History

MeANS: History In The Making

MeANS welcomed our first students in the fall of 2011 on the grounds of the Good Will-Hinckley School in Hinckley, Maine. MeANS was the first Maine high school to focus purely on the natural sciences with the purpose of inspiring and engaging students from more than 30 Maine school districts. 

Founded by Emanuel Pariser and a group of well-meaning educators and community members, MeANS works with a wide range of students left behind by traditional learning models. Serving 20 students in its’ first year, MeANS has grown by leaps and bounds while keeping the needs of individual students first and foremost. 

The Threshold educational program was added to the MeANS curriculum in 2017 and works with youth experiencing challenges to in-person learning, making it an early pioneer of remote learning, which has become much more common in recent years. 

We work with a diverse range of students to help them fulfill their potential, re-engage with their education, and become critical thinkers and problem solvers. Overall, our school has made history since day one for project-based learning, strong student-teacher connections, and building a connection with nature that lasts students a lifetime.