Elaine Small

Commissioner Makin to Honor Southern Aroostook Community School Employee with Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award on April 14

Southern Aroostook Community School Administrative Assistant Elaine Small Selected as the RISE State Finalist and will be Considered by the US DOE for National Recognition

Dyer Brook, ME—Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin will join Southern Aroostook Community School leaders and staff to honor Administrative Assistant Elaine Small with the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award for the extraordinary contributions she has made to students, educators, and the community. 

Whether it’s spearheading fundraisers to support students’ post-secondary aspirations, participating in community events, providing support to a variety of staff, or working alongside colleagues to coordinate bus routes, Small makes a huge impact each day on the students and staff around her.   

Created by Congress in 2019 and overseen by the U.S. Department of Education, the prestigious RISE Award honors non-teaching school employees who provide exemplary service. Small is one of 10 finalists out of nearly 90 exceptional nominees submitted to the Maine Department of Education (DOE) by colleagues and community members and has been selected to represent Maine for consideration in the national RISE Award. The U.S. Department of Education will announce one national honoree this spring.   

WHAT: Announcing and Honoring Maine’s Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) State Finalist   

WHO: Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin, Southern Aroostook Community School leaders, students, and staff, community and family members, and representatives from the Maine Department of Education (DOE). 

WHEN: Friday, April 14, 2023, 12:30pm (Cameras please arrive by 12:20)   

WHERE: Southern Aroostook Community School 922 Dyer Brook Road Dyer Brook, ME

See press release here:

https://www.maine.gov/doe/educ...