million to begin October 1, 2023. The grant required partnership from the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation agency, along with the state’s Education Agency, and the state’s Center for Independent Living (Alpha One). The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) is the lead agency. The grant’s targeted population is children and youth ages 10-24 with disabilities. Maine was one of 20 grantees across the country. Among the grant’s goals are improving outcomes for young people in post-secondary education and Competitive Integrated Employment.
P2P Initiatives & Timelines
Meet the P2P Core Team
- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Maine Department of Labor
- Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education, Maine
- Alpha One, Maine’s Center for Independent Living
- Pilot Schools: RSU 29 & RSU 71
- Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Maine Department of Labor
- Maine Parent Federation
- Northwestern University - Evaluation
- National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: the Collaborative (NTACT:C) – Technical Assistance
Meet the P2P Advisory Team
In addition to Core Partners:
- Diverse Youth Members (2-3)
- Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
- Maine Department of Education (MDOE) – Career and Technical Education
- Maine Health’s Department of Vocational Services - Benefits Counseling Services Team
- Maine Parent Federation
- State Workforce Board
- Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS) Apprenticeship Navigator
- MADSEC
- With support from the Maine’s Children’s Cabinet
The contents of this website were developed under a grant number H421E230028 from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. § § 1221e-3 and 3474).