MAINECAN Initiatives
These initiatives are open to anyone seeking to collaborate. To join or learn more about these initiatives, email the MAINECAN Support & Research Team at info@mainecan.network.
See initiatives facilitated by:
MAINECAN Initiatives
MAINECAN Google Group
This group is an online forum through which MAINECAN members can share and request resources, events, and other opportunities related to community energy and resilience in Maine communities. Anyone can join MAINECAN to be added to this Google Group.
Annual In-Person Conference
These annual, collaborative, day-long sessions bring together people from Wabanaki Tribes and Maine communities (municipal officials, local non-profit organizations, citizen committees, individual residents) implementing or interested in implementing community resilience solutions and others supporting these efforts (state, university, business, non-profit, individual, etc.).
- 2026 MAINECAN Session: Home Energy Coaching, Community Coordinators, and Vulnerability Assessments
- 2025 MAINECAN Session: Networks within Networks, Funding, Capacity-Building
- 2024 MAINECAN Session: Community-Driven Resilience in Energy Transitions and Climate Adaptation
Interim Leadership Committee
The Interim Leadership Committee meets quarterly as a temporary body that makes decisions for MAINECAN and develops more permanent governance structures to propose to MAINECAN’s membership.
Peer-Learning Working Groups
MAINECAN members can propose peer learning working groups on topics and ways of supporting community resilience initiatives. Periodic group meetings then provide peer-to-peer support for participating network members.
Community Coordinator Working Group
The Community Coordinator Working Group meets quarterly; shares progress and resources among people who directly support specific communities in their resilience goals (“coordinators”); explores opportunities for peer-to-peer support and collaboration among coordinators and identifies how to increase access to coordinator services across all Maine communities and Wabanaki Tribes.
MAINECAN Support & Research Team Initiatives
Learn more about the MAINECAN Support & Research Team on this page.
Wabanaki Sustainable Energy Team (WSET)
Representatives from each Wabanaki Nation meet monthly to support each other and collaborate on developing and implementing Tribe-specific and inter-Tribal energy and other resilience projects. They also co-develop research to support their energy and other resilience goals with the MAINECAN Support & Research Team.
Community Sustainable Energy Team (CSET)
A group of people from rural Maine communities meets monthly to support each other in developing and implementing local energy and other resilience projects. They also co-develop research to support their energy and other resilience goals with the MAINECAN Support & Research Team.
Rural Resilience Champions
With support from the Maine Community Foundation, the MAINECAN Support & Research Team is hosting Rural Resilience Champions who are providing targeted outreach to communities in Aroostook, Penobscot, and Washington Counties, to understand and support these communities in their resilience goals.
RURAL RESILIENCE CHAMPIONS WEBPAGE
Vulnerability Assessment Cohort
Through the CSET and the Rural Resilience Champion program, communities in Aroostook, Penobscot, and Washington Counties are forming a Vulnerability Assessment Cohort to work together to understand their own goals, vulnerabilities, and assets, with the goal of developing regional or community-specific vulnerability assessments as appropriate to the needs of cohort members.
MAINECAN Member Initiatives
Community members, allies, and the MAINECAN Support & Research Team participate in the following initiatives that are organized by MAINECAN members.
Local Leads the Way
General Monthly Calls
A Climate To Thrive hosts the Local Leads The Way (LLW) initiative, which includes a monthly gathering on Zoom for anyone involved in or interested in community-driven, solutions-focused climate action.
Learn more about the monthly Local Leads the Way calls
Energy Coaching Project-Specific Monthly Calls
Home energy coaching is a community-based initiative that connects interested homeowners with knowledgeable volunteers who support homeowners through the process of understanding and navigating home energy improvements like efficiency upgrades and electrification of heating/cooling. Participants in these monthly LLW calls dedicated to this topic discuss key components of successful energy coaching programs, share resources, and are developing a guide for energy coaching programs in Maine communities.
Learn more about Energy Coaching
Sign up for the LLW Energy Coaching Calls
Resilience Project-Specific Monthly Calls
This group discussion is a place to take a collective deep dive into Resilience Planning and Implementation. The group will also focus on identifying pathways to accelerate resilience work in Maine through increased collaboration.