Get Involved with Maine Rural Partners
There are several ways to become involved in Maine Rural Partners. Explore this site! Browse our events calendar, and attend the ones that interest you. Search our resource library (coming before the end of 2008!) for best practice community building tools and community success stories.
Sign up for Harvesting Clean Energy to receive our e-newsletters, including notices of other opportunities to engage. We only send notices to those who have requested to be on our lists, so please sign up to be kept informed of MRP activities. It is easy to unsubscribe if you change your mind.
Networks generate initiatives that are managed by project teams. See what’s being explored in the listings below and contact the project leader of the team that interests you most.
Think we’re on the right track? Building sustainable rural communities is long, hard work. There are no quick fixes. Your support enables us to leverage additional resources to strengthen rural Maine communities.
Project Teams
Community Exchange Center (Website) Team
The Community Exchange Center Team provides guidance and oversight for development of all aspects of MRP’s website, including: Community Builders Network, the MRP resource library, rural innovation stories, and events calendar. The Team has quarterly meetings for steering and recommendations. The Team also has interim discussions and decisions electronically to make decisions on website design, function, and resource prioritization. The Team solicits technical assistance as needed and seeks sources of additional resources to support the site. The Team also proposes new initiatives and resource needs to the MRP Board.
Interested in serving on the Community Exchange Center Team? E-mail Lucas.
Community Finance Leadership Team
The Community Finance Leadership Team helps MRP staff identify strategies for increasing investment in Maine’s rural communities. The Leadership Team will provide technical assistance in the development of investment strategies and review proposed strategies for technical soundness. The Leadership Team also may seek to establish State-wide coalition support for sound community investment strategies which require policy change.
Interested in serving on the Community Finance Leadership Team? E-mail Mary Ann.
Farm Energy Partners
The Farm Energy Partners network is a network of providers who promote access to and coordination among programs designed to assist farmers with achieving energy efficiency savings and development of farm-grown energy sources. MRP facilitates the network members, who are developing a diagram of available programs and step-by-step guide for farmers to use in accessing resources. The network will improve access, identify gaps and seek to address unmet needs. Participants include USDA-NRCS, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Efficiency Maine, the Maine Energy Program, Community Energy Partners, Coastal Enterprises, USDA Rural Development, Farm Credit, Maine Farm Bureau, Maine Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and others.
Are you a provider interested in joining the Farm Energy Partners Network? E-mail Mary Ann.
Harness the Wealth! Leadership Team
The Harness the Wealth! Leadership Team provides guidance and oversight for development of all aspects of the Harness the Wealth! outreach program, including: community planning assistance, Community Exchange Team management, community capacity building, and the implementation of local community investment strategies.
Interested in serving on the Harness the Wealth! Leadership Team? E-mail Mary Ann.