Maine Academy of Natural Sciences Announces New Head of School

HINCKLEY, Maine, Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- When the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences (MeANS) set out to hire a new Head of School, it was looking for two things: experience and vision.

Matt Newberg checked both of those boxes.

After interviewing several potential candidates, the MeANS board of directors have chosen Newberg to helm Maine's first public charter high school at a time of growing enrollment and interest.

"Matt brings a wealth of talent to the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences," says Cheryl Bulmer, Chair of the MeANS Board. "We're very excited to have him on board to work with the students, staff, board, Charter Commission and community to ensure MeANS continues to grow and prosper. We know that Matt brings a wealth of knowledge to help us create a respectful, responsible and community-centered school environment, and we look forward to him developing meaningful relationships with everyone within the MeANS community."

Prior to joining MeANS, Newberg spent 14 years at Hyde School in Bath, where he served in a variety of roles: teacher, coach, director of the school's performing arts program, and dean of students and faculty, respectively.

A native of Syracuse, New York, who grew up in Harpswell, Maine, Newberg earned his B.S. in Environmental Education from the University of Vermont, where he developed and taught his own environmental studies curriculum.

Newberg earned a certificate in leadership studies from the University of Southern Maine in 2018 and also holds an assistant principal certification from the Maine Department of Education.

"What excited me the most in learning about this position was how multifaceted and dynamic it is, and that's a testament to what they've built here at MeANS," Newberg says. "It's not just about being an administrator; it's about being involved in the classroom, being with students and teachers and understanding their experience."

Founded in 2012, MeANS offers classes in farming, forestry, sustainability, alternative energy and other science-based fields.
According to Newberg, the goal of the curriculum is to help students gain knowledge through hands-on projects, experiential learning and targeted courses.

The school is located on the campus of Good Will-Hinckley, an organization that's been providing educational and other resources to young people in need for more than 130 years.

For more information about MeANS, please visit http://www.gwh.org/means

To learn more about Good Will-Hinckley, go to http://www.gwh.org

SOURCE Maine Academy of Natural Sciences