Maine Enterprise Schools is designed as a network of interdependent sites, each incorporating a public school and an enterprise incubator. Our model builds on successful "economies of small scale" practices that enable replicable structures to be created and maintained in the service of multiple sites.
MES' non-profit business model is fully sustainable (meaning it derives all operating costs from revenue, rather than grants) at the 8-10 site scale (serving 800-1000 students, still smaller than many Maine high schools) and incubating 3-8 micro-enterprises per site in the bargain.
Our "asset-based community development" approach requires three elements to move from idea to reality: a public school partner, a site, and a non-profit host. Such collaborations require time and shift with some frequency and unpredictability. Communities where we've had "solid" partnership conversations involving at least one, and usually two of our three key elements, include:
Bowdoinham/Brunswick/Harpswell
Lewiston/Auburn
Camden/Rockport
Skowhegan area (Good Will-Hinckley)
Greenville
For now, we are concentrating on the MidCoast and Cumberland/North Yarmouth proposals, with the intention of adding 2-3 sites each year for the next 3-5 years. If you have a site, school district, or non-profit partnership you think should be part of our network, please contact John at www.mainefarmschool.org
