At Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, education has never been confined to the classroom—it is an endeavor that unfolds in real time, in the real world. Each Friday, our students engage in that space through Flex Friday, dedicating 20% of their time to tackling authentic challenges that matter deeply to their communities.
This year, two students are collaborating on a problem that hits especially close to home: the ongoing threat of PFAS contamination in Maine’s soil and water. These “forever chemicals,” persistent and invisible, have quietly reshaped conversations around health, agriculture, and environmental safety. In response, our students are researching and developing detection prototypes, analyzing contamination patterns, and collaborating with local partners to design solutions that could serve Maine’s rural regions—transforming scientific inquiry into civic action. Their initial focus is on the Brunswick Naval Air Station.
This is the essence of Real World Now, Baxter’s campaign to illuminate the power of hands-on learning rooted in purpose. Our students are not simply studying subjects; they are engaging with the world as emerging engineers, researchers, and citizens of a democracy. Whether they’re constructing water-filtration systems for Guatemalan villages, designing rugged wheelchairs for uneven terrain, or experimenting with AI-powered data tools, the throughline remains the same: prioritizing positive community impact through STEM-based solutions. In every lab, workshop, and classroom conversation, we hope our students will see themselves as solutionaries—young people capable of both understanding complexity and responding to it with ingenuity and care.
That ethos has never been more essential. Maine’s economic and technological landscape is shifting rapidly as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing redefine what it means to work, lead, and create. Supporting innovative education in Maine means preparing students not just to adapt to that change, but to help guide it. Schools like Baxter—nimble by design and deeply connected to community—are uniquely positioned to cultivate the next generation of thinkers and builders who can blend human empathy with technical fluency. By investing in programs like Flex Friday, our partners—businesses, universities, and civic organizations—help students acquire the skills, confidence, and moral imagination that the future demands.
Innovation does not happen in isolation. It flourishes when educators, families, and industry come together to create opportunities that mirror the challenges of our time. As we continue to expand our Real World Now initiatives, we see a powerful truth emerging: the problems facing Maine and the world—PFAS, climate resilience, AI ethics—are not separate from the classroom; they are the classroom. When we pull together around that shared purpose, we ensure that our young people are not merely preparing for the future—they are already shaping it, one Flex Friday at a time.
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This post was edited for spelling/errors by AI.