Maine Downtown Institute and Other Educational Programming

Essential training for every community leader

What do beautiful historic facades, eye-catching window displays, occupied upper floors, parades and fun family events, thriving local businesses, tantalizing restaurants, increased tax base, and renewed civic pride have in common? DOWNTOWN!

Maine Downtown Center educational programming includes: webinars, Maine Downtown Institutes and other special programming as needed. The educational opportunities provide the essential training every community leader must know to boost the local downtown economy and leave a lasting legacy. These interactive, affordable and fun sessions provide in-depth learning based on the nationally-proven Main Street Four-Point Approach ® model for downtown revitalization and emerging issues. Sessions are presented by skilled professionals within and outside Maine.

Who should attend? Everyone involved with downtown revitalization efforts including all local program staff, committee and board members, volunteers, small businesses, municipal planners, economic development professionals and elected officials and property owners.

Educational sessions provide: ideas, tools, resources and inspiration needed to help effectively tackle the challenges and opportunities facing downtown organizations and appointed committees.

See Events for upcoming programming.

Past Downtown Institutes and Educational Trainings

December 11, 2019: Building Downtown Networks that Foster Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Place: Margaret Chase Smith Library, Skowhegan
No charge for this workshop, lunch provided.
Hosted by Maine Downtown Center and Maine Community Foundation.

Handouts from this event:

December 4, 2019: Engaging Communities in Difficult Conversations

Johnson Hall, Gardiner, Maine
Hosted by Maine Downtown Center
Thank you to Elmina B. Sewall Foundation
We will define public engagement, explore the need for engagement (particularly dialogue based interactions in local communities and downtowns), and provide opportunities to practice engaging in difficult conversations. This workshop will include introductory exposure to facilitation skills, as well as provide a small toolkit with some resources to continue learning about and engaging in effective public dialogue.
Handouts from this event:

Agenda Dec 4, 2019
Presenter Slides Dec 4, 2019
Resources:

October 8, 2019: Data That Drives Decisions

Join us for a quick learning opportunity exploring the different types of downtown surveys, how to collect and use data and how it can guide your downtown efforts. Anne Ball, MDC Program Director, will be joined by Delilah Poupore, Director, Heart of Biddeford to share how Biddeford is successfully doing this work.
Handouts from this event:

2018 HOB Downtown Business Survey
2018 River Jam Survey
Augusta Consumer Survey 2010
Biddeford Restaurant Week 1 Minute Survey
National Main Street Center Sample Intercept Survey
Saco Consumer Survey
Webinar video link

September 10, 2019: MDC Quick Learning Webinar: Community Visioning Highlighting Gorham and Bucksport

A 45 minute webinar highlighting the community visioning process in two Maine Downtown Affiliates, Gorham and Bucksport. President of Gorham Village Alliance, Kathy Garrard and Director of Main Street Bucksport, Brook Minner, will join MDC Program Director, Anne Ball to discuss each of their approaches to downtown visioning. The conversation will include all aspects of the process from hiring a contractor, community surveys, interviews, community meetings and reporting on the outcomes as well as how Gorham and Bucksport are using their results.
Handouts from this event:

Presentation Slides: Community Visioning Process
Webinar Recording Link
Gorham Village Alliance Vision 2019
Gorham Village Alliance Community Visioning Meeting Responses
Bucksport Heart & Soul Values
Main Street Bucksport Strategic Plan
Gorham Village Alliance Volunteer Card

March 20, 2019: Hiring Workers From the Justice System: Maine Downtown Institute

Informative and inspirational session sharing experience, strategies and opportunities to recruit and train people returning to the workforce. Staff from the Maine Department of Corrections, Rockland Main Street, and the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce will present how employers may get involved in hiring “work release” individuals and workforce training possibilities inside secure facilities like the Maine State Prison so offenders can learn employer-specific job skills prior to release. Panel discussions will include both local employers who have experienced successful job placement with this population plus stories from offenders about their work release placements.
Handouts from this event:

Speaker contact information
Engineering Crew Employee Rules