Foundation for Portland Public Schools

10/16/2026

https://www.pressherald.com/2026/10/16/portland-museum-of-art-portland-schools-partner-on-black-history-lessons/

A partnership between Portland Public Schools and the PMA brought 425 7th-graders to the museum over the last three weeks.

10/07/2026

🎭❤

"We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Portland Public Schools and a Maine-based artist Antonio Rocha who has been part of Ovation’s Maine Artists in Schools program twice before. This school-year, every 9th grader in Portland will experience "Waves of Tears | Winds of Hope", a new solo performance from Rocha that weaves two Maine-built ships’ stories together through narrative, mime, and song. Rocha previously brought these stories to communities individually, "Malaga Ship Story" in Spring 2023, and "Once Upon a Hill in Maine: The Pedro Tovookan Parris Story" in 2025, both stories of slavery, freedom & Memory.

In order to bring the performance to Portland high schools, Ovations is collaborating with Foundation for Portland Public Schools through their Arts Partnership Program. We were proud to be one of the inaugural companies to participate in the program last year, when Antonio Rocha led a series of workshops on Mime for students at Lincoln Middle School. This year, Antonio Rocha will perform his new piece for high school students, and will lead workshops at all three Portland high schools on capturing oral history through storytelling.

Last year alone, 700 students and community members in 4 counties in Southern Maine experienced "Once Upon a Hill in Maine". It was deeply moving to watch students experience a story about a real person from Maine through Antonio Rocha’s masterful storytelling. Now, both "Malaga Ship Story" and "Once Upon a Hill in Maine" will be a permanent part of Portland Public Schools’ 9th grade social studies curriculum through this compelling new performance."

✏️ By Liz Schildkret, Director of School & Family Programs

09/28/2026

The PPS Arts Partnership will host nine community arts organizations in 16 schools this year!

09/17/2026

Our 2025-206 Annual Report just came out. Take a look!

We’re excited to share our 2025-26 annual report! We faced challenges we could not have foreseen, but we rose to meet these challenges time and again, thanks to our community. Thank you all for your…

08/26/2026

We may not be their fiscal sponsor anymore, but we're still huge supporters of the work of Maine Community Swimming!

UPDATE: 175 swimmers have been sponsored. Thank you! Let's keep going!
MCS is hoping you will help us provide swim lessons to the 500 second graders in the Portland Public Schools. You can sponsor 1 (or more) swimmers at $35 a student. Please help us provide these important life saving lessons. https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/VsKk0AQF-hbMDR832mbUgA

08/26/2026

The stalwart of Portland's Old Port is holding a back-to-school giveaway as its 106-year-old owner prepares to shutter the shop this fall.

08/13/2026