Educational Studies | College of the Atlantic

College of the Atlantic

Learning, teaching, and educational change rooted in experience

Educational Studies at COA begin with the belief that learning is deeply connected to the places we inhabit, the communities we belong to, and the relationships we build. Grounded in the college’s distinctive human-ecological framework, the program invites students to design a personalized course of study that integrates education with their passions. Through close faculty mentorship, small classes, and extensive field experiences, students develop the knowledge and confidence to become thoughtful, reflective educators who see learning as a force for individual and community transformation.

Learning at COA extends beyond the classroom. Students work within local schools, museums, community organizations, and outdoor education programs, using the landscapes and communities of Mount Desert Island as living laboratories for teaching and learning. The program emphasizes experiential, place-based education that encourages students to connect theory with practice while exploring how education can strengthen relationships among people, cultures, and the natural world. Whether studying in Acadia National Park, collaborating with community partners, or designing interdisciplinary projects, students learn to create meaningful educational experiences rooted in curiosity, connection, and care.

Educational Studies prepares graduates for a wide range of careers where learning happens. Students may pursue Maine teacher certification in elementary, secondary, or PK–12 art education, while others design pathways leading to careers in museum education, environmental and outdoor education, community organizations, educational policy, international education, and other informal learning settings. Whether the goal is to become teachers or create learning experiences in schools, museums, outdoor programs, or community organizations, Educational Studies graduates learn how to make education more inclusive by valuing students’ diverse identities, lived experiences, cultures, and ways of learning and helping to create communities where everyone belongs.

For those seeking classroom teaching certification, COA’s Educational Studies Program is approved by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to grant Maine Initial Teaching Certification for PK–12 Art Education, Elementary Education (grades PK-6) or Secondary Education (grades 7–12) in Life Science, Social Studies, or English Language Arts. Students interested in teaching in other areas, such as world languages or mathematics, can pursue certification via an MDOE transcript analysis. Maine is part of an inter-state agreement so that certification in Maine extends to almost every US state and territory. Review the classroom teaching certification requirements here.

Local partners

In order to offer an experiential and placed based education in learning and teaching, COA collaborates with local public and private schools and community organizations like the Abbe Museum, Acadia National Park, The Community School of Mount Desert Island, Healthy Acadia, and Willowind Therapeutic Riding Center. Many of our classes are taught by local teachers, so students learn from expert practitioners. Almost all education classes involve visits to one or more area schools. Fieldwork, practica, service learning, and school observations ensure that classroom learning is grounded in the daily experiences of Pre-K-12 teachers and students. Recent student teachers have taught at local schools as well as in Portland, Maine, and New York City.

Education and society

Many are drawn to education classes because they want to learn about the central role that education plays in forming and informing individuals and communities. Education classes are interdisciplinary and wide-ranging. For example, Changing Schools, Changing Society examines the potential and limits of education as an instrument of enlightened progress and lasting positive social, cultural, and environmental change.

Reminder: Areas of study aren’t the only way to think about courses. Browse and explore here.

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Human ecology and educational studies

The conceptual framework that guides the program elaborates the ways that human ecology informs the theory, research, and practices of learning and teaching in education systems that we aspire to realize.

Our mission is to “develop creative, knowledgeable, collaborative, and critically reflective educators who will bring intellectual passion and ecological wisdom into their teaching. To this end, students engage in a self-designed, interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizing early and on-going experiences in both formal and informal educational settings.”

Teacher engaging students with materials.

Faculty

Adjunct faculty

Many of our classes are taught by adjunct faculty who are experienced educators in the local school system.

Kelley Sanborn. Special Education Teacher—Students with Unique Needs, MDI Regional School System. Supporting Students with Disabilities.
Tara McKernan, M.Ed., LCPC. School-Based Mental Health Specialist, Mount Desert Elementary School. Human Growth and Learning.
Tonya Prentice, M.S., NBC. Middle School (Fifth through Eighth Grade) Science Teacher, Tremont Consolidated School. Integrated Methods II: Math, Science, and Social Studies (team-taught with Fuller).
Ashley Stanley. Kindergarten Teacher, Tremont Consolidated School. Integrated Methods I: Reading and Writing (team-taught with Linda Fuller).
Carol Null, M.Ed., Ph.D. Kindergarten Teacher, Pemetic Elementary School. Children’s Literature