Recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the Island Institute Fellows Program

Floor Speech

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Mr. GOLDEN of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th Anniversary of the Maine Island Institute's Fellows Program. Through their dedication and commitment, these Fellows have helped our communities thrive by supporting local priorities such as expanding broadband access and affordable housing, facilitating clean energy transitions and education initiatives, strengthening community resilience efforts, and enhancing our quality of life by providing technical assistance and support to critical projects. This highly valued program has successfully engaged volunteers, connected communities to resources, and supported the development of Maine's future leaders.

Since the program's creation, 148 Island Institute Fellows have provided over 492,500 hours of much-needed added capacity to municipalities, school systems, and community organizations. Their contributions are felt more acutely given that 75 percent of Maine's coastal communities have fewer than 3,500 people, and 25 percent have fewer than 800 people. We know that every leader to these communities wears multiple hats, which makes Island Institute Fellows an essential asset by providing the ability to write a grant, facilitate community planning, preserve historical documents, or train volunteers.

Maine's small island and coastal communities understand the challenges and opportunities they must navigate and often need human capacity and technical resources to address their priorities. With more than forty years of community development experience, the Island Institute works with these communities to recruit Fellows, facilitate the community-to-Fellow match, and provide the management framework for this highly regarded program. By providing housing, pay, and benefits, the program decreases barriers to access and supports a strong and diverse pool of talent to tackle community challenges and opportunities.

The benefits of the Island Institute Fellows program extend into the fabric of the larger community and into Maine. The two-year program means that Fellows also become integral members of the communities they serve--from helping to plan potlucks or coaching sports teams to being members of the town's Emergency Medical Services. As a state with an aging population, it is notable that half of Island Institute Fellows choose to stay in Maine, filling a critical need for talent and commitment to the community well after the fellowship ends.

I want to congratulate the Island Institute for their dedication and service to the people of Maine and wish them continued success with the Fellows program into the future.

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