Frequently Asked Questions

A light breakfast of pastries and fruit will be served, along with coffee and tea. Lunch will be a hearty buffet of sandwiches, salads, grains, and vegetables. Mid-afternoon, we will serve coffee, tea, and desserts.

If you have indicated a dietary need when registering, USM Conference Services will make sure to have a meal for you. Gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan meals will be available at the conference services desk, separate from the buffet, for those who have requested them. 

We ask that all registrants pay their invoice ahead of the conference, but we will accept checks upon arrival. Checks can be made out to USM Conference Services. 

The conference is offered at no charge for Portland Public Schools Staff. Please talk to your building administrator to make sure a sub is available if you plan on attending. 

A full registration fee is required to attend all or part of the conference. 

Please contact Colby Senior at senioc@portlandschools.org to make a change. Changes will be accepted up until 48 hours before the conference. If changes are made up to 48 hours prior to the conference, that will enable the new attendee to have a printed name tag and request any dietary accommodations. If changes are made after that window, we may not be able to accommodate any dietary preferences or have a printed name tag for the new attendee. 

Please contact Colby Senior at senioc@portlandschols.org and we will do our best to accommodate you up to 48 hours before the conference. 

We will have a limited number of walk-up registrations available. Please bring a check or be prepared to pay online onsite. 

Take exit 6B off of 295 and take the first left onto Bedford Street. Parking has changed! Take the second left off of Bedford Street into the parking garage for the Abromson Center of the University of Southern Maine. Parking will be free for conference attendees. 

To begin your digital parking session at the garage, use your mobile device to scan the QR code signage posted in the parking garage or parking lot. This will connect you to our digital parking system. You can then select your parking session duration and use the promo code BEYOND2023. Once the code is processed, the parking session will be activated. You can also pay for your parking on the parking website prior to arriving or by downloading the Honk Mobile app for Android or IOS. You will need your license plate number when beginning your digital parking session.

Anyone who attends the conference and completes the feedback survey will receive an emailed certificate of completion for 6.5 CEU credits.

There are accessible spots on the first level of the garage you drive into, and there are elevators. If you have a specific accessibility concern, please reach out to Colby Senior at senioc@portlandschols.org.

The conference sessions will be videotaped and made available for Portland Public Schools staff. Please look out for more information on how to access these videos. For all others, please check back for more information on future conferences on the same topic.