The University of Maine System (UMS) is growing the next generation of entrepreneurs and the state’s innovation economy by providing free business and budgeting basics to middle and high school students. 

In the pilot year (2024-25) of its partnership with Everfi, the System’s Maine Center delivered entrepreneurial skill development to 348 students across 16 schools in the state, including Camden Hills Regional High School and Oceanside High School.

In the free digital course, which is often incorporated into Maine schools’ financial literacy curriculum and also helps develop personal budgeting skills, according to UMS, students explore key business concepts and then apply their learning by developing a pitch for their own food truck business.   

According to UMS, in a news release, after the training, 71% of Maine students who participated said they now have an interest in starting their own business and 43% said they are “quite” or "extremely" interested. The overwhelming majority also said they feel prepared to identify business opportunities, develop a business plan and calculate the risks of starting a small business.

The 16 schools participating in the pilot year 2024-25 Venture: Entrepreneurial Expedition Participating Schools are:

Camden Hills Regional High School

Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School

Houlton Junior/Senior High School

Lake Region High School

Leonard Middle School

Loring Job Corps

Mt. Ararat Middle School

Narraguagus Junior/Senior High School

Oceanside High School

Portland Arts and Technology High School

Scarborough Middle School

T W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School

Windham Middle School

Winslow High School

Woodland Junior-Senior High School

York High School

To celebrate the expansion this year to more Maine students and dozens more committed schools, Maine Center CEO Seth Goodall will visited an entrepreneurship class at Windham High School on Nov. 19, to judge students’ food truck pitches. He was joined by leaders of Maine Venture Fund (MVF), which has recently partnered with UMS and Everfi to jointly promote student entrepreneurship and its Maine Startup Challenge, a business plan competition to encourage entrepreneurial thinking across all ages. This partnership will allow students to apply their in-school learning through the free course by participating in a statewide business plan competition, the winners of which will be selected in a showcase at the Maine Center in May.

“Through this partnership, Maine’s public universities are empowering educators and inspiring the next generation of innovators who will start businesses, create jobs and strengthen communities across our state,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “Expanding access to this high-impact, hands-on entrepreneurial training reflects our System’s commitment to preparing Maine students for rewarding careers and upward mobility while broadening the small businesses that are the backbone of the state’s economy.”

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), 99.2% of businesses in Maine are considered small, with fewer than 500 employees. 

"UMS is Maine’s most powerful engine of educational attainment and economic development, preparing the workforce and directly supporting hundreds of small businesses to start and grow by improving their products and processes — mostly through the research and innovation enterprise at the R1 University of Maine," said UMS.

According to a new report, in 2024-25, business, management, marketing and related support services majors emerged as the dominant field of study in the System, accounting for 22.8% of all degrees and certificates conferred with 1,679 completions, nearly double the number awarded just five years ago. 

Funded with the support of the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of UMS TRANSFORMS, the Maine Center advances Maine’s economy by supporting market-driven interdisciplinary graduate and professional programs in business, law, policy and engineering across the System and state and providing a hub of innovation at 300 Fore St. in Portland. Goodall, who previously served as the Regional Administrator for the SBA (Region 1) and then led corporate social responsibility at Santander, has been its CEO since 2023. 

“Entrepreneurship is at the heart of Maine’s future, and by engaging students early, we’re helping them see themselves as the problem-solvers and leaders our economy needs to thrive,” said Goodall. “Through our partnership with Everfi and now the Maine Venture Fund, the Maine Center is connecting classrooms to the expertise and energy of the entire University of Maine System — and especially the Maine Business School — so more young Mainers can turn their ideas into impact.”

For more information about how your school can access the free Venture: Entrepreneurial Expedition course through the Maine Center, Everfi and MVF, please contact Jesus Grisanti Clavier at jgrisanti@everfi.com.