Students who attend UMFK, whether they are residents on the campus or visit their classrooms using the Internet, discover the return for the time they have invested is far more than simply acquiring the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their goals. The faculty and staff of the university provide one-on-one support that, in addition to helping our students achieve success and overcome obstacles, has the end result of passing to our graduates a creative work ethic that is a reflection of the reputation the people of the local communities have across the state. Employers know that persons with a St. John Valley connection work harder and smarter than any other group in New England. On February 21, 1878, Maine governor Selden Connor approved and signed an act which would establish a training school for teachers in the Madawaska territory. This step meant that people in the region could be trained so they could teach at schools within the territory, and thus begin educating and "Americanizing" the people of the St. John Valley. An amount of $1000 was set aside in the state treasury to establish and maintain what became commonly known as the Madawaska Training School. In the early years of the school's history, the location for the training of teachers alternated between Fort Kent and Van Buren, and in 1884 the school serving the lower section of the territory moved from Van Buren to Grand Isle. Then in 1886, issues of overcrowding in the Fort Kent location were addressed for the first time. Each year enrollment numbers had increased, and by this time applicants had to be turned down for want of better accommodations. Vetal Cyr, the first principal of the Madawaska Training School, described the existing school house in the Fort Kent area as "small and cold," and that "no changes or repairs" had been made to the school buildings. He summarized his position by stating that "at Fort Kent a new school house is much needed," in hopes that the state would soon remedy the situation in the way of new buildings. It was shortly after these statements that the State Superintendent of Common Schools recommended that the school be permanently located in Fort Kent and that suitable accommodations be made for the school in the construction of facilities. The money was appropriated for building permanent facilities for the school in Fort Kent, and the school finally had a permanent location and facility by the 1888-1889 school year. With a vast assortment of programs available, the school's enrollment has continued to increase exponentially, while still maintaining its reputation of a quality education and personal attention to students' needs. Even today the school continues to expand, including the building of Violette Camp for Environmental Studies, the construction of Nadeau Hall to house the Nursing Department and a Technology Center in 2001, renovations to Cyr Hall in 2002, the construction of a new building to house the Acadian Archives and administrative offices slated to begin in 2003, and the construction of a new residence hall facility. In the past 125 years of the school's existence, it has grown from an enrollment of approximately 46 people per semester in the first year to an estimated 900 per semester in recent times. A university of continued academic growth and diversity, the University of Maine at Fort Kent's growth has been greatly influenced by the rich history of itself and the region it serves. Born of the need to educate the local culture, the University of Maine at Fort Kent continues to live up to its history of academic excellence. Though it now serves the global community, UMFK will always be a part of the rich cultural history of the St. John Valley.

School Director:

Population: 5000

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