The Mission’s class of 2028 Davis Maine Scholars have selected colleges to begin the 2024-2025 school year. Through the generosity of Andrew Davis and the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, these four students from Washington County and eastern Hancock County have earned full, four-year scholarships and will pursue undergraduate studies at one of three partner colleges: Clark University (MA), University of New England (ME), and Wheaton College (MA).  

Mission President John Zavodny says, “Our partnership with Mr. Davis and the Fund is grounded by a shared belief in Downeast youth. Each one of these deserving young people has had an inspiring educational journey. The Mission is proud to help support their next chapter.” 

The class of 2028 Scholars include:  

MacKenzie Schors from East Machias, ME 

Machias Memorial High School 

Studying Nursing at University of New England 

Child of Wendy and Sam Schors  

Brisa Ortiz Garcia from Milbridge, ME 

Narraguagus Jr./Sr. High School 

Studying Dental Hygiene at University of New England 

Child of Clemencia Garcia and Leobardo Ortiz  

Maine Seacoast Mission is pleased to congratulate our Class of 2024 high school graduates and Davis Maine Scholars, their families, and their communities. Founder Andrew Davis shares, “The third cohort of Davis Maine Scholars have remained driven during their school careers. These four young people will excel  and I could not be more excite to track their progress. First-generation students are inspiring, and we have so much to learn from them.” 

In addition to the extraordinary financial support they receive, Davis Maine Scholars receive guidance during the length of their undergraduate careers to ensure a successful transition to college and completion of an undergraduate degree within four years.  

On a summer day with temperatures in the high 80s, kids at EdGE summer camps were not letting the heat ruin their fun. At Harrington Elementary School, campers spent the afternoon moving from the basketball court and playground to classroom craft stations. In Addison at D.W. Merritt Elementary School, students went from creating a game in the sun to Snap Circuits inside. And in Machias at Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School, a group of students listened to a story read by a staff member from the Ark Animal Shelter (with a special furry guest) under the pavilion and then moved indoors to create a unicorn craft.  

At Harrington, Youth Development Coordinator Don Parker jokes with a student about her kitten shirt as she gets a drink of water. At Rose M. Gaffney, students pepper Youth Development Coordinator Katie Mahoney with questions about an upcoming pirate-themed scavenger hunt. In Addison, Youth Development Coordinator Karen Bailey, slips between classrooms chatting with kids and staff, offering students a break from the heat outside.  

The Mission’s EdGE program runs three camps each summer in Washington County for students in grades K-8. Each camp is slightly different, but they all offer similar experiences for students: crafts, STEM activities, and time outdoors to play and explore, as well as field trips and excursions. This year, the Maine Discovery Museum taught campers about space, Healthy Acadia ran cooking classes at two camps, and the MDI Biological Laboratory brought microscopes so students could learn more about science. Campers also explore their own communities. During camps they go on hikes, kayak, and hit the new challenge course on the Mission’s Downeast Campus. A Maine Coast Heritage Trust steward took campers on hikes to a local preserve and other students attended the Monteux Children’s Concert in Hancock.  

“Each time I visited camps this summer, I enjoyed hearing the excitement and laughter from the children as they enjoyed their camp day,” says EdGE Primary Program Director Isaac Marnik. “The Mission has a great team of staff that lets the children have a wonderful summer camp experience.” 

These summer camps continue to provide children with the same support the EdGE program offers throughout the year. Students challenge themselves, engage with their communities, explore the outdoors, and gain social and leadership skills. For working parents, the summer camps give them a local option for their kids to spend the day. The Mission also offers all campers the option to have a free breakfast and lunch through the Maine Department of Education as well as snacks during the day and with scholarships available to families, the camps are open to any student, regardless of their financial status.  

In addition to these summer camps, EdGE offers afterschool programs at seven elementary schools in Washington County as well as in-school programming including the Marion Kane Leadership program.  

“Maine’s islands have offered creative inspiration for as long as people have lived on them. The Island Reader is in a unique position to showcase art for islanders who may not necessarily have other options to do so,” Cornman explains. “The work of young artists, whether in age or experience, is published beside the work of those who have created for years. The common denominator for the work is its reflection of island life. Every piece offers a glimpse into the artist’s experience as an islander.” 

From July 1 to January 15, 2025, the editorial team welcomes submissions for the 19th “Island Time” edition. Submissions of visual art, poetry, and prose are accepted from writers and artists living on unbridged Maine islands.  

To order a hard copy of the 18th edition or to see virtual copies of previous editions, visit The Island Reader page. 

Flip through the 1913 edition of Sigma Kappa Sorority’s The Triangle newsletter, and you will find Sigma Kappa alumna and assistant missionary to the Mission Hannah Powell requesting the help of her sisters. She wrote, “Would the Sigma sisters minister with their presence? Would they share gifts of teaching, of music, of housewifery…Would they do it, not for a day but for a whole summer, or – for a life?” The answer was an emphatic yes, and in 1918, Sigma Kappa Sorority chose the Mission as their national philanthropy. This year, as Sigma Kappa celebrates their 150th birthday, the organization, and generations of sisters still actively support Maine Seacoast Mission.  

When the sorority chose the Mission as its philanthropic partner, they began to financially support Mission workers who were usually Sigma Kappa sisters that taught on Maine’s islands. For many years, the Mission’s Annual Report listed a “Sigma Kappa Worker” in the staff roll who did work just like Lucy King. Some sisters have also written reports from the sorority supporting the Mission. 

While “Sigma Kappa Worker” is no longer a position, the sorority remains a large supporter of the Mission. Sisters donate regularly to the Scholarships program and the organization and sisters are some of the largest supporters of the Christmas Program. Sisters not only help with material support; they also have donated their time.  

A few years ago, the Sigma Kappa Foundation wanted to create an opportunity for sisters to participate in a deeply important to the Sorority: service. In 2023, the first group of collegiates and alumnae volunteered with the Housing Improvement, Food Security, and Christmas programs on our Downeast Campus in Cherryfield. Another group came this year, to help with these programs again.  

In addition to doing work in the Downeast area, the groups went on the Sunbeam V for planned service trips to an island. Each group huddled on the bow to snap a photograph reminiscent of one taken in the 1950s on Sunbeam III. Few groups can boast a more than 100-year partnership. The Mission is delighted to have a key partner for longer that shares the same values and it can call a friend.  

Join the Mission this summer and tour our  74-foot service boat, the Sunbeam, this summer. Each Friday from July 5 to August 30 at 1:00 p.m., the public is welcome aboard the boat in Northeast Harbor marina. Visitors will learn about the organization’s history and its programming on unbridged islands and in the Downeast region. 

During the tour, attendees will glimpse Sunbeam’s inner workings, learn the Mission’s history of service, and understand what is needed to provide year-round services to island communities. 

“The Sunbeam is recognizable to many,” Mission President John Zavodny remarks, “While she visits with Maine islanders often, we’re excited to welcome the public aboard to learn more about the essential work that happens aboard the boat.” 

These kid-friendly tours are free and open to the public. Each tour lasts 20 minutes. Those interested in attending may sign up at Great Harbor Maritime Museum in Northeast Harbor or contact the Mission at (207) 801-6008 or email events@seacoastmission.org. Please note the town dock and ramp are not accessible to wheelchairs. Visitors should be able to maneuver up and down stairs. 

Great Harbor Maritime Museum’s exhibit “Beacons of Hope” shares highlights of Maine Seacoast Mission, from its founding in 1905 to present day. This is the second year the museum has highlighted the Mission and its archives. 

The exhibition traces the Mission’s history by featuring information and artifacts documenting the seven Mission boats and healthcare services and outreach to islands, lighthouses, and coastal communities. Some of the items on display include models of Sunbeam III and Sunbeam IV, a portable dentist chair bought by the Mission in 1931, and hooked rugs made by the Mission’s Hooked Rug Department in the 1930s. There are also other photos and artifacts that highlight the work done by Mission employees including nurses, boat captains, and more.

“The Mission’s vast archive covers a period of more than 115 years. From captains’ hats to our remarkable hooked rugs to thousands of handwritten journals and reports from longtime employees. It’s an honor to showcase a small part of this collection with our neighbors at the Great Harbor Maritime Museum,” says Mission President John Zavodny.

Sunbeam tours will take place at 1:00 p.m. every Friday in July and August. These kid-friendly tours are free and open to the public. Each tour lasts 20 minutes. Those interested in attending may sign up at Great Harbor Maritime Museum in Northeast Harbor or contact the Mission at (207) 801-6008 or email events@seacoastmission.org. Please note the town dock and ramp are not accessible to wheelchairs. Visitors should be able to maneuver up and down stairs.