Through its Maine Center and a partnership with Everfi and Maine Venture Fund, the state’s largest educational and economic development enterprise is providing hundreds of Maine middle and high school students with free entrepreneurial education, which will be showcased at a student pitch session in Windham on Wednesday
WINDHAM, Maine — The University of Maine System (UMS) is growing the next generation of entrepreneurs and the state’s innovation economy by providing free business and budgeting basics to middle and high school students.
In the pilot year (2024-25) of its partnership with Everfi (External Site), the System’s Maine Center (External Site) delivered entrepreneurial skill development to 348 students across 16 schools in the state. A list of participating schools is below.
After the training, 71% of Maine students who participated said they now have an interest in starting their own business and 43% said they are “quite” or “extremely” interested. The overwhelming majority also said they feel prepared to identify business opportunities, develop a business plan and calculate the risks of starting a small business.
In the engaging free digital course, which is often incorporated into Maine schools’ financial literacy curriculum and also helps develop personal budgeting skills, students explore key business concepts and then apply their learning by developing a pitch for their own food truck business.
To celebrate the expansion this year to more Maine students and dozens more committed schools, Maine Center CEO Seth Goodall will visit an entrepreneurship class at Windham High School on Wednesday, Nov. 19 to judge students’ food truck pitches. He will be joined by leaders of Maine Venture Fund (External Site) (MVF), which has recently partnered with UMS and Everfi to jointly promote student entrepreneurship and its Maine Startup Challenge (External Site), a business plan competition to encourage entrepreneurial thinking across all ages. This partnership will allow students to apply their in-school learning through the free course by participating in a statewide business plan competition, the winners of which will be selected in a showcase at the Maine Center in May.
“Through this partnership, Maine’s public universities are empowering educators and inspiring the next generation of innovators who will start businesses, create jobs and strengthen communities across our state,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “Expanding access to this high-impact, hands-on entrepreneurial training reflects our System’s commitment to preparing Maine students for rewarding careers and upward mobility while broadening the small businesses that are the backbone of the state’s economy.”
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (External Site) (SBA), 99.2% of businesses in Maine are considered small, with fewer than 500 employees.
UMS is Maine’s most powerful engine of educational attainment and economic development, preparing the workforce and directly supporting hundreds of small businesses to start and grow by improving their products and processes — mostly through the research and innovation enterprise at the R1 University of Maine. According to a new report (External Site), in 2024-25, business, management, marketing and related support services majors emerged as the dominant field of study in the System, accounting for 22.8% of all degrees and certificates conferred with 1,679 completions, nearly double the number awarded just five years ago.
Funded with the support of the Harold Alfond Foundation as part of UMS TRANSFORMS (External Site), the Maine Center advances Maine’s economy by supporting market-driven interdisciplinary graduate and professional programs in business, law, policy and engineering across the System and state and providing a hub of innovation at 300 Fore St. in Portland. Goodall, who previously served as the Regional Administrator for the SBA (Region 1) and then led corporate social responsibility at Santander, has been its CEO since 2023.
“Entrepreneurship is at the heart of Maine’s future, and by engaging students early, we’re helping them see themselves as the problem-solvers and leaders our economy needs to thrive,” said Goodall. “Through our partnership with Everfi and now the Maine Venture Fund, the Maine Center is connecting classrooms to the expertise and energy of the entire University of Maine System — and especially the Maine Business School (External Site) — so more young Mainers can turn their ideas into impact.”
For more information about how your school can access the free Venture: Entrepreneurial Expedition course through the Maine Center, Everfi and MVF, please contact Jesus Grisanti Clavier at jgrisanti@everfi.com.
WHAT: Maine Center entrepreneurial education program expansion and student pitch competition
WHEN: 8:10-9:25 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19
WHERE: Windham High School, 406 Gray Road, Windham (Room 127)
WHO: Windham High School entrepreneurship students, Windham Social Studies Teacher Peter Small and professional judges Maine Center CEO Seth Goodall and Maine Venture Fund Managing Director Joe Powers
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Media are encouraged to attend and are kindly asked to RSVP in advance to UMS Chief External & Governmental Affairs Officer Sam Warren at samantha.warren@maine.edu to ensure entrance to the secure Windham High School.
About the University of Maine System
The University of Maine System (UMS) is the state’s largest driver of educational attainment and economic development and its seven public universities and law school are the most affordable in New England. Over the past two decades, UMS has awarded 106,362 degrees and spurred and strengthened thousands of small Maine businesses through its world-class research and development activities. For more information, visit www.maine.edu.
Media Contact:
Samantha Warren
Chief External & Governmental Affairs Officer
207-632-0389 / samantha.warren@maine.edu