Calendar of Events

Building Hope: Ending Homelessness in Maine Film Screening & Discussion
2026-03-02 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101
Join the School of Social Work and Spurwink for a free screening of Building Hope: Ending Homelessness in Maine followed by a panel discussion.
View the film trailer here
Find more information at the Building Hope website here

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE FATE OF THE WORLD
2026-03-05 17:30 - 20:30 | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
An electrifying global history of a not-so local war.

When we think of the American Revolution, we often picture a parochial drama: thirteen colonies squaring off against the British Crown in a spirited bid for independence. But this version of the story is only half the truth—and perhaps not even the most interesting half. In this riveting program, historian and author Richard Bell invites audiences to rediscover the Revolution as a world war that unleashed chaos, opportunity, and transformation across six continents. From the sugar fields of the Caribbean to the court of the King of Mysore, from refugee camps on the Canadian frontier to political uprisings in Sierra Leone and Peru, the war that gave birth to the United States was never simply America’s own. It was a seismic global event that redrew maps, toppled hierarchies, catalyzed migration, and accelerated new movements for liberty—and for empire.

In this program, Bell traces the far-flung reverberations of the war through the lives of the people it displaced, empowered, or destroyed. Participants will encounter a Native matriarch struggling to preserve a transatlantic military alliance, a Prussian officer reinventing himself in a foreign army, and a Boston schoolteacher shipwrecked thousands of miles from home. Along the way, Bell explores how the Revolution stirred a transoceanic refugee crisis, ignited antislavery activism, and inspired uprisings from Ireland to India. The program offers a bold new framework for understanding the Revolutionary War not as a tidy founding moment but as a sprawling, high-stakes struggle fought on land and sea, shaped by commerce, diplomacy, propaganda, and contingency. This is the American Revolution as you’ve never seen it before: complex, global, and astonishingly relevant to the modern world.

Date: Thursday, March 5th, 2026
Location: Hannaford Hall, Abromson Center, University of Southern Maine (Portland Campus)
Time: 5:30 pm reception, 6 pm lecture and 7:30 pm book signing.
Free and open to the public [parking in garages or lots @$4.15/hour].

Lecture: Accessible Arts Education
2026-03-05 19:30 - 21:00 | Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Accessible Arts Education: Personal, Philosophical, Political, and Practical Perspectives on Arts Education for People with Disabilities
Learn about Dr. Rhoda Bernard’s work in Accessible Arts Education in this session, where we will consider various perspectives on arts education for people with disabilities.
Dr. Rhoda Bernard is the Founding Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education and the Assistant Chair of the Music Education Department at Berklee College of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Music with academic honors in jazz voice from New England Conservatory. She earned both her Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Bernard regularly presents keynote presentations and research at conferences throughout the U.S. and abroad, and she provides professional development workshops for educators in local, national, and international forums. Her book, Accessible Arts Education: Principles, Habits, and Strategies to Unleash Every Student’s Creativity and Learning was published in September 2025. Her work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous journals. Bernard has been honored with the Irene Buck Service to Arts Education Award from Arts|Learning (2023), the Berklee Urban Service Award (2017), the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award (2011), the Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Spirit Award (2007), and the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention (Second Place) from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. An active arts education advocate, she is the immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts, and she serves on its speakers bureau. A vocalist and pianist who specializes in jazz music and Jewish music in Yiddish and Hebrew, she performs regularly with a number of klezmer bands and has recorded two CDs with the band Klezamir.
This event is free and open to the public.
Co-sponsored with the Maine Music Educators Association

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Reserve Your Parking

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

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Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.

"What About This?" Innovation Challenge Pitch Event
2026-03-08 15:00 - 18:00 | Wishcamper Center, 34 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us in Wishcamper Center Room 102 for the Innovation Challenge Pitch Event! Spectators are welcome to watch challenge teams pitch their ideas to our panel of judges!
“What About This?” is more than a competition; it’s the intersection of entrepreneurial thinking and modern technology. Over the course of an exciting weekend, student teams will receive a challenge prompt, develop a bold solution using all available tools, and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges.
At stake? A chance to represent USM at Iceland Innovation Week in Reykjavik and an opportunity to experience a global community of innovators.
Learn more about the Innovation Challenge, open to all USM undergraduate students, at whataboutthis.me.

From D.C. to Downeast: Avoiding a Debt Crisis
2026-03-12 17:30 - 19:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101
The national debt is reaching historic levels and is growing at an unsustainable rate. What does that mean for us here in Maine?
From the stability of Social Security and Medicare to the effect on interest rates, student loans, and housing, the consequences of our debt trajectory affect us all. Join us for an engaging educational forum featuring a panel of federal and state experts for a non-partisan deep dive into our fiscal trajectory and the path toward sustainability, in-person or on zoom.
The Muskie School of Public Service invites you to a panel discussion to explore:
The Drivers: What factors are pushing the national debt to new heights?
The Maine Connection: How do federal budgetary policy and fiscal uncertainty impact our state economy?
A Path Forward: Policy ideas for building a sustainable fiscal future.
The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session, providing an opportunity to ask the experts questions and join in on the conversation.

Masterclass with Henry Kramer, piano
2026-03-23 11:00 - 13:00 | Crewe Center for the Arts, 111 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Presented in collaboration with Portland Ovations
Join Cape Elizabeth native and internationally award winning pianist Henry Kramer for a morning masterclass with students in the Osher School of Music piano program.

This event is free and open to the public.

Event Details
Parking
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session to park on campus. We recommend reserving your parking in advance at https://events.parkengage.com/usm.
For easy access to the Crewe Center for the Arts, choose either Parking Garage 1 (attached to the Abromson Community Education Center), Lot P1 (off of Bedford St. by Luther Bonney) or Lot P6 (off of Exeter St. or Deering Ave by the former Maine Law building).
Reserve Your Parking

Disability Access and Accommodations
If you have questions about disability access or need to request disability accommodations (e.g. sign language interpreters, materials in electronic format, etc.), please contact Hanna Flewelling at (207) 780-5256 or hanna.flewelling@maine.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for the accommodation process.

Subscribe to our patron newsletter to stay up-to-date on all Osher School of Music events.
Join the Osher School of Music as a volunteer usher.

Future Leaders' Voices: Student Perspectives on Pluralism and Democracy in America
2026-03-25 17:00 - 18:30 | Hannaford Hall — Abromson Community Education Center, 88 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Our USM Forum on American Democracy concludes with an evening centered on the voices of students — our next generation of civic leaders. In this culminating event, our Forum Scholars will share their reflections on pluralism and democracy in today’s America.
Forum Scholars are students nominated by USM’s three college deans for their interest in leadership and civic life. Over the course of the year, they participated in a seminar with President Edmondson, engaging deeply with the ideas presented throughout the Forum on American Democracy series. This event will showcase their perspectives, insights, and visions for a more inclusive and democratic future.
Join us in celebrating their contributions — and in listening to the thoughtful, challenging, and hopeful ideas they bring to the table.

This event is free and open to the public, and registration is required in advance.

Meeting friends for the event? Wander over the street to the Husky Brew in the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success for a drink, coffee, or bite before or after the event!

About the Forum Scholars
The Forum Scholars program brings together a select group of students from across USM’s colleges for a year-long exploration of democratic ideals, civic responsibility, and pluralism. Through readings, discussions, and dialogue with campus and national leaders, these students deepen their understanding of what it means to lead in a complex, diverse society.
Each Forum Scholar will be recognized during the event and presented with a certificate honoring their participation and contributions.

About the Forum
The USM Forum on American Democracy is a year-long public series designed to engage the University of Southern Maine (USM) and the broader community in thoughtful conversations on the foundations and future of a democratic society. Hosted by President Edmondson, the Forum invites multiple perspectives on timely civic topics through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and campus-wide engagement.
Check out the full event series

Special Thanks
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Pond Family Foundation.

Leadership Beyond Graduation
2026-03-31 12:00 - 14:00 | McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME, 04101
Curious how USM prepares students for life after graduation? Join a panel of recent alumni as they reflect on how their time at USM shaped their leadership and career paths.

This event is open to all students! Lunch will be provided, and all attendees will have a chance to win a raffle! Registration is required in advance.

O'Brien Poetry Event
2026-04-16 15:30 - 18:00 | McGoldrick Center, 35 Bedford Street, Portland, United States
The O’Brien Poetry Event will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026 in the McGoldrick Center, Salons A/B/C, Portland. There will be an informal Q&A session from 3:30-4:30 pm and the reading will begin at 5:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Sign Language Interpreting services will be provided. This event is free and open to the public. Click here to add this event to your calendar.
Ilya Kaminsky was born in Odesa, Ukraine in 1977, and arrived in the United States in 1993, when his family was granted asylum by the American government.
He is the author of Deaf Republic (Graywolf Press) and Dancing In Odessa (Tupelo Press) and co-editor and co-translated many other books, including Ecco Anthology of International Poetry (Harper Collins), In the Hour of War: Poems from Ukraine (Arrowsmith), and Dark Elderberry Branch: Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva (Alice James Books). His work was the finalist for The National Book Award and won The Los Angeles Times Book Award, The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, The National Jewish Book Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, The Whiting Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Metcalf Award, Lannan Fellowship, Academy of American Poets’ Fellowship, NEA Fellowship, Poetry magazine’s Levinson Prize, and was also shortlisted for National Book Critics Circle Award, Neustadt International Literature Prize, and T.S. Eliot Prize (UK).
Ilya Kaminsky has worked as a law clerk for San Francisco Legal Aid and the National Immigration Law Center. More recently, he worked pro-bono as the Court Appointed Special Advocate for Orphaned Children in Southern California. Currently he is a Professor and Director of Princeton’s Creative Writing Program.

Academic Film Showcase
2026-05-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Talbot Lecture Hall — Luther Bonney Hall, 85 Bedford St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Communication and Media Studies’ annual Academic Film Showcase is rolling out the red carpet.
What’s on the reel? Work from students studying video production in the following courses during this academic year:

CMS 203/204: Intro to Video Production
CMS 340/341: Narrative Filmmaking
CMS 326: Special Effects and Animation
CMS 440/441: Advanced Narrative Filmmaking

Join us!
Date: May 5
Time: 5:00-7:00 PM
Location: Talbot Auditorium, Luther Bonney, Portland Campus
