Maine-SMART High School Research Sessions at USM-Portland
Join us for a week of research & learning this summer on the University of Southern Maine – Portland campus! Maine-SMART High School Research sessions give participants the opportunity to conduct research within one of Maine’s seven “Targeted Technology Sectors”, which represent fields that are economically critical for the state of Maine. While students will be immersed in these fields and interacting with industry professionals, the core of the Maine-SMART sessions is to expose participants to all aspects of the research process. During these sessions, students will also gain relevant skills & build confidence in their abilities to succeed in STEM fields.
These are week-long sessions, running between July 6th & August 7th, 2026 on the USM-Portland campus. Please explore the section below for links to the registration page for each of the 5 sessions.
Please note, these sessions require students to have an evaluation form filled out by one of their teachers, to vouch for their academic readiness for these sessions. All participants must currently be enrolled in their sophomore or junior year of high school. All participants must be of good academic standing and capable of participating in an intense academic week-long program.
Registration Pages
July 6th – July 10th, 2026
When: Monday, July 6th through Friday, July 10th 2026
9:00am to 3:30pm each day
Where: University of Southern Maine – Portland Campus
96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103
Who: For rising juniors & seniors in southern Maine high schools
Cost: $50
July 13th – July 17th, 2026
When: Monday, July 13th through Friday, July 17th 2026
9:00am to 3:30pm each day
Where: University of Southern Maine – Portland Campus
96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103
Who: For rising juniors & seniors in southern Maine high schools
Cost: $50
July 20th – July 24th, 2026
When: Monday, July 20th through Friday, July 24th 2026
9:00am to 3:30pm each day
Where: University of Southern Maine – Portland Campus
96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103
Who: For rising juniors & seniors in southern Maine high schools
Cost: $50
July 27th – July 31st, 2026
When: Monday, July 27th through Friday, July 31st 2026
9:00am to 3:30pm each day
Where: University of Southern Maine – Portland Campus
96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103
Who: For rising juniors & seniors in southern Maine high schools
Cost: $50
August 3rd – August 7th, 2026
When: Monday, August 3rd through Friday, August 7th 2026
9:00am to 3:30pm each day
Where: University of Southern Maine – Portland Campus
96 Falmouth Street, Portland, ME 04103
Who: For rising juniors & seniors in southern Maine high schools
Cost: $50
Teacher Recommendation Form (Link)
Required Form for Registration
After registration, students will be required to fill out the above form and upload it to their UltraCamp (registration software) portal to confirm participation. Eligibility for participation is dependent on the submission of this form. There are two ways to complete this form:
- Portland Public Schools Password: If you have received a registration password from a teacher/staff member from one of the Portland Public Schools, then you may enter that on the first page, and bypass the second page completely.
- Teacher Recommendation: Otherwise, the perspective student will need to have one of their teachers fill out the second page to attest to the student’s capability to participate in the program.
Please print, fill out, & scan this document or fill out digitally. It can then be uploaded into UltraCamp. After registration, you should see this as an “incomplete task” on your account, which is completed by uploading this form.
After the form is uploaded, staff will review the submitted forms to confirm participation. If the form is not uploaded before the session starts, or if a form is uploaded without a teacher recommendation/password, the student will not be able to participate. Please contact us with any questions.
Learning Research
Participants of these sessions will gain a more in-depth understanding of the principles of research – which is achieved through conducting classroom level research focusing on one of the State of Maine targeted technology sectors (see below). Our mission is to increase understanding of the research process, and to build critical skills by having students conduct research in relevant fields. Students will interact with university faculty & industry professionals involved in relevant research, and will participate in mentored research projects.
Targeted Technology Sessions
Each year, these sessions will focus on different subjects, informed by the fields that the state of Maine as identified as “Targeted Technology Sectors”.
In 2026, we will be focusing on algae growth research. Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with different algae species, under different conditions, such as growth media, agitation, and and environmental factors. This session will also take advantage of the resources available on the USM-Portland campus.
Maine-SMART
These sessions are a part of the Maine-SMART project, and run in partnership with Portland Public Schools. This project, also known as E-CORE RII: Strengthening Maine’s Research Ecosystem and Pathways Through Strategic Capacity Building, is a Nation Science Foundation-funded program that seeks to grow Maine’s research & development ecosystem. Our participation focuses on the core goal of “increasing the number of students entering STEM fields” and “broadening participation in STEM fields and careers”.
STEM camps
USM STEM offers summer camp programs for ages 7-17, at locations across the state of Maine. Check out our current sessions, including the Maine-SMART High School Research sessions, below.
Employment
Come work for us this summer! We’re hiring STEM summer employees to serve multiple roles.
Get in touch
Questions? Get in touch! Find our contact info below.